10 Best Historic Waterfalls in Montana 2026

Photo of Bird Woman Falls in Flathead County, Montana
Photo via Google: Bird Woman Falls, Montana

The best historic waterfalls in Montana are Bird Woman Falls, Black Eagle Falls, Champagne Falls and 7 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.

See every waterfall on the Montana waterfalls page or the Montana waterfall map, or browse by town: Columbia Falls, Great Falls, Four Corners, North Browning, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Seeley Lake.

How we picked: We took the 20 publicly accessible Montana waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.

  1. 1. Bird Woman Falls

    4.7 11 reviews Columbia Falls, MT Flathead County

    Bird Woman Falls near Columbia Falls takes the top spot, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 11 reviews.

    Flathead County, MT 59936 (GPS 48.7080, -113.7476)

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located along an unnamed stream 0.8 km (0.5 mi) WNW of Mount Oberlin, 2.6 km (1.6 mi) N of Hidden Lake. Name history: A proposal to change the name Bird Woman Falls to Sacagawea Falls was submitted in February 1998. In December 1999, the proposal was rejected by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN). Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 11 Google reviews. The nearest town is Columbia Falls, about 31 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Oberlin Falls, about 1.2 miles to the southeast.

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  2. 2. Black Eagle Falls

    4.7 14 reviews Great Falls, MT Cascade County

    Black Eagle Falls, near Great Falls, is next up, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 14 reviews.

    Black Eagle, MT 59414

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: coord approx. Older records also call it Upper Falls. Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 14 Google reviews. The nearest town is Great Falls, about 2.3 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Colter Falls (historical), about 2.5 miles to the northeast.

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  3. 3. Champagne Falls

    5.0 7 reviews Four Corners, MT Gallatin County

    Champagne Falls, near Four Corners, is next up, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 7 reviews.

    Gallatin County, MT 59718 (GPS 45.4077, -110.9583)

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located on Hyalite Creek, 1.6 km (1 mi) NE of Divide Peak and 3.1 km (1.9 mi) NW of Fridley Peak. Older records also call it Champayne Falls. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 7 Google reviews. The nearest town is Four Corners, about 19 miles to the northwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Shower Falls, about 0.6 miles to the south.

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  4. 4. Running Eagle Falls

    4.9 42 reviews North Browning, MT Glacier County

    Running Eagle Falls near North Browning is another strong option, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 42 reviews.

    Glacier County, MT 59434 (GPS 48.4980, -113.3526)

    Waterfall hikePhoto spot

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    Older records also call it Double Falls and Twin Falls. Visitors rate it 4.9 stars across 42 Google reviews. The nearest town is North Browning, about 16 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Appistoki Falls, about 1.1 miles to the south.

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  5. 5. Big Falls

    4.3 30 reviews Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT Cascade County

    Big Falls near Malmstrom Air Force Base is worth the drive, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 30 reviews.

    Cascade County, MT 59404 (GPS 47.5700, -111.1230)

    Photo spotRecorded history

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    Older records also call it Great Falls of the Missouri and Great Falls. Visitors rate it 4.3 stars across 30 Google reviews. The nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base, about 5.3 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Crooked Falls, about 4.1 miles to the southwest.

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  6. 6. Rainbow Falls

    3.8 21 reviews Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT Cascade County

    Rainbow Falls near Malmstrom Air Force Base rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 3.8 out of 5 from 21 reviews.

    Cascade County, MT 59404 (GPS 47.5332, -111.2057)

    Recorded history

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    Older records also call it Napa's Snarling and Beautiful Falls. Visitors rate it 3.8 stars across 21 Google reviews. The nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base, about 2.2 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Crooked Falls, about 0.5 miles to the northeast.

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  7. 7. Silken Skein Falls

    5.0 1 reviews Four Corners, MT Gallatin County

    Silken Skein Falls near Four Corners is another strong option, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review.

    Gallatin County, MT 59047 (GPS 45.4199, -110.9524)

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On an unnamed stream, 1.9 km (1.2 mi) E of Palace Butte and 4 km (2.5 mi) NNW of Fridley Peak. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 1 Google review. The nearest town is Four Corners, about 18 miles to the northwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Arch Falls, about 0.7 miles to the northwest.

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  8. 8. Feather Plume Falls

    5.0 1 reviews North Browning, MT Glacier County

    Feather Plume Falls near North Browning rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review.

    Glacier County, MT 59417 (GPS 48.7511, -113.7029)

    Recorded history

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    Older records also call it Bridal Veil Falls and Horse Tail Falls. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 1 Google review. The nearest town is North Browning, about 34 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Morning Eagle Falls, about 1.1 miles to the south.

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  9. 9. Big Salmon Falls

    Seeley Lake, MT Missoula County

    Big Salmon Falls is a named waterfall about 23 miles north of Seeley Lake. USGS notes: Located on Big Salmon Creek, 2.3 miles northeast of Woodward Lake, and 7 miles southwest of Big Salmon Lake.

    Missoula County, MT (GPS 47.5131, -113.5121)

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located on Big Salmon Creek, 2.3 miles northeast of Woodward Lake, and 7 miles southwest of Big Salmon Lake. The nearest town is Seeley Lake, about 23 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Barrier Falls, about 3.8 miles to the north.

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  10. 10. Paradise Falls

    Lincoln, MT Lewis and Clark County

    Paradise Falls is a named waterfall about 17 miles southeast of Lincoln. USGS notes: Located in Helena National Forest, along Left Hand Fork Deadman Creek, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) upstream of its junction with Deadman Creek.

    Lewis and Clark County, MT (GPS 46.7517, -112.4639)

    Recorded history

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    The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located in Helena National Forest, along Left Hand Fork Deadman Creek, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) upstream of its junction with Deadman Creek. The nearest town is Lincoln, about 17 miles to the northwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Rock Creek Falls, about 33.4 miles to the southwest.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best historic waterfall in Montana?

Bird Woman Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located along an unnamed stream 0.8 km (0.5 mi) WNW of Mount Oberlin, 2.6 km (1.6 mi) N of Hidden Lake. It is near Columbia Falls in Flathead County.

How many historic waterfalls are in Montana?

20 of the 120 waterfalls we track in Montana qualify. This page ranks the top 10; every waterfall in the state is on the Montana waterfalls page.

How was this list made?

We took the 20 publicly accessible Montana waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.

Which counties are they in?

The 10 on this list are in Flathead County, Cascade County, Gallatin County, Glacier County, Missoula County, and Lewis and Clark County.