About Great Falls

Centrally located in Montana, Great Falls is an excellent place to stop on your way to Glacier National Park. Bisected by the Missouri River, the great falls from which the town takes its name are a series of waterfalls named Black Eagle Falls, Colter Falls, Rainbow Falls, Crooked Falls, and Big Falls, though only Crooked Falls still exists in its natural state today. Dams built on the falls beginning in the 1880s have significantly altered the five waterfalls. Black Eagle Dam was built in 1890, and half of Black Eagle Falls is now submerged in the reservoir behind the dam. This structure was the first hydroelectric dam built in the state. It’s possible to walk past all five falls on the Rivers Edge Trail that covers 53 miles of trail, along the banks of the Missouri River.

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center is a must-see for any visit to Great Falls. Located in Giant Springs State Park, it has North America’s most extensive collection of the entire Corps of Discovery Expedition on display. Lewis & Clark spent the most time in any one location (outside of winter camp) in Great Falls because it took 32 days to portage all five of the falls. When Lewis and Clark explored the region in 1805, they could hear the falls from seven miles away. It took them nearly a month to get around the falls by land.

Visit downtown to shop for locally made produce and gifts or to relax and unwind at one of the town’s coffee shops, bars, or restaurants. The town is home to “Montana’s Best Coffee Shop”, has craft beer made with barley harvested within 30 miles and water sourced by the Mighty Missouri River, and has a bar with mermaids swimming in a tank! At many of the restaurants you can sit outdoors thanks to the use of “pedlets”.  Only the second city in the US to use them, pedlets provide an extension to the sidewalk to allow space for summertime outdoor dining.

See Our Great Falls RV Trips

Interesting Facts About Great Falls

• Great Falls is home to 5 hydroelectric dams that give the town its nickname: The Electric City!
• In 1950, Great Falls was the largest city in Montana. It is now the third largest (after Missoula and Billings).
• Great Falls is the second city to use pedlets as a solution for enabling outdoor dining. The first pedlet was in West Allis, Wisconsin. Great Falls also has a “suspendlet,” a second-story balcony version of the pedlet!