GALLERY: Scenery from Montana's Smith River

Grassy rolling hills hint at the approaching prairie the Smith River winds its way from the mountains of Meaghar and Cascade County to the prairie near Ulm. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park and Sluice Boxes State Park, heads out on his multi-day patrol of the Smith River from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Articles of trash found in a campsite fire ring during the river rangers patroll of the Smith River. Personel from FWP and the U.S. Forrest Service team up to patrol the river where they monitor and maintain campground assests and engage and assist the floaters. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Moonlit cliffs overlooking the Merganser campground on the Smith River, May 9, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

March Browns, a type of mayfly, hatch from the Smith River forming large swarms that dance over the water. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile float, by permit only, that starts at Camp Baker and finishes at Eden Bridge.

March Browns, a type of mayfly, look for mates after hatching from the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park, on his weekly patrol of the river corridor between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

52 boat camps dot the 59-mile stretch of the Smith River State Park recreation corridor. The corridor and campgrounds are managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Early morning fog blankets Camp Baker as floaters begin to stir and make preparations to launch on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Rafts, boats and canoes are readied at the Camp Baker boat ramp for the multi-day Smith River float. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Smith River floaters rig their fishing rods and make preparations for launch at Camp Baker on Monday, May 8, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Don Mendenhall, river ranger on the Smith River with the U.S. Forest Service, helps make prepartions to launch on the weekly patrol of the Smith River at the FWP ranger's quarters at Camp Baker.The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Early morning fog blankets Camp Baker as floaters begin to stir and make preparations to launch on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Smith River floaters, Dan Grooms, left, and Travis Buck, chat early on launch day as they wait for their check-in meeting with the FWP river ranger at Camp Baker. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park and Sluice Boxes State Park, loads his raft for the multi-day patrol of the Smith River from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

After leaving Camp Baker the Smith River immediately enters private land along both banks. Blocks of National forrest, and FWP, BLM and DNRC lands border the river throughout the float but the river is mostly surrounded by private property making the middle stretches nearly inaccessible to the genral public by land. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park and Sluice Boxes State Park, turns on his SPOT GPS personal tracker, before launching on his weekly patrol of the Smith River, Monday, May 8, 2017. The GPS tracker allows his location to be tracked during his patrols and serves as a communication device that can send predetermined messages back to FWP headquarters as well as a beacon in case of emergencies on the river. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A Canadian Goose sits on her nest surrounded by rising water as the spring runoff gets underway on the Smith River, May 8, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park and Sluice Boxes State Park, heads out on his multi-day patrol of the Smith River from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Limestone cliffs of the Smith River State Park recreational corridor, which is a 59-mile stretch of river requiring a float permit, starting at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Dave Clark-Snustad, a former FWP admiinistrator, occasionally helps out as a volunteer on the weekly river ranger patrols on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Limestone cliffs of the Smith River State Park recreational corridor, which is a 59-mile stretch of river requiring a float permit, starting at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, lead river ranger for Smith River State Park and Sluice Boxes State Park, fills his water at a spring eminating from the limestone cliffs, Monday while on his weekly river patrol of the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Novice floaters quickly adapt to the daily routine of setting up and breaking down camp while on their multi-day float of the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

John Herzer, owner of Blackfoot River Outfitters in Missoula, and his guides break camp and preparefor another day on the water with their clients during the multi-day Smith River float, Monday, May 8, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, left, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park, and Don Mendenhall, U.S. Forest Service river ranger on the Smith River, take turns digging the four foot deep hole that will be a new latrine location for the Rock Creek campground during their weekly patrol. Part of their patrol duty is rotating latrine sites at the 52 different camp site on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, left, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park, and Don Mendenhall, U.S. Forest Service river ranger on the Smith River, finish relocating the latrine at the Rock Creek campground during their weekly patrol. Part of their patrol duty is rotating latrine sites at the 52 different camp site on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden Bridge. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A Smith River traffic jam. Outfitter gear boats, get an early start on the river each day to set up camp for the night and start cooking dinner, giving the appearance that the river is more crowded than it is. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A sun bathing marmot watches floaters pass by on the Smith River, May 8, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A sun bathing marmot watches floaters pass by on the Smith River, May 8, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Smith River limestone cliffs. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Smith River limestone cliffs. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for the Smith River State Park, rows a raft while his colleague Don Mendenhall, a U.S. Forest Service Smith River Ranger, paddles a canoe on one of their weekly river patrols to check and manage the campground assests along the float. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP Lead River Ranger for the Smith River State Park , gives Caleb Torgenson a junior ranger badge while floating on his weekly patrol of the river. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Limestone cliffs tower over the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Two Creek campground on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

March Browns, a type of mayfly, hatch from the Smith River forming large swarms that dance over the water. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Dusk at Lower Cow Coulee on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A golden eagle being harassed by smaller birds over the Smith River on May 9, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A golden eagle being harassed by smaller birds over the Smith River on May 9, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A male merganser on the Smith River, May 9, 2017. Mergansers are a type of duck and a year-round resident of Montana, which eat mainly small fish by diving under the water to chase their prey. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A bald eagle perches by it's nest on the bank of the Smith River, May 9, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Moonlit cliffs overlooking the Merganser campground on the Smith River, May 9, 2017. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Sunset Cliff campground on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Sunset Cliff campground on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Don Mendenhall, U.S. Forest Service river ranger on the Smith River, puts up a new trail marker at the Sunset Cliff boat camp. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park looks at the pictographs that decorate a cliff wall on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park looks at the pictographs that decorate a cliff wall on the Smith River. He points to what he thinks is a wolf or a dog. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Pictographs can be found at a couple of sites on the Smith River float. He points to what he thinks is a wolf or a dog. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

A lone tree grows out of the limestone cliffs at a river bend on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Nate Kluz, FWP lead river ranger for Smith River State Park, on his weekly patrol of the river corridor between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Table Rock on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Pictograph cave requires a strenous hike to the top of a limestone cliff on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Bald eagle perched by its nest on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

Grassy rolling hills hint at the approaching prairie the Smith River winds its way from the mountains of Meaghar and Cascade County to the prairie near Ulm. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.