Montana was a very isolated area and the trail helped to keep Montanans connected to the rest of the United States. Salt Lake City was the only major city between Denver and the Pacific Coast and was a valuable supply and trading center for Montanans. The Montana trail was a much shorter version of the Oregon-California trail. It was one of the only trails to travel north to south, taking supplies from Salt Lake and driving them by pack train to Montana in the north. The trail went across eastern Idaho and passed through the Continental Divide at Monida Pass. The Montana Trail continued north and east through Montana to Fort Benton. It went through Utah, Idaho, and Montana and passed over mountains and crossed streams and valleys. Travel peaked during the mid-summer months when low water levels grounded steamships on the Missouri River.