Fort Peck, MT, is a tiny town in Valley County. It’s home to Fort Peck Dam, one of the largest earth-fill dams, with a maximum height of 250.5 feet and 21,026 feet in length.
Fort Peck Dam also forms Lake Fort Peck (Fort Peck Lake) on the Missouri River. Visitors enjoy scenic views of the lake and interpretation of Lewis and Clark’s journey on the dam’s eastern side.
Fort Peck, Montana, was established as a trading post by Colonel Campbell K. Peck and his partner, Commander E.H. Durfee, in 1867. The town monopolized the fur trade with the Assiniboine and Sioux people. Fort Peck later became an Indian agency in 1873.
In 1933, a temporary and government-owned town of Fort Peck was established approximately two miles north of the old Fort Peck town.
The new town served as the headquarters for the operation and construction of Fort Peck Dam. It also housed the Army Corps of Engineers who constructed the dam.
As a government-owned town, it featured an administrative headquarters, recreation hall, hospital, theater, and stores. Other shanty towns like Wheeler, Delano Heights, New Deal, and Park Grove joined Fort Peck.
Today, Fort Peck, MT, features several original structures, such as Fort Peck Theatre, the administration building, the hospital, and Fort Peck Original Houses Historic District.
The Best Hotels in Fort Peck
Main Attractions
Fort Peck Lake
Fort Peck Lake is one of the major tourist hotspots in Northeast Montana. It’s an artificial reservoir formed by Fort Peck Dam and the largest water body in Montana.
Visitors access the lake at Fort Peck Marina. Most people like the remote isolation of Fort Peck Lake, which makes it a perfect destination for adventurous explorers.
The lake is a recreational paradise that allows visitors to enjoy fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing.