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Great Falls, Montana earns its name from the spectacular five waterfalls that cascade along a 14-mile stretch of the Missouri River just south of the city. These falls — the Black Eagle Falls, Rainbow Falls, Crystal Falls, Scalp Falls, and the Great Falls themselves — drop a combined 612 feet, creating one of the most dramatic river systems in the American West. The city that grew around these falls became known as “The Electric City,” earning that nickname in 1890 when the Great Falls Water Power and Electric Company harnessed the falls to generate electricity, making Great Falls the first city in the world to use hydroelectric power for commercial purposes. Today, the city serves as a regional hub for north-central Montana, blending its industrial heritage with outstanding outdoor recreation and a surprising wealth of cultural attractions.
With a metropolitan population of roughly 60,000 residents, Great Falls is Montana’s third-largest city after Billings and Missoula. Its location along the Missouri River and its proximity to vast tracts of public land make it a gateway to some of Montana’s most diverse terrain — from shortgrass prairie to mountain forests, all within an hour’s drive of downtown.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first major American party to document the Great Falls of the Missouri River. In June 1805, Meriwether Lewis described the falls with a combination of awe and frustration, noting that portaging around the cataracts would cost the expedition an entire day of hard labor. The corps of Discovery spent three days building a crude canal and dragging their canoes and gear around the falls, sometimes carrying loads through thorny rose thickets that tore their moccasins and skin. This passage was one of the most challenging sections of their entire journey, and Lewis correctly predicted that the falls would someday become a site of great importance.
After the expedition passed through, the area remained largely undisturbed for decades. A permanent settlement did not emerge until the early 1880s, when entrepreneurs recognized the extraordinary potential of the waterfalls for generating power. Parisian and Boston investors built a series of dams and canals to funnel water to massive copper smelters and ore-processing mills. By 1888, Great Falls was incorporated as a city and had already become one of Montana’s leading copper production centers, earning comparisons to industrial cities of the East.
The Anaconda Copper Mining Company eventually consolidated many of the smaller operations, and Great Falls became a company town of sorts, with the smelter and processing facilities dominating the local economy. This industrial wealth funded elaborate Victorian mansions, grand hotels, and cultural institutions that gave the city an air of sophistication unusual for a frontier town. The construction of the Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1941 transformed the local economy again, bringing a military presence that continues to this day.
The C.M. Russell Museum is one of the finest collections of Western American art in the United States, named for the legendary painter and sculptor Charles M. Russell — known as the “Cowboy Artist.” Russell lived and worked in Montana and created thousands of paintings, drawings, and sculptures documenting frontier life. The museum’s collection includes over 3,000 works of art by Russell and his contemporaries, as well as an exceptional array of Native American art and artifacts, historic firearms, and Western memorabilia. The museum sits adjacent to Russell Square, a small park with a statue of Russell himself, and the adjacent Lucile Russell Memorial Gardens offer a peaceful outdoor space reflecting Russell’s love of the Montana landscape.
The Missouri River runs right through the heart of Great Falls, and the River’s Edge Trail follows both banks for more than 40 miles of paved pathway. The trail passes through riparian habitat alive with birdsong and wildlife, offering excellent chances to see deer, eagles, great blue herons, and occasionally bald eagles along the waterway. The trail also weaves through downtown and past the historic Milwaukee Railroad Depot, a beautifully preserved station built in 1903 that now houses offices and event spaces.
Giant Springs is one of the largest freshwater springs in the United States, pumping an astonishing 800 million gallons of 54-degree water into the Missouri River every day from an underground aquifer that took roughly 2,000 years to fill. The spring creates a year-round ice-free pool that is a popular spot for fly fishing and kayaking even in the coldest winter months. A short trail leads to the spring’s emergence point, and the adjacent Roe River — recognized by Guinness World Records as the shortest river in the world at 201 feet — flows from Giant Springs to join the Missouri.
