Exploring Montana’s Great Falls

Making Memories

By Sue Strauss photos by author

Following the footsteps of Lewis and Clark brings discoveries of how the West was expanded, while providing plenty of opportunities for photography buffs longing for wildlife and natural beauty

angled view of rock ledges jutting out along the River’s Edge Historic Trail

Rock ledges jut out along the River’s Edge Historic Trail.

any of you remember studying U. S. History in school and learning about the discoveries of explorers like Lewis and Clark, but did you know that you can actually walk in their footsteps in Montana? Great Falls is a city with a rich history, grand traditions, superb recreational and cultural amenities — and visitors can follow Lewis and Clark’s portage route along the shores of the Missouri River.

Great Falls, the third-largest city in Montana, lies near the geographic center of the state, 90 miles north of the capital city of Helena on Interstate 15 — almost midway between the state capital and the Canadian border. The city straddles the Missouri River and was named for its close proximity to five waterfalls on this river, the largest being Big Falls (also now known as Great Falls). Over the years, dams have been built at the waterfalls, creating hydroelectric power for the city and surrounding county, which led to it being nicknamed “the Electric City.”

To truly appreciate this area, though, a quick recap of your high school U.S. history lessons is in order. The known history of Great Falls, Montana, dates back to the 1600s, when the Piegan Blackfoot Indians inhabited this area. The Blackfoot Tribe lived here for 200 years, until the United States claimed the area in 1803; the Great Falls area was part of the land included in the Louisiana Purchase when the U. S. bought the land from France. Just a year later, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition team captained by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark out to map the course of the Missouri River and to look for a river route to the Pacific Ocean. Included on the expedition team was a black man named York, a slave owned by William Clark; during the expedition’s winter stay in the territory of the Mandan nation, they met (and added) French-Canadian fur trapper Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshone wife, Sacagawea, who served as an interpreter. She also provided significant assistance by identifying edible plants and making moccasins/clothing for the explorers.

distant view of the "Great Falls" of the Missouri River

a detailed painting depicting Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea in the foreground looking towards the Great Falls of the Missouri River in the background

A view of Big Falls, now more commonly known as Great Falls, are the highest of the five waterfalls on the Missouri River, rising 87 feet. One of the most famous paintings by Olaf Seltzer is entitled, “Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea at the Great Falls of the Missouri” was painted in 1927.

Giant Springs is the largest freshwater springs in the world, with water flowing from an aquifer in the Little Belts mountains.

The expedition team stayed at Fort Mandan through the winter of 1804-’05 and learned of the five waterfalls from the Mandan Indians. The expedition team reached these waterfalls in June 1805 and were the first white men to see these falls. Meriwether Lewis wrote in an unusual spelling-style about the waterfalls in his journal: “a sublimely grand spectile, a roaring too tremendous to be mistaken for any cause short of the great falls of the Missouri.” The expedition team mapped out and portaged around these falls to continue its journey down the Missouri River.

The Corps of Discovery team’s findings led to westward expansion and eventually to the development of Great Falls as a city. Great Falls lies on the Northern Great Plains of Montana and is surrounded by the Little Belts Mountain Range. Within a 30-minute drive from the city, you can reach the Little Belts mountains for a complete change of scenery. Big Baldy, the highest mountain peak, rising to 9,000 feet, is often snow-capped and is visible from Great Falls. Having the Little Belts mountains nearby also offers visitors the opportunity to participate in skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking and caving activities. Showdown Ski Area, for example, is a popular family-owned ski resort within a short drive from Great Falls and has 640 skiable acres for all levels of skiers.

A small group of Pronghorn Antelope roam through Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This 12,000-plus-acre refuge lies just north of Great Falls.

Visiting the waterfalls is a must-see activity. The Missouri River drops a total of 612 feet from the first to the last waterfall in a 10-mile stretch of the waterway. The first one is 26-foot-high Black Eagle Falls, named by Meriwether Lewis for an eagle that was seen nesting on an island at the base of the falls. The second waterfall going downstream, Colter Falls, is the smallest of all the falls, with a total height of just 6-1/2 feet. This small waterfall was named for John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Continuing downstream, the third site is Rainbow Falls, with a height of 44-1/2 feet. Rainbow Falls is one of the most beautiful of the five falls and was once known as “Beautiful Cascade.” The fourth, Crooked Falls (a.k.a. Horseshoe Falls), is 19 feet tall and is the only one without a dam. Big Falls (Great Falls) is the last waterfall downstream. Standing 87 feet high, Big Falls is home to the Ryan Dam, a six-unit hydroelectric power plant.

Most people who visit Great Falls seek out views of the waterfalls, but this city is also known for having the largest freshwater spring in the United States: Giant Springs. Giant Springs State Park was established to preserve this area and averages 15.6 million gallons water-flow daily, with the water flowing from Madison Aquifer located in the Little Belts mountains. This freshwater spring has a constant year-round temperature of 54 degrees F and, in the winter months, creates “steam” above its surface. Next door, an active fish hatchery where a variety of rainbow trout and salmon are raised and its visitor center is open to the public with interpretive information and a viewing tank.

