Not just one river runs through it, but three rivers do, each bringing their own stories, activities, and culture to the city. The Bitterroot River, the Clark Fork River and the Blackfoot River are the foundation of Missoula’s diverse wildlife and recreational opportunities. The name Missoula itself is derived from the Flathead Indian name “Nemissodatakoo” which means, "by or near the cold chilling waters."

The Bitterroot River is popular for floating all summer long. The Buckhouse bridge is a major entrance and exit point for floaters as well as being the subject of a flurry of local legends surrounding what you might hit if you were to jump from it. Needless to say, many have jumped from the Buckhouse Bridge for pleasure, risking the fine should they be caught. In recent years an increase in growth and development along the Bitterroot River has brought even more commercial opportunities and greater accessibility of equipment and supplies for fishing, tubing, kayaking and more.

The Clark Fork River has many hot spots as well. One particular hot spot is a man-made wave and pool area called “Brennan’s Wave” after a local kayaker who died paddling in Chile back in 2001. The wave is right at the center of Missoula, Montana, beneath the Higgins Street Bridge and a quick jaunt from Caras Park. Here you will find whitewater kayakers performing and practicing all sorts of tricks in just a short stretch of water. The more onlookers they have, the more incentive for the kayakers to do front flips and other acrobatic maneuvers through the chilly water.

The Blackfoot River boasts some very popular areas for rafting rapids and was further made famous by Norman Maclean’s story of fly fishermen in, “A River Runs Through It.” The rapids section is found just over 20 miles east of Missoula and features Thibodeau Falls. As with the Clark Fork and Bitteroot, the Blackfoot River provides excellent fly fishing opportunities, but has a reputation for larger trout than the others. There is a great camaraderie among fishermen in this area of the U.S. and it is best summed up by this sentiment from “A River Runs Through It”—“The world is full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the further one gets from Missoula, Montana.""