Specialties
Since 1994 our family operated business has guided hundreds of clients on the Upper Missouri, including families, groups of friends, and business retreats. We have authored and published the only available guidebook for the Upper Missouri. Our all-inclusive guided trips provide you with all of the equipment and amenities to enjoy the Upper Missouri to its fullest.
Montana's Upper Missouri River is one of the premier canoe trips in the United States, and the most unspoiled segment of the entire Lewis & Clark Trail. The river corridor is a 149 mile wilderness and most trips on the river involve three to seven nights camping along the majestic banks. The Upper Missouri is blessed with outstanding scenery, spectacular geology, and abundant wildlife. A Class One river, with no rapids, it can be canoed by beginner-level paddlers, including children. Our canoes, constructed out of Kevlar, are extremely light. Our paddles weigh only 12 ounces - a significant difference compared to a plastic or wooden paddle when paddling 46-107 miles!
Most importantly, our experienced guides provide the highest quality service from cooking each meal to offering constant interpretation of the history and geology of this remarkable area. We hope you consider a trip with us!
History
Established in 1994.
Upper Missouri River Guides was founded in 1994 by Glenn and Nancy Monahan, and over the years they escorted hundreds of guests on canoe trips down the Upper Missouri.
The inspiration for starting this business occurred in 1992 when Glenn paddled the Upper Missouri in a solo canoe with a copy of Lewis and Clark's journals on his lap. As an avid outdoor enthusiast and canoeist, the beauty and wildness of the river captivated him; the river's rich history fed his long-term interest in western U.S. history; and as a geologist, he was awed by the diversity of the rock formations that form the cliffs and hills bordering the river, and the geologic story that they tell.
Glenn considers the Upper Missouri to be a national treasure, and has been heavily involved in conservation efforts.
His immersion in the Upper Missouri resulted in his publishing - in 1998, a 250-page guidebook for the river.
Meet the Business Owner: Brett B.
Brett Burglund is a native Montanan, born and raised in Kalispell, MT. He is an avid boatman, who spends lots of time in kayaks, canoes, and rafts. He has won numerous kayaking competitions and has paddled waters throughout the western U.S. He's been a partner in Upper Missouri River Guides since 1999.
Brett is an excellent chef and has perfected his numerous custom recipes from an early age.Brett is well versed on the river's history, and he enjoys leading hikes to some of the historic sites located off the river, such as tepee rings and old homestead buildings. Brett has explored much of the land adjacent to the river on foot, and has put together an itinerary of hikes to spectacular viewpoints high above the river.
Brett is a civil engineer and independent contractor. In his free time - in addition to boating - you can find him scaling peaks, snowboarding down various mountains throughout Montana, backpacking in the northwest Montana back country, and mountain biking.