Uniquely, Great Falls is known for having both the shortest and the longest rivers. The Roe River, called the shortest river in the world, flows a short 200 feet between Giant Springs and the Missouri River. Flipside, the Missouri River is the longest river (2,300 miles) in the United States.

a bronze sculpture of the artist Charles M. Russell stands atop a plaqued pedestal outside of the museum

view of the original log cabin that served as Charles Russell’s studio, located at the art museum

The C. M. Russell Museum has one of the largest collections of this cowboy artist’s paintings, sculptures and drawings. A sculpture of the artist himself, Charles M. Russell, stands in front of the museum that houses his work. The original log cabin that served as Charles Russell’s studio is now part of the museum complex. Visitors can tour the cabin, as well as his original home, and the art museum.

view of Memorial Falls, located in the Lewis and Clark National Forest

The Lewis and Clark National Forest offers great outdoor opportunities, including a hike to these Memorial Falls in the Little Belts mountains.

There are several interesting cultural attractions that should be on your visit list. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, built in 1988, sits on a cliff overlooking the Missouri River, closest to Crooked Falls. This interpretive center tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition from beginning to end. The center’s exhibit hall’s centerpiece is a two-story diorama of the portage of the Missouri River’s five great falls. Admission fees are $8 for adults; children ages 15 and under are free. There are historic walking trails nearby, including the River’s Edge Trail, which runs 58 miles along both sides of the Missouri River and connects to several of the city’s top attractions and parks. The historic River’s Edge Trail is the main pedestrian corridor of the city and was designed to be enjoyed by walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and bicyclists.

If you are an art enthusiast, be sure to stop into the C. M. Russell Museum, featuring the works of famed cowboy and Plains Indians artist Charles M. Russell. The museum boasts one of the largest collections of Russell’s paintings, sculptures, drawings and illustrated letters. On the same grounds as the museum, you will also find Russell’s original house and log cabin studio (the latter was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965). The museum is open Thursday through Monday and one admission price ($11 for seniors and veterans; $4 for students) allows guests the chance to enter the museum, the original home and log cabin studio. A second art museum is the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. The city transformed a prominent piece of architecture into a museum in 1977, which features local, regional and international art exhibits on a rotating basis, ensuring something new to see with each visit. A unique sculpture garden can also be found outside this building. Admission to the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is free and it is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday.

one of the many walls of the "Gates of the Mountains"

There are many scenic locations along the 1,200-foot walls of the Missouri River in the Gates of the Mountains. The straight vertical walls almost appear to close in ahead of the boats coming down the river.

Before leaving the city of Great Falls, be sure to see the Tenth Street Bridge. Built in 1920, this bridge is the longest open spandrel-ribbed concrete arch bridge in Montana. The concrete arched bridge spans the Missouri River and is a unique design that’s not seen often these days.

Traveling north, just 12 miles outside the city of Great Falls you can also visit the Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge includes more than 5,000 acres of wetlands, attracting hundreds of thousands of birds and waterfowl every spring and fall. The refuge lies along the western migratory path for ducks, Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans and thousands of shorebirds. There is a great nine-mile auto tour route through this refuge, allowing you viewing opportunities for wildlife observation and photography. Limited hunting and fishing are also permitted seasonally at the refuge. Admission to most national wildlife refuges is free, and they are open to the public usually seven days per week.

While traveling in central Montana, also plan a trip along the Missouri River — and take the “Gates of the Mountain Tour” just and hour’s drive south of Great Falls (go to gatesofthemountains.com for more details). This tour will take you on a boat tour following in the path of Lewis and Clark, who named the canyon “the gates of the rocky mountains.” As described in the journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, “The river is deep and between 100-150 yards. wide, with the most remarkable cliffs that we have yet seen. These cliffs rise from the water’s edge on either side perpendicularly to the height of 1200 feet. At each bend in the waterway, great stone walls seemed to block passage, only to open like gentle gates as the expedition drew near.” This area is said to be the “heart” of Montana, and you won’t want to leave the state without experiencing this tour along the Missouri River. The two-hour tour costs $16 ($14 for seniors). Seeing the Gates of the Mountains was a highlight of our trip to the Great Falls area.

Given all that there is to see in Great Falls, you might want to spend several days in the area. There are two campgrounds in the city: Great Falls KOA Holiday (406-727-3191) offers large, pull-through full hook-up sites up to 80 feet; deluxe sites are around $62.60 per night and deluxe sites with patios are $100 per night; Wi-Fi is included. Dick’s RV Park (406-452-0333) offers pull-through, full hook-up sites for around $48 per night.

Lewis and Clark spent a long time in Montana. To truly follow in the footsteps of these famous explorers who traveled the mighty Missouri River, you should do the same. There’s easily enough to see and do to fill several days and nights.

Suzanne Strauss

Suzanne Strauss and her husband, Rich, have been full-time RVers for about four years. They started out camping on weekends in a pup tent; eventually, they bought a small single-axle travel trailer to “test the waters” and fell in love with RVing. Now living full-time in a motorhome, they ply the roadways in search of interesting and “off the beaten path” places. She can be reached at: RStrauss22@gmail.com

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