Welcome to Loma, Montana

Loma is northeast of Fort Benton where the Marias River joins the Missouri. Lewis and Clark camped here on June 3, 1805, and named the smaller river after Capt. Lewis's cousin, Maria Wood. In 1831 Fort Peigan, a trading post, was established here by James Kipp of the American Fur Company. A year later the post was abandoned, burned by the Indians, and replaced by Fort McKenzie. Ferryboat service was available for many years at Loma. (from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)

The tiny community of Loma has two interesting museums. Visit the Earth Science Museum for a look at gems, minerals, fossils and Indian artifacts. The House of a Thousand Dolls displays dolls and toys from 1830 to the present.

Cross the Missouri River by ferry upriver at Carter or down-river at Virgelle; both ferries operate from March through October. Just one mile south of Loma, in June 1805, is where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent nine days at the Marias River. The "Decision Point" marker on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is where they determined whether or not the Marias was a main stem of the Missouri. They concluded that it was not. Visit the Historic Decision Point Overlook and Woods Watchable Wildlife Area. Decision Point is only one mile off of Highway 87, near the town of Loma, and a visit will reward you with a beautiful overlook of the confluence of the Marias and Missouri Rivers. From the parking area, an interpretive kiosk orients you to the site and a short, 1/4 mile trail extends uphill to the overlook. From this low, but stunning vantage point one can imagine seeing the Corp of Discovery camped in the river bottom below. Lewis and Clark took 10 days (June 3-12, 1805) to decide which river would lead them to the northwest passage.

Earth Science Museum hosts a wide collection of gems, minerals, fossils and Native American artifacts discovered in the area. The town of Loma served as a stop for the Great Northern Railroad beginning in the late 1800s. Today, the museum displays train memorabilia of this era as well as artifacts found along the Fort Benton to Fort Assiniboine Trail.