For most people, the Smith River in Montana brings fish to mind. Lots of big, beautiful trout. But I think of wildflowers: Fields and fields of wildflowers. Pristine water, limestone canyon walls. Although I know someone who has run the Smith 25+ times (he’s lived in Montana a long time), the Smith is an exceedingly hard permit to score. But it’s worth perseverance. Here’s a guide to running the Smith River, one of the most celebrated trout fishing rivers in the West—but a blissful float even for those who never intend to pick up a rod.
Sadly, the Smith—the only permitted river in Montana—is also the subject of a bitter, yearslong fight to thwart a potentially disastrous mine project. The Smith landed on American Rivers’ Most Endangered Rivers Report in 2015 and 2016 after the Australian-owned mining company Sandfire Resources (formerly known as Tintina Resources) applied for a mining permit to develop an underground copper mine on private land adjacent to Sheep Creek upstream of its confluence with the Smith. The project, the Black Butte Copper Mine, would likely produce acid mine drainage that would devastate this stunning river corridor and require permanent water treatment.
A coalition of organizations, including American Rivers, Montana Trout Unlimited (MTU), Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), and Earthworks, has been fighting this mine for years with legal action asserting that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) did not adequately protect the Smith when it approved Sandfire’s mining permit in 2020.
The saga has many twists and turns (MTU has a useful timeline of events on their site), with a promising recent development: In April 2022, a Montana District Court concurred with the coalition’s claim and vacated the mining permit. Sandfire of course has appealed the decision to the Montana Supreme Court.
If you’ve ever floated the Smith, or have only dreamed of it, or you simply want to keep a breathtaking stretch of river from being ruined, consider a donation to American Rivers or Montana Trout Unlimited to support the next round of battle.
Floating the remote, pristine Smith River
A few basics about planning a Smith trip: The popular permitted section of the Smith River starts at Camp Baker in the western central part of Montana, not far from White Sulphur Springs. The Smith is managed by Montana State Parks, a division of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Smith River permits for private boaters now seem nearly impossible to win, but most of the 9 total daily permits awarded April 1 through August 15 (adjusted for the 2024 season from the previous end date of October 31) each year go to private boaters, 90 percent of which will be Montana residents starting with the 2024 season. (Check out the 2024 permit drawing quotas here.) The minimum number of camping nights is 2, but most parties float the 59-mile run in 5 days and 4 nights, the maximum number of camping nights allowed during the peak season from May 15 through July 15. Private trips are limited to 15 max group size, and dogs aren’t allowed (unless they’re truly service animals or you’re hunting during the legal season).
Although the Smith rocks along at high water, making eddies (and camps) hard to catch, the only whitewater is a couple of Class II wave trains. In addition to being a superb trout fishery, the Smith has gorgeous camps (reserved beforehand), many with hiking trails.
Pictographs are visible from the water at mile 16.6. If you want more, and you’re game to march through a veritable poison ivy forest, Indian Cave (aka Pictograph Cave), just downstream of lower Parker Flat, has a lovely array of nearly 100 inventoried pictographs, including rattles, crosses, suns, and various animals. (Take this poison ivy warning seriously: Wear long pants and sleeves, and have some poison ivy scrub ready at the boat when you return.)
The camps are big and beautiful, and you don’t have to fight for them every afternoon: The permit holders claim their camps a couple of days before launch during a call with the rangers.
Tips for planning a Smith River trip
Here’s a checklist of gear and organizational tips for planning a Smith River trip in Montana.
Apply for a permit
The permit lottery process opens on the first Monday of January each year and closes around February 15. Note that the Smith River lottery is managed by Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks at the FWP online licenses site, which is also used to manage hunting and fishing licenses. The application process is different from the Recreation.gov process and takes more time in setting up your account, especially if you’re not a Montana resident. For information about the most popular launch dates in years past, check out the 2023 launch choice report.
Montana FWP made some important changes to the permit process for the 2024 season:
- The number of permits available for non-residents cannot exceed 10 percent of the available permits—the odds are in the favor of Montana residents.
- Applicants can now buy a “bonus point,” or an extra chance at a permit, as part of the process. The bonus point fee is $5 for Montana residents and $50 for non-residents. (Thinking of moving to Montana?) These points accumulate each year you’re unsuccessful in the drawing.
