Words by Greg Thomas

Back on Montana's Smith River

I didn’t know what to expect this time around. I’d floated Montana’s Smith River twice, once back in the 1990s and again in 2013, but in 2026 there would be more restrictions, and the river’s booming popularity meant, undoubtedly, like everywhere else in Montana these days, we’d see more people and encounter some heavily pressured fish.

Changes. In the 1990s you could take dogs on the Smith; you could use established outhouses at each of the river’s 29 designated campgrounds to conduct your daily constitution, some with commanding 360-degree views that, surprisingly, ended up being a highlight of the trip; and you could kind of take your chances with bears-in-camp encounters because you didn’t need a bear fence or bear-proof coolers.

Bring dogs on the river now and they’ll be extradited. Don’t

Read more