“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau’s thoughts about embracing the great outdoors at Walden Pond in Massachusetts in the 1800s could easily have been written today about venturing and celebrating life along the white waters of the Blackfoot and Bitterroot rivers in Montana and the mighty Clark Fork River running through Montana and Idaho. Just as Thoreau purposefully chose to disconnect for a while from the hubbub of the conforming and distracting village life to explore the wilderness and experience the ease and renewal of a simpler life, folks seeking to disengage from the hustle and bustle of their often-sidetracked, overly-complicated, high-tech lives purposefully choose to earmark their vacation time (or their “personal” days) for memory-making ventures with Montana River Guides ~ America’s best outdoor adventure and river outfitter.
Headquartered riverside at the renowned Alberton Gorge canyon section of the Lower Clark Fork River, Montana River Guides is a world-class, innovative river outfitter authority in a league all its own. And, with a close look at just a partial list of some of their clients:
the United States Air Force,
NOLS ~ a wilderness education school,
Montana Fish & Wildlife Parks,
Missoula City Firefighters,
Flathead County Search & Rescue,
US Coastguard Helicopter Rescue Swimmers,
World Class Kayak Academy,
Wild River Adventures,
and even the Discovery Channel(!)
~ it is pretty easy to understand how there is absolutely no other whitewater adventure company that offers the same high-caliber, professional, and diverse training and river guide services that MRG does.
So, what else sets MRG so far ahead of any competition?
Lots of things.
#1 Perhaps first and foremost, MRG’s owners and operators are the real deal. Owners Mike and B Johnston not only live, eat, and breathe their passion for exploring and embracing the rivers and the natural wilderness, but also have a gift for inspiring and helping others to appreciate and enjoy the simpler (and more authentically exciting) things in life! MRG is as grounded and rooted in the community as its owner and founder.
Mike Johnston launched Montana River Guides back in 1994 to provide his community and visitors from all over the world with something that was desperately needed in the area — a high-quality, professional, safely-run, educational, and fun whitewater river guide company. Previous to establishing this top-notch river guide company that has an impressive guest book of clients, he worked as a Patrol and Backcountry Ranger for the National Park Service in Yellowstone and in Search and Rescue in Glacier, Acadia, and Yellowstone National Parks. In addition, he held several other roles in the great outdoors that all contribute to the highly-respected expert and “go to guy” that he is today. He’s worked as a Ski Patrol Professional and an Outdoor Emergency Care Instructor for the National Ski Patrol, as well as a Wilderness Guide. He provides leadership, cutting-edge initiatives, strategically-mapped directives, and exceptional solutions as challenges arise throughout all facets of running and leading the best whitewater river guide service in the industry.
In fact, it was Mike Johnston that the Discovery Channel hired to serve as their whitewater and grizzly bear expert during the channel’s pilot production of “Man vs. Wild” !
Also part of MRG’s leadership team is long-time Lead Guide, Manager, and Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Cody Harris. In addition to his roles at MRG, Cody is the Director of the renowned Whitewater Rescue Institute and a Wilderness Medicine Instructor for Aerie Backcountry Medicine. He is an integral part of ensuring that the diverse and rigorous classes taught through MRG and WRI are the very best in the industry.
Mike and Cody are a down-to-earth, hardworking, and innovative leadership team who truly love what they do, do what they love, and have the ability to make others feel confident and comfortable enjoying the natural setting of the great outdoors, too!
#2 MRG’s location: Ready to Launch!
In addition to being owned and operated by the best in the industry, MRG is the only river outfitter situated right at the Alberton Gorge gateway! So once guests have reached the breathtaking and scenic 40-acre property that is home to MRG’s main office, full-stocked retail shop, and cool ranch, they’ve arrived! There’s no 30-minute bus ride or mile hike further down the river to some safe and easy takeoff point. Guests and guides simply walk to the river’s edge to begin their river adventure!
