Waterfall Hikes Near Great Falls, MT

Great Falls takes its name from the five falls the Missouri River drops over on its way past town, the obstacle that cost Lewis and Clark nearly a month of portaging in 1805. Black Eagle Falls, 2.5 miles from the city center, is a drive-up stop with a roadside viewing area. Rainbow Falls, about 44 feet high, and Crooked Falls, the only one of the five still in its natural state, sit along the River's Edge Trail and are listed here at 1.5 and 3 miles round trip. Big Falls, the tallest at 87 feet and now topped by Ryan Dam, takes a 0.6-mile walk. Leashed dogs are allowed on the River's Edge Trail, and Colter Falls has been underwater behind Rainbow Dam since it was built in 1910.