Explore Three Forks via a former railroad line and discover different ways to learn about the town’s history. The Headwaters Trail System is a paved network of trails along the former Milwaukee Railroad line that runs through town. It leads to Headwaters State Park and Droulliard Fishing Access on the Jefferson River. In 2007, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks named the trail network Montana Trail of the Year.
Trails along a former rail line
The route and its named destinations are connected as part of the Headwaters Trail System: the trail follows the former Milwaukee Railroad line, while the network leads to Headwaters State Park and the fishing access on the Jefferson River. The name of the second destination indicates river access for fishing. This brings together a historical connection and clearly named destinations, without limiting the route to just one theme.
The 2007 award is another point of interest about the trail network. If you want to learn about Three Forks through its railroad history, the trail offers a look at the former rail line. If you are more interested in specific objects and exhibition spaces, the museums offer a different way to explore the town’s history.
Railroad history and collections
The Railroad and Trident Heritage Center is located in John Q. Adams Milwaukee Railroad Park at the eastern entrance to Three Forks. It preserves the railroad history of Three Forks and the former town of Trident. Its subject thus encompasses two historical place names, as reflected in the center’s name.
The Headwaters Heritage Museum is housed in a 1910 bank building that originally housed the Three Valleys State Bank. The building’s former use is part of its history; at the same time, the museum focuses on a wide range of artifacts and exhibits. These include an anvil found at the headwaters that may be the oldest made in the United States.
Other highlights include Montana’s largest brook trout, caught in 1966 and weighing 29.5 pounds. There is also an extensive barbed-wire collection and a dugout canoe used in a television documentary about Lewis and Clark. The collection ranges from individual objects to a log cabin from Gallatin City, the county’s first seat of government. The cabin was built in the 1860s.
The upper exhibition rooms also show different aspects of everyday life: there is an old-fashioned kitchen, a classroom, a dressmaking and millinery shop, a beauty salon, a tool room, and a dentist’s office. Along with the historical objects, these rooms offer a different way to experience the museum than viewing the former rail line: the focus here is on exhibits, rooms, and past activities.
Three Forks Ponds
Three Forks Ponds offers a different recreational option. The site is a state fishing access area in southwestern Montana and is managed by the City of Three Forks. The grounds include a boat ramp; swimming is also listed as a recreational option there. If you plan to swim, check before your visit whether this option is available at that time. This lets you include the destination in your travel plans as a separate activity, distinct from the rail line and the cultural and historical exhibits.
Discover more destinations: Belgrade, Big Sky, Bozeman, Gallatin Gateway, West Yellowstone.
Return to the main travel overview: Gallatin.