- The permitted launch dates are now April 1 through August 15: The end date previously was October 31, but by August the river is typically too low to float anyway. If floating is feasible after August 15, Montana resident boaters can pick up a self-permit registration at Camp Baker. Non-residents need to call the FWP Region 4 headquarters (406-454-5840) to confirm that their self-permit registration won’t exceed the 10 percent non-resident limit.
- Applicants have only one launch date choice starting with the 2024 process because most slots are filled after the first round.
- Pit toilets along the Smith will be removed in spring 2024, so boaters need to bring their own groovers. The good news is that a SCAT machine has been installed at the Eden Bridge takeout. Check out the list of FWP-approved river toilet systems, including which systems can be used in SCAT machines.
Winners are drawn a few days after the lottery closes. Successful applicants are notified by email. Unsuccessful applicants are not notified by email, but you can confirm your sinking suspicion on the lottery results site.
Smith River Montana Super Permit
A fun twist to the Smith permit process: Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP) also issues one Super Permit that allows the lucky recipient to launch on any day they choose that year. One Super Permit is allotted each year, and you can enter as many times as wish for $5 per entry. Important Super Permit dates:
- Applications open: January 2, 2024
- Applications close: March 22, 2024
- Drawing: March 26, 2024
A couple of helpful resources for planning your launch date choice are the Smith River launch quota list and the launch choice report, which gives details on the number of requests for each launch date during the season for the past few years (mid-June is an exceptionally popular time). If you strike out on your first try, in early March you can call the Smith River office at 406-454-5861 to request any remaining available dates, pick up a cancellation, or cancel your permit. For complete details about applying for a permit, visit the Smith River info site.
Study the regulations and resources
Montana FWP offers extensive materials covering regulations, gear suggestions, bear-proofing gear and practices, and more.:
- Smith River floater information packet (not yet updated for 2024)
- Smith River floater registration process (not yet updated for 2024)
- Smith River site map
- Mile markers of each camp
- Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) packet
- Food storage regulations
- Smith River flow conditions
- Montana FWP-approved toilet systems (new for 2024)
Prepare for bears
Bear-proofing is routine for most outdoor enthusiasts in the Northwest—especially Montana—but for those who haven’t shared a river with bears yet, some research and preparation is essential. Black bears are common on the Smith River, and Montana FWP has extensive information about gear and guidelines for avoiding confrontations with bears. Some highlights:
- Store food, trash, and other items that might attract bears in bear-proof containers approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC), contain it within electric fencing, or suspend it at least 10 feet from the ground and 4 feet from any vertical support.
- Follow the guidelines for proper use of any IGBC-approved container—for example, coolers must be locked with padlocks or threaded bolts and nuts.
- Several portable bear fences are available for sale or rent, or you can make your own as long as your invention meets U.S. Forest Service specifications.
- Always carry bear spray: Every person on your trip should have their own bear spray, readily accessible, especially on hikes and trips to the groover. Encourage everyone in your party to practice using the bear spray before the trip starts. Hearing the stories about how far the spray stream shoots and how much it disperses in the wind is no substitute for experiencing it yourself. (Ask me how I know.) I highly recommend the Counter Assault bear spray with holster so you can keep your bear spray close at hand.
- Study the guidelines on the IGBC site to prepare yourself (as much as possible) for a bear encounter. Helpful resources include the bear-resistant products list, bear spray guidelines, and food storage regulations in various areas.
- Study Montana FWP’s guidelines for avoiding bear encounters
Prepare for your registration call
Be prepared for the registration call from Montana FWP river rangers two days before your launch date. They will call you sometime between 1:00 pm MDT and 3:30 MDT. Be ready with the following information:
- The number of nights you plan to spend on the river (minimum of two, maximum of four)
- Your preferred camps
- Name, age, and state of residence for everyone in your group
- Number and types of all the boats in your party
- Credit card number for the permit fee
During this call, the rangers will also assign a one-hour launch window for your party to reduce congestion on the boat ramp at Camp Baker. Plan to arrive at the launch site at least an hour before your launch slot.
Assemble your gear
The Montana State Parks Smith River floater information packet lists all required and recommended gear for a Smith trip. Some highlights to note:
- Those who have floated the Smith in 2023 or before know that one of the unique aspects of the Smith was that you didn’t need to bring a groover: Montana FWP maintained latrines (most situated with spectacular views). But starting in 2024, river runners will need to pack out their own waste, which only seems fair. For a thorough discussion of current river toilets (groovers), see “Picking the Best River Toilet” if you don’t yet have one.
