The historic flooding on the Yellowstone River two years ago changed much of the landscape in the Paradise Valley.
One big change was forcing the closure of one of the more popular fishing access sites on the river, Mallard’s Rest.
The biggest problem was ancient river cobble which — while great for creating meandering streams — is not great for creating roads. The road had been a challenge for years and after 2022’s historic flood, the base of the road was gone.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) had been working with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) which owns adjacent land to change the access road. That effort was stepped up after the flood and wrapped up this spring.
“That took some time. We were able to get there and we're very pleased that we were able to begin construction this summer,” noted FWP spokesman Morgan Jacobsen. “Construction took a matter of two to three weeks…and we now have a new entrance to one of the most popular fishing access sites on the Yellowstone River. So, we're very happy to see it open and being used once again.”
The old access road not only was sluffing off into the river, it also had a blind, hairpin curve and a steep drop to get in and get out which wasn’t the easiest or safest approach for people with boat trailers or RVs.
“That has been removed. That's no longer part of the entrance. The entrance is now a few hundred feet north of that original entrance and it has a very direct access, a much gentler grade going down into the site,” Jacobsen said. “And so, we're very pleased that users now have a safer and easier time accessing this site on the Yellowstone River.”
The new access road can be found a couple hundred yards north of the old turnoff and is expected to last much longer than its predecessor.
“This site really offers such a variety of recreation, right? You have river access, you have camping, you have day use and other activities,” Jacobsen noted. “This float between Mallard's Rest and Grey Owl Fishing Access Site…folks call it the bird float -- and it's one of the most popular floats on the Yellowstone River. So that's once again an option for folks.”
Jacobsen says there's still some work to be completed on the road cut, but that shouldn't affect access.
The Mallard’s Rest Fishing Access Site may have been closed because of the historic floods but access to it is now easier and safer also because of those floods.