#3 MRG’s elite selection of fun flotation devices While most other companies provide only rafts for their guests to explore and enjoy the river, MRG not only offers lots more choices, but also is recognized for being thee outfitter credited for being the first to provide so many cool options for river enthusiasts! Along with a diverse selection of top-of-the-line whitewater rafts, MRG also has an impressive inventory of state-of-the-art canoes, inflatable kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards from which to choose! And, as if that weren’t enough, MRG offers the extreme sport of riverboarding! In fact, MRG is the only outfitter in the whole state of Montana to offer guided riverboard trips!
#4 MRG’s adventures on 3 rivers
The Clark Fork River
Clark Fork’s Alberton Gorge is MRG’s backyard! Perfect for river adventurers of all levels, abilities, and ages, the Alberton Gorge Whitewater Raft Trips are MRG’s signature trips! Through the Gorge, the river stretches twelve miles through steep, awe-inspiring colorful canyon walls that rise almost vertically from both sides of the river. The Gorge offers something for everyone, including Class II, III, and IV rapids for those seeking a wild ride down the river and calmer, smoother sections of the river for those seeking a relaxing voyage! No matter what size raft (the larger – the smoother the ride!) and no matter how many rapids the guests choose to splash their sun-warmed faces through, the flora and fauna spotted along this journey is jaw-dropping for everyone! Noting a huge pile of peeled willow sticks by the riverbank is the sure sign of a meticulously-designed beaver lodge! Ospreys and eagles soar with the summer breeze while otters and 20” trout frolic beneath the rafts. Deer, elk, moose, and the occasional bear can be seen enjoying exploring the wilderness along the shore.
The Blackfoot River
Renowned for fly-fishing and the inspiration for Norman Maclean’s book, A River Runs Through It, the Blackfoot River is 132 miles of diverse wildlife, beautiful views, and merrymaking that pours into the Clark Fork River upstream of Missoula. Although a rapid’s grade is never fixed since it’s highly dependent upon the weather, the water depth, and the speed of the river’s flow, this classic Montana river includes areas of continuous waves and several stretches of river that require honed technical skills. Because of its diversity, this trip is popular for those who have never run a river before and those who return every season (or every week!) Adding to the excitement of the experience, the Blackfoot Valley is rich with biological diversity and is at the southern edge of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem where the largest population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states can be found!
The Bitterroot River
Perfect for the whole family (including young adventurers and wildlife watchers) is MRG’s Bitterroot River Float Trip. This voyage is the safest and driest adventure for those who have never run a river before or for those who want to experience the sights and sounds of the river without having to worry about maneuvering through any intimidating whitewater rapids! The guides float guests past the famous Travellers Rest – where Lewis and Clark stopped to camp on their journey West just before crossing the Continental Divide! The Bitterroot River Rafting Trip is a perfect blend of scenic floating, river swimming, rock jumping, creek fishing, and wildlife spotting!
No matter which river is chosen for the day’s journey, wildlife is amazing and abundant! It is common to see Sandpipers, Killdeer, and Common Mergansers. The alder-and-willow-lined bank is the migratory home for Willow Flycatchers, Yellow Warblers, and American Redstarts. Nesting holes of Rough-winged Swallows are easy to spot on the sandy banks. Great Blue Herons build their colonies in the cottonwoods! Although the wildlife-savvy guides will certainly point out the beautiful birds that decorate and light up the shores like twinkling bulbs and lights on holiday evergreens, interested rafters are encouraged to bring binoculars and books on birds indigenous to the area.
In addition to a customized menu of trips, routes, adventures, and equipment from which to choose, MRG also offers a variety of fun and informative formal courses not only for individuals who are interested in learning how to be a guide or a specialist in water rescue, but also for folks who just want to learn – through hands-on training – more about the safety and proper techniques of rafting.
#5 MRG is the first and only outfitter to be certified to teach river rescue
Some of MRG’s courses include:
Raft Guide Training,
Raft Guide School,
Whitewater Rafting Workshop,
Water Rescue Technician,
Whitewater First Responder,
Wilderness First Aid and River Rescue,
and a River Rescue Skills Refresher Course.
