Gates of the Mountains — Attraction in East Helena

I've grown up in great falls/sand coulee/wolf Creek my entire 33 years of existence so one would imagine I'd frequent this treasure multiple time each summer thought, never leaving without a good time!!! This year for my start of the year water fun shenanigans I came here to float and camp and boy was I just shocked at the low,dangerously low level the water was setting at... I'm not saying it's not possible cuz we've had crazy weather before but I don't think even the craziest of late winter/early spring storms would be capable of replenishing whats now left dried up and lacking in our once thriving mountain creeks we all need and love... The surrounding foilage is sadly already accepted a state of dry and brittle lifelessness mass sitting about waiting for any little thing to set it off so it can bare it's anger of the drought and spit fire showing just how real and serious it truly is. I hope to God the fires don't engulf everything in...

If you do this tour try to get a spot on the smaller boats, not Canyon Voyager. The latter is covered with semi opaque glass panels and very hard to see out of unless at the front or window. There is an open area at the back with seating, but the operators allowed a tour group to jump the queue and they quickly occupied all those seats. Infuriating for those who had lined up at the regular entrance. Karma was served for those people when it rained hard on the way back. The commentary was good, amusing and interesting. The boat does a 360 so each side will see certain features. With the limited views out it was hard to feel like we were in a canyon at all though. Reasonable pricing and over 60’s discount was appreciated, but overall...

Great tour under other circumstances, but felt very uncomfortable and upset with minimal COVID safety enforcement. They wiped down boat between groups, stated masks are required (as also per their website), and asked that groups stay one row away from each other on the boat. However, as soon as the tour started, people changed seats freely and took off their masks, breathing down our necks, with no reprimand whatsoever from the guide, who also had no mask on the entire time. About 50% of the passengers wore no mask the whole time.

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