The Missouri River below the dams is one of Montana’s premier blue-ribbon trout fisheries. The tailrace waters below Fort Peck Dam, Moran Dam, and Rainbow Dam hold massive rainbow and brown trout that draw anglers from across the country. The cold, clean water released from the dam depths creates ideal conditions for trophy-sized fish, and guide services in Great Falls cater to both novice and experienced fly fishers. Fishing from boats, rafts, and the bank is popular, and the Missouri River is particularly renowned for its hovering caddis hatches in the late spring and early summer.
The Near Mountain Foothills immediately east of Great Falls offer excellent day hiking with sweeping views of the city and the Missouri River corridor below. Trails like the Queens Point Loop climb through ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to a dramatic overlook, while gentler routes like the River’s Edge Trail provide flat, accessible walking along the water. The surrounding shortgrass prairie is home to pronghorn antelope, coyotes, and a rich variety of raptors, making even a short drive from town a rewarding wildlife-watching opportunity.
In the winter, the Malmstrom Air Force Base ski area offers local downhill skiing and snowboarding, and the groomed trail systems at Mountain View Trails provide cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Ice fishing on the Missouri River is a popular cold-weather activity, with anglers drilling through the ice to catch rainbow trout and kokanee salmon.
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail passes directly through Great Falls, commemorating the epic 4,000-mile journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from 1804 to 1806. The Lewis and Clark Monument at Ryan Dam marks the site where the expedition struggled to portage around the Great Falls — one of the most physically demanding sections of their entire expedition. Visitors can hike the portage trail that the corps of Discovery carved through the wilderness, retracing (in spirit) one of the most legendary journeys in American history.
The History Museum of Montana Great Falls documents the human story of the region from prehistoric times through the present day. Exhibits cover the Paleo-Indian hunters who first inhabited the Missouri River valley, the Hidatsa, Mandan, and Blackfeet peoples who fished and traded along these waters, the fur trade era, the gold and copper mining booms, and the 20th-century development of Malmstrom Air Force Base and modern Great Falls. The museum’s collection of historic photographs is particularly strong, documenting the dramatic transformation of the landscape and the city’s industrial growth.
The Great Falls hydro project itself is a major historic attraction. The series of five dams and waterfalls that gave the city its name are visible from various overlooks throughout the area. Ryan Dam and Rainbow Dam are the most accessible, with pull-offs and interpretive signs explaining how the water power was harnessed to build the modern city. At high water in the spring, the roaring cascade of water over the falls is a truly awe-inspiring sight.
The summer months of June through August bring warm temperatures and long daylight hours to Great Falls, making them ideal for hiking the River’s Edge Trail, fly fishing on the Missouri, and visiting outdoor attractions like Giant Springs. Summer also means higher water flows on the river as snowmelt swells the dams, creating dramatic waterfall viewing conditions. This is the most popular time for outdoor recreation, so expect some crowds at trailheads and fishing spots, though Great Falls never feels crowded compared to Montana’s resort towns.
Fall (September and October) brings cooler temperatures, smaller crowds, and the turning of the cottonwoods along the river into brilliant gold. This is a favorite season for photographers and fly fishers, as the blue-winged olive mayfly hatches can produce exceptional dry-fly action. Winter (November through March) is cold, with temperatures often dropping below zero, but the city’s indoor attractions — especially the C.M. Russell Museum — become more appealing. Ice fishing on the Missouri River draws a dedicated following, and the Malmstrom ski area offers local downhill skiing. Spring (April and May) brings migrating waterfowl through the Missouri River corridor, making it an excellent time for bird-watching along the river trails.
Here are some of our favorite things to do in Great Falls. Choose away!
Gibson Park stands as the crown jewel of Great Falls’ urban green spaces, a sprawling 47-acre oasis nestled along the banks of the Missouri River in the heart of downtown. The park has been a gathering place for residents and visitors since the late…