Virgelle FerryVirgelle Mercantile Virgelle's name was coined from the first names of Virgil and Ella Blackenbaker. Mr. Blackenbaker was a prominent sheep rancher and at one time was elected state senator. (from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company) The Virgelle Ferry has successfully transported over 30,000 vehicles with a 50-foot-long steel frame and deck pulled by a power cable. The cable wraps once around the rear hub of a diesel engine, protected by a little house. The ferry is also attached to a bridle cable, which keeps it from being pulled down river. Ring the buzzer and the ferry operator will come over the Missouri to pick you and your vehicle up. The Ferry is seasonal, operating from mid-April to mid-November, depending on the ice on the Missouri. Today just north of Virgelle, Coal Banks Landing is a popular point of departure for canoeists floating this scenic stretch of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Coal Banks Landing derives its name from the era when steamboats floated the Missouri loaded coal dug from the nearby hills. Virgelle offers historic accommodations, outfitting and shuttle services. Float the Missouri in a canoe, ride along the bank on horseback or take a drive along scenic byways. Further downstream, deep within the Missouri Breaks, bighorn sheep and elk frequent the riverbank, along the Lewis and Clark Trail.