Sixty-one miles. One way in, one way out.

The Smith is a sixty-one-mile wilderness float with a single public put-in at the headwaters and a single take-out at the end. It begins in the mountains, runs through a thousand-foot limestone canyon, and spills out onto the prairie. It is the only river in Montana where every recreational float is regulated by limited permit — and the only way through is by boat.

That permit lottery is exactly why the fishing stays low-pressure and the canyon stays pristine. We've guided the Smith for close to forty years, and our seasoned guides know every inch of it — experience that pays off on every trip.

Smith River trips operated under special-use permit with the Helena–Lewis and Clark National Forest.