Each course offers a rigorous, comprehensive, and technical curriculum – both in and out of the water – and include a whole slew of specialty topics and lessons to ensure all certified graduates are confident, knowledgeable, and ready to implement their river rescue skills in a second’s notice
#6 MRG owners are also the founders of the highly-acclaimed Whitewater Rescue Institute
Ok, as if taking courses from or riding rafts with MRG guides wasn’t impressive enough, Mike Johnston (owner of MRG) and Cody Harris (MRG Guide and Rescue Instructor) created The Whitewater Institute – a certifying agency for rescue and instruction. Here they offer:
scenario-based Swiftwater Rescue Training,
Industrial Spill Water Training and Response,
and River Safety Research.
Through this Institute, Johnston and Harris have provided Swiftwater Rescue Classes across America and in Costa Rica!
#7 MRG’s Adventure Youth Camps
For kids 11 through 17, MRG uniquely offers several fun and educational day camps. Over several days, the young participants in the programs learn the fundamentals of river safety, rafting, and/or kayaking while developing their self-esteem, confidence on the river, and ability to work as an integral member of a team. Some of the camps include: Rafting, Rescue, and River Adventure Camp (designed for 12 to 17-year-olds), raft camps, and kayak camps. Each camp is held in a variety of scenic and exciting places, from the mighty Clark Fork River to the Frenchtown pond – a safe and stress-free spot for the beginner kayaker. All camps include from 1 to 4 overnights at the awesome MRG Ranch.
#8 MRG’s Treats Riverside
As if taking a fun-filled vacation to enjoy the rivers with family and friends and having confident, highly-experienced, and expertly-trained guides at the helm of each raft/river flotation device weren’t enough to solidify a trip with this company immediately, MRG’s also provides delicious BBQ dinners or scrumptious lunches along the river (depending on the time of day the rafting voyage starts). Fresh brownies right out of the oven to the river’s shore are more of a norm than a once-in-a-blue-Montana-moon treat! In addition, their beautiful ranch (that includes a cool barn dinner banquets or cuttin’ the rug) is the perfect place on the river’s edge to get together for a rehearsal dinner or an annual party with friends, to kick back and enjoy the wide open Montana sky, to whirl a Frisbee across the pasture with a friend, to play horseshoes, volleyball, ping pong, or fly fish!
For 6 months out of the year, 7 days a week, Montana River Guides offers both guest-customized river rides and daily whitewater rafting adventures (the other 6 months of the year are spent replenishing supplies and equipment, traveling all over the world to conduct classes, and booking their ranch for the next season’s private parties!) Individuals, couples, families, and groups of corporate executives, students, wedding parties, and sports teams can choose from a variety of river experiences. From the scenic, laid-back, let-me-count-the-bumblebees-buzzing-through-the-wildflowers-along-the-shore raft trips to the moon-eyed-inducing, goosebump-inflicting, adrenaline-pumping oohs and aahs of off-the-chart, whitewater rafting rides, MRG offers something for everyone seeking to experience the best laughter-and-fun-filled outdoor experience with their family and friends.
As the formidable leader in the industry, MRG truly is the only river adventure company of choice for both new and seasoned river enthusiasts who not only seek the freedom and fun of an exhilarating experience on the river, but also want the comfort and confidence of knowing they are surrounded and led by the industry’s most experienced, specialty-trained, and top-notch local guides. And that makes all the difference – in the world, in the experience, and in the stories guests share years down the river!
For your next weekend getaway alone or with a loved one, for the long-overdue family vacation, and for a truly life-enhancing experience that won’t require yet another vacation to “de-stress” from it, call Montana River Guides today to book your best vacation ever.
Thoreau once said, “most people lead lives of quiet desperation” – always dreaming of and longing for that feeling of being in sync with nature, oneself, and mankind. MRG challenges you to put your electronic gizmos and gadgets away – if even just for a while – and really live in the moment with your family and your friends.
