Three Forks (pop. 1,845) gets its name from the confluence of the Gallatin [1], Madison [2], and Jefferson Rivers, which occurs on a wetland plain surrounded by mountains just north of town. A large factory on the edge of town produces talc. (In mountains to the south of town, deeply buried marble deposits have further metamorphosed into talc, making this a major talc-mining area.)
Just west of Three Forks, Highway 287 follows the Jefferson River through fossil-ridden limestone that’s been jostled into a tilted position. For a few miles the land is open and dry; past Lewis and Clark Caverns, the Madison River flows through a gorge of high buff-colored hills. This road, which eventually leads to Cardwell, is a pleasant alternative to the interstate.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/montana/the-missouri-headwaters-and-south-central-montana/big-sky-and-the-gallatin-valley/gallatin-river-re
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/montana/the-missouri-headwaters-and-south-central-montana/three-forks-and-the-madison-river-valley/e/fishing-the-ma