The head of steamboat navigation on the Missouri, Fort Benton launched the territory's frontier commerce. Across Montana's fourth-largest state, few places capture the imagination like this one.

Fort Benton was the innermost port of the Missouri River steamboat trade.

What sets it apart

Its levee once bustled as the jumping-off point for gold camps and forts. For those who know the region well, it is a point of quiet pride.

The town anchors the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.

Why it matters

In the end, the story here is really a story about the northern Rockies and the people drawn to them. However you come to it, this is a place that stays with you long after the drive home.