Three Forks is at the heart of a vast array of exciting outdoor adventures, historical sites, incredible scenery, and family fun.

Playgrounds and parks play a large role in the Three Forks community. Parks include Milwaukee Railroad Park and Veteran's Park located on Main Street, Stevenson Park, located between Second and Third Avenues east, Bertagnolli Park, located at 4th Avenue and Cedar Street, Sacajawea Park, a historical point of interest across from the Sacajawea Hotel and located on North Main Street, and Helton/Peterson Park on West Adams.

Playground equipment is provided in all the parks. Helton/Peterson Park has a basketball court and a large, grass play area. A softball/baseball field, basketball court, and restrooms are available in Bertagnolli Park. In Stevenson Park, a picnic area beneath a gazebo is available as well as a tennis court, volleyball court, basketball court, and wading pool.

Recently updated and landscaped, the ponds area on the east side of Three Forks offers room for swimming, hiking, bicycling, fishing, and boating.

This is Montana's first state park and its park status protects many unique geological formations. features one of the largest known limestone caverns in the Northwest. Naturally air-conditioned, these spectacular caves, lined with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites, date back through time. See the geologic development, the history of early exploration and gain an insight into the delicate ecology of this world without light.

The Lewis and Clark Caverns is a family-oriented hiking park. Many visitors stop for the 2-hour "Guided Cave Tours" conducted by Park Guides. The two-mile cave trail winds its way through magnificent limestone underground rooms filled with stalagmites and stalactites. The Lewis and Clark Caverns tour begins with a moderately steep up-hill hike to the entrance. Once in the caverns, expect to get involved because as you follow your guide while exploring the chambers of the caves, the downward hiking descent demands bending and stooping with moderate fitness ability. The "Guided Cave Tours" have a small group orientation that begin hourly.

The area of Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park was passed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on their way up the Jefferson River. Several Lewis and Clark campsites are nearby and accessible by canoers. The scenic river canyon cuts through the foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains emerging into the Gallatin Valley, which is surrounded by four mountain ranges.

A cafe, gift shop, campgrounds, shady picnic areas, and regional tourism information are available. The park is open May 1-September 30 and the tours have a small fee. For information call (406) 287-3541. The Caverns are located 15 miles southwest of Three Forks on US Highway 2.

The Headwaters State Park is a hiking/bicycling park with interpretive trails and vistas that commemorate Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery Encampment in the area. This is the area where Lewis & Clark discovered the source of the Missouri River in 1805. It was later the site of Fort Three Forks, established by the Missouri Fur Company in April of 1810. The park also contains camping and picnic areas and river access for boating and fishing. This National Historic Landmark is located 8 miles northeast of Three Forks on MT Route 286.

Thousands of artifacts and memorabilia depicting the history of Three Forks and the Headwaters area (Willow Creek, Logan, Trident, Old Town, and Gallatin City), can be found in the Headwaters Heritage Museum. Among the many interesting displays on the main floor is an old anvil, all that remains of a fur trapper's trading post built in 1810. An exceptional collection of barbed wire is another exhibit. There is no charge to visit the museum. Membership, donations, memorials and gift-shop profit provide its funding. Books, souvenirs, postcards, and gifts are available in the gift shop. An all-volunteer staff keeps the museum open from June 1 through September 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is available year around by appointment. Call (406) 285-4778 for more information.

This cliff was one of the larger Indian pishkun of buffalo jumps used to secure buffalo meat on a mass scale before they had the horse for hunting. The buffalo stampeded over such cliffs and were either killed outright or maimed so that they could be safely killed by Indians on foot. The Madison Buffalo Jump has attracted the attention of the nation's foremost archaeologists. The Madison Buffalo Jump is located 12 miles from Three Forks, take the Logan exit off I-90, then go 7 miles south on Buffalo Jump Road.

The Parker Homestead consists of 1.67 acres and a typical sod-roofed pioneer building, and it is Montana's smallest state park. It was built and lived in by Net and Rosa Parker in the early 1900s. In 1997, it was repaired by the Parks Division of the Fish, Game, and Wildlife with the aid of local citizens to prevent further structural decline. The homestead presents a rare opportunity for photographers and the artist with its sod-roofed log cabin nestled under a few large cottonwoods.

A plaque explains the life of the Net Parker family's life on the homestead, as well as the later family of Orville Jewett. Well worth the visit for everyone interested in the early homestead life of Montana pioneers. The park is located just a few miles southwest of Three Forks on US Highway 287.

• Lewis Rock - From Fort Rock looking north across the Gallatin River stands what is now called "Lewis Rock." Lewis ascended this point to view and chart the rivers and surrounding country. He writes "ascended the point of a high limestone cliff from whence I commanded a most perfect view of the neighboring country" Lewis Rock is located outside the park boundary and is on private property.

• Fort Rock - As Lewis views the country, he notes "between the middle and SE fork, there is a handsome site for a fortification." This site is now called Fort Rock though a fort had never been established. Today, an excellent interpretive center and picnic area welcome travelers.

• Lewis & Clark Encampment - The Corp of Discovery camped at this location from July 27-30, 1806. They stayed three days, Lewis' journal explains, "believing this to be and essential point in the geography of this western part of the continent I determined to remain at all events until obtained the necessary data for fixing its latitudes longitude & c."

• Sacajawea Capture Site - Lewis writes, "Our present camp is precisely on the spot that the Snake Indians were encamped at the time the Mennetaree of the Knife R. first came in sight of them five years since. From hence they retreated about three miles up Jefferson's river and concealed themselves in the woods, the Mennetaree pursued, attacked them, killed 4 men, 4 women, a number of boys, and made prisoners of all the females and four boys, Sah-cah-gar-we-ah Indian woman was one of the female prisoners taken at that time; though cannot discover that she shows any inaction of sorrow in recollection this event, or of joy in being again restored to her native country' If she has enough to eat and a few trinkets to wear I believe she would be perfectly content anywhere."

• Gallatin City - In 1862, Gallatin City was built on the Missouri opposite the entrance of the Gallatin River. The Founders thought it would become the metropolis of the territory providing a ferry service for Missouri River traffic. It was later discovered that the great falls would be an insurmountable obstacle.

• Gallatin City (2) - In 1863, Gallatin City was relocated because most of the wagon train and stage coach traffic was on the east side of the river. This second Gallatin City encountered brief prosperity with such amenities and a race track and fairgrounds. The Gallatin City Hotel is one of the only buildings that remains and is situated near the entrance of the park on the south side of the road.

• Indian Cave - The headwaters was the meeting ground of various Native American tribes, such as the Blackfoot, Shoshone, and Crow. Faint pictographs are the only physical evidence of the tribes passing through; To view the Indian Cave, follow the trail parallel to the road south from the Fort Rock Interpretive Center.

• Fort Henry (aka Fort Three Forks) - Five years after Lewis & Clarks's arrival at the Headwaters area, a fur post was established by Pierre Menard and Andrew Henry. The fort was occupied by 32 persons including John Colter and George Droulliard of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The post lasted only five months due to constant attacks by Blackfeet Indians who were hostile to their presence. A blacksmith's anvil is the only remaining artifact of Fort Henry and is on display at the Headwaters Heritage Museum in Three Forks.