- Bear-proof containers or a bear fence, and bear spray, as mentioned above
- PFDs (life jackets) are required for every person on the trip and must be readily accessible while you’re on the water; children under 12 must wear a PDF anytime they’re in a moving boat.
- Rain gear, warm clothing, and sun-protection clothes (see our recommendations for the best sun-protection clothing and tips for staying warm on cold-weather trips).
- Complete first aid kit such as this Adventurer Mountain Series Explorer medical kit, which we’ve used on many trips. It’s quite complete for its compact size and we’ve often consulted the first-aid booklet that comes with it. Some items to add: Tecnu poison ivy scrub, After Bite, and extra ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
- Firewood for those who enjoy a campfire: The Smith camps have nice big fire rings but you’re not allowed to fell trees or gather deadwood. Don’t bring in wood from other states as that might introduce foreign pests.
What you can’t bring: Drones and dogs (except true service dogs and hunting dogs during hunting seasons).
Make plans to get your boats inspected for aquatic invasive species
Montana enforces strict rules for boat inspections, so be sure to research the location of boat inspection sites and their operating hours as part of your trip planning. Anyone carrying or towing any watercraft must stop at all open inspection stations encountered in Montana. Montana residents need to get their boats inspected before arriving at Camp Baker and be prepared to show their inspection receipt. Nonresidents need to also buy an Aquative Invasive Species (AIS) sticker on the Montana FWP web site and must get their boats inspected before arriving at Camp Baker. Check the AIS information packet for inspection and decontamination stations throughout Montana.
Set up your shuttle
The shuttle for the Smith is a pain, so it makes sense to line up a shuttle service. On our most recent trip, we used Smith River Shuttle, and they were quite friendly and easy to work with (it’s best to call for a reservation rather than email). Plus, they wash your car! Another option is Charlie’s Think Wild Shuttle Service.
Make plans for pre- and post-trip accommodations
Although in bygone days, floaters could camp overnight at Camp Baker before their launch, that’s no longer an option except from September 1 through November 30.
Frequently asked questions about floating the Smith River in Montana
Yes, it’s common to see bears on the Smith River. For information about avoiding contact with bears, review the Smith River floater information packet and the guidelines offered by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.
The Smith River starts at the confluence of the North and South forks near White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and runs for 121 miles before it reaches the Missouri at Ulm, Montana.
The 59-mile permitted stretch of the Smith River starts at Camp Baker, about 26 miles from White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and ends at the Eden Bridge take-out.
No motorized crafts are allowed on the Smith, only non-motorized boats such as rafts, canoes, inflatable and hardshell kayaks, and drift boats.
Recommended water flows are above 350 CFS for drift boats, above 250 CFS for rafts, and above 150 CFS for canoes.
The Smith River in Montana is managed by Montana State Parks, a division of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Services (Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest).
Permits for floating the Smith River are awarded through a lottery system that opens the first week of January and closes mid-February. For more information about the process, visit the Montana State Parks Smith River information site. Click here to apply for a permit.
Camp Baker, about 26 miles northwest of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, is the launch site for the permitted section of the Smith River. Eden Bridge, 59 miles downstream, is the take-out.
Yes, Camp Baker has a wide boat ramp that easily accommodates trailers.
Although the Smith River moves swiftly, and can contain hazards such as fallen trees, it has only a couple of Class II rapids, one at river mile 47 and one at river mile 49. These rapids are straightforward wave trains.
Although the Smith River had latrines at designated camps for years, starting in 2024 all river runners will need to bring their own human waste management system. (For information about river toilets, also called groovers, see “Picking the Best River Toilet.”) Floaters need to pack out all their trash. Montana FWP has a list of approved groovers (with notes about which can be used in the SCAT machine at the Eden Bridge takeout).
The Smith River in Montana is a celebrate trout fishery with Westslope cutthroat trout (native), Brown trout (non-native), Mountain Whitefish (native), rainbow trout (non-native), and
brook trout (non-native).
Authorized outfitters for the Smith River in Montana are Blackfoot River Outfitters, Blast & Cast Outfitters, Glacier Guides, Lewis & Clark Expeditions, Montana Angler Fly Fishing, Montana Flyfishing Connection, and Pro Outfitters.
Experience the Smith
Mark your calendar for next January to apply for a Smith River permit. Even if you don’t care for fishing, this uniquely beautiful place will linger in your memories for years. And before you apply for that permit, throw a few bucks to Montana Trout Unlimited to help them fight the Black Butte Copper Mine. Good karma!
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