The Missouri River: The Big Muddy
Flowing in two directions, east and south, for 2,341 miles (3.767 km), North America’s longest river, the Missouri River, is a gem of natural resources and a vital transportation pathway. Nicknamed the “Big Muddy” because of its silt material, the river begins at the confluence of the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin Rivers in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, and meanders through mountainous canyons and from bluff to bluff across the Great Plains.
Around 1500, the Missouri River valley was the home of several Native American tribes, including the Mandan, Arikara, Missouria, Lakota, Hidatsa, and Otoe, among others. French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, in 1673, were the first Europeans to see the Missouri River. However,
Around 1500, the Missouri River valley was the home of several Native American tribes, including the Mandan, Arikara, Missouria, Lakota, Hidatsa, and Otoe, among others. French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, in 1673, were the first Europeans to see the Missouri River. However,