Headwaters State Park: Yesterday and Today (Afternoon Session)

Dates: June 25, 2026
Meets: Th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
 Location: Missouri Headwaters State Park
Cost:  $30.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

Date Day Time
06/25/2026Thursday1 PM to 4 PM

Please note: This course program requires membership in a 2025-2026 OLLI at MSU Membership

Important Requirements

Activity Level

This tour requires low to moderate activity. Participants must be able to meet ALL the physical requirements outlined at the bottom of this page.

Description

Join Naturalist and Historian Ken Sinay to learn the historic significance of the Three Rivers Valley, with a focus on Headwaters State Park, Native People, Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea, the Fur Trade, Euro-American settlement, contemporary and past wildlife. This will be a walking tour featuring natural objects, artifacts, and opportunities to observe the landscape and wildlife. This is a single-day event.

Course Takeaways

By the conclusion of this program, participants will:

  • Visit Headwaters State Park, where the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers join to form the Missouri River.
  • Understand the complex ecological and historic significance of the Three Rivers Valleys, from the geologic past to the present.
  • Explore how this location has played a significant role in the history of Native People, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the North American Fur Trade, Euro-American settlement, the state of Montana, and the growing Gallatin Valley.
  • Learn the history and significance of wildlife populations at the Headwaters, both historic and contemporary.

Travel

Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from Headwaters State Park.

Itinerary

1:00 p.m. Arrive at the picnic area at Headwaters State Park. Click or tap here for the Missouri Headwaters State Park map.

1:00-4:00 Introduction, discussion and interpretive walk. The walk will begin and end at the picnic area.

4:00 p.m. Program concludes.

Activity Level

This tour requires a moderate level of activity.

  • Participants must be able to walk and stand for up to 2 hours during the walking portion of the tour.
  • The tour will include an approximately 1.5 mile round-trip walk. This will include uphill and downhill sections, walking on both paved and uneven dirt pathways.
  • There will be no shade during the walking portion of the program.

Scholarship

Apply for a needs-based scholarship to take this offering.

Fee:  $30.00

Missouri Headwaters State Park

1585 Trident Rd
Three Forks, MT 59752
Click or tap here for an interactive map

Ken Sinay

Ken Sinay was educated as a wildlife biologist with additional studies in an array of natural resource subjects. While he has worked for multiple natural resource agencies, his primary career has been as an interpretive biologist/guide and tourism provider.

His personal research, other than natural history and wildlife, has been in relation to the cultural history of the Greater Yellowstone region with an emphasis on early Euro-American exploration and invasion. His specific area of expertise is the Three River Valleys and the Yellowstone River that feed into the Missouri River and the historic records of wildlife within.

Cancellation Policy

Please read carefully:

  • If a registrant cancels on or before April 10, 2026, we will issue a refund within 60 days, minus a 10% administrative fee.
  • If a registrant cancels after April 10, 2026, no refunds will be issued. Registrants may, however, designate a replacement for this trip at the time of cancellation.
  • Registrants are strongly encouraged to purchase accident, baggage, and trip cancellation insurance through a travel agent or other provider. Travel insurance can help protect against financial loss in case of an emergency.
  • If it fails to meet the minimum enrollment by April 10, 2026, we will cancel this trip and issue full refunds to all registrants within 60 days.