Regional Industry & News

FWP explores two Yellowstone River access sites near Terry

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is exploring two potential Yellowstone River access sites in Prairie County as part of a long-term effort to expand public recreation opportunities along the Lower Yellowstone River, but officials stress the proposals remain in the earliest stages of planning.

Brian Burky, Region 7 parks manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and Recreation Manager Garrett Jericoff presented the concepts to the Prairie County Commission in late July, seeking their feedback as the agency decides whether either project should move forward.

“The purpose of my visit today is to discuss some opportunities in Prairie County to develop recreation on the river,” Burky said. “If it’s a good idea, I’d be happy for people to tell me that. And if there’s a problem with it, if it’s a bad idea, we don’t want to do it.”

The proposals are part of the state’s ongoing effort to improve access along the Lower Yellowstone River, following recommendations from Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Lower Yellowstone River Corridor Advisory Committee. The committee spent more than a year studying the river corridor from the Bighorn River confluence to the North Dakota border before issuing a 2022 report identifying gaps in public access and recommending additional recreation opportunities that protect habitat while supporting local economies.

Since then, Fish, Wildlife & Parks has evaluated more than 100 properties, working with landowners, researching titles and exploring acquisition opportunities. Burky said the department has already secured one access site in Rosebud County and another in Custer County while continuing to evaluate additional locations.

“This is very preliminary,” Burky said. “We’re looking at these opportunities and wanted to share that, let people know what we’re talking about and what we’re thinking about. If it’s a good idea, I’d be happy for people to let me know.”

Two Potential SitesThe first proposal would create a primitive day-use site near the community of Zero, west of Terry. Plans include a parking area, vault toilet and boat ramp capable of launching motorboats, canoes and kayaks. Burky said the site could serve as the starting point for river floats into Terry.

However, the project faces several significant hurdles, including negotiating a railroad crossing, securing access across private property and coordinating with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which owns the proposed parcel.

The second proposal would establish a similar day-use access on Bureau of Land Management property downstream from the Terry Bridge. Visitors would reach the site via Cole Creek Road near the shooting range.

The site would include parking, a boat ramp and restroom facilities. Camping would remain available under existing Bureau of Land Management regulations rather than through developed campsites. Both locations would be free public access sites.

Burky said the largest challenge at the BLM site would be constructing an improved access road.

“That road could be very expensive,” he said. “I don’t want to make an investment like that if it’s not something the community wants.”

Even so, Burky believes the location has strong recreational potential.

“It’s a beautiful spot down there, and it would also be a good take-out if you were floating down from Zero, the mouth of the Powder River or even just a short float on an inner tube from town,” he told the commissioners.

If both projects were completed, the float between the proposed access sites would cover roughly 12 to 15 river miles.

“If we did get both of them, that would be a nice float,” Jericoff said.

The developed footprint at either site would remain relatively small, consisting primarily of parking for about eight vehicles with boat trailers, a vault toilet and boat launch.

Burky noted Fish, Wildlife & Parks previously attempted to purchase property on the north side of the Terry Bridge for river access but was ultimately unsuccessful.

“We were close,” he said. “That didn’t work out, and that’s off the table now.”

The commissioners were generally supportive of expanding river access but raised questions about traffic safety, maintenance and long-term use.

Commissioner Dennis Teske noted Cole Creek Road carries heavy agricultural traffic, including hundreds of truck trips each year, and said any entrance would need adequate sight distance and should avoid conflicts with farm equipment.

Burky agreed those concerns would have to be addressed before construction.

“If we’re going to build it, let’s do it right the first time and make it safe,” he said, adding that Fish, Wildlife & Parks would work with Prairie County if road improvements or a redesigned entrance became necessary.

Residents also asked about ongoing maintenance and expected visitation.

Burky estimated the BLM site would likely attract low to moderate use — perhaps around a dozen visits during a typical weekend — but said it could become an attractive destination for boaters floating from the Powder River or Zero, as well as those looking for a shorter afternoon float from Terry.

He said Fish, Wildlife & Parks already maintains 23 fishing access sites across southeastern Montana and would service any new Prairie County facilities through its existing maintenance program while providing regular law enforcement patrols.

Burky emphasized that both projects will undergo public review before moving forward.

“There is going to be a public process,” he said. “The hope is not either-or; both of these are opportunities. One of them might work out, they both might work out, or neither of them.”

Burky said Fish, Wildlife & Parks expects to have a better sense of how the projects will proceed by this fall, although he added progress at the Zero site will depend largely on discussions with the railroad over the proposed crossing.