Into the Breaks
Malta to Lewistown via C M Russell NWR

Malta, founded on cattle and the Great Northern Railroad is the beginning of our trip into the Breaks.  Leave the Hi-line and head south on Regina Road toward Sun Prairie.  This is vast open range and sagebrush country.  Neighboring these working ranches and bordering the million-acre Charles M Russell Wildlife Refuge, the nonprofit conservation organization American Prairie has acquired acreage via purchase and lease to bring back the native diversity that once supported the prairies and people of the Plains.

Opened in 2011, this American Prairie campground is located 50 miles south of Malta and 4 miles north of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Travel is on gravel and unimproved roads. Situated close to a variety of hiking and biking opportunities, the campground features 13 sites (six tent and seven RV) and provides non-potable water, vault toilets and an amphitheater for $10/night (without electricity) and $15/night (with electricity). Tent sites include large, low-impact platforms with tie-down cleats. In addition to an informational kiosk and two group pavilions with picnic tables, you’ll also find a 1-mile hiking trail and prairie dog town nearby. Buffalo Camp is open year-round and most sites can be reserved online. Two tent sites and 2 RV sites are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware that bison roam freely through the site and the surrounding 31,000-acre Sun Prairie Region. Multiple geocaches are located in and around the campground and are listed on geocaching.com, including at the historic Prairie Union School where vistors can hear oral stories of students who attended this one-room school-house up through the 1950’s.

Nearby sites of deep significance to Indienous communities include the Indian Lake Medicine Rock, a buffalo jump, and numerous stone circles, or tipi rings.  Consider hiring a Native guide to explore and interpret the prairie such as Aaniih Nakoda Tours.

Encompassing approximately 1.1 million acres, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is the second largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. Given the size and remoteness of Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, the area has changed very little from the historic voyage of the Lewis and Clark expedition, through the era of outlaws and homesteaders, to the present time. Visitors will find spectacular examples of native prairie, forested coulees, river bottoms, and “breaks” badlands so often portrayed in the paintings of the colorful artist for whom this refuge is named.  The drive to Fourchette Bay offers stellar views, and you’ll find additional first-come-first-serve camping, river access, and a boat ramp.

The Antelope Creek Campground at Mars Vista is situated on open rolling sage/shortgrass prairie and is this route’s most accessible lodging option. Located seven miles north of the Missouri River along US 191, the campground features an interpretive hiking trail, a prairie dog town, wetlands prime for birdwatching, and walking accesss into the breaks. Tent spaces, RV sites with power, and small cabins are available to reserve, along with two tipis,and guests have access to a bathhouse with showers.  Sunsetss and prairie storms are spectacular at this site.

Antelope Creek Campground is open seasonally late May through late October.

James Kipp Recreation Area is situated along the Upper Missouri River and is open from April 1 to December 1, annually. This is a popular site for launching watercraft, as well as camping, picnicking and fishing. The potable water system is currently shut down. Water for the RV dump will become operational after the last spring freeze, typically by May 15. Campsites are on a first-come, first-serve basis — NO RESERVATIONS There are 34 sites that can accommodate trailers or recreational vehicles (RVs) up to 40 feet in length. There are no hookups. Each site has a designated fire ring and picnic table. The campground is equipped with vault toilets, trash dumpsters, and an RV waste dump ($10 dump fee).

End your trip in Lewistown where the American Prairie National Discovery Center is a rendezvous point for visitors going to the prairie. Lewistown lies in the heart of Montana amidst the Belt, Highwood, Judith, Moccasins and Snowy Mountains in a valley known as the Judith Basin. This small city is the commercial hub of the Judith Basin and offers great coffee, good food, unique lodging, and interesting museums and visitor centers.

Located in the renovated historic Power Mercantile building, the National Discovery Center features interactive exhibits about the prairie ecosystem, community meeting spaces, and a film theater. The Exhibit Hall includes interactive exhibits and a Night Sky Theater that explores the nuances of the prairie ecosystem. The Talpins Children’s Center gives kids their own place to play and learn about the prairie and a live black-footed ferret display coming in the fall of 2025. The Clyde Aspevig Event Center, which provides flexible spaces for events, presentations, educational programming,and meetings with state-of-the-art technology. The Ken Burns American Heritage Theater offers a variety of films that introduce visitors to American Prairie, its mission, partnerships,and the prairie ecosystem.