Montana Waterfalls

Most of the waterfalls in Montana that I've been to are in Glacier National Park. But there sure are a lot of great ones in the park. Waterfalls are listed below or check out my Glacier National Park page. I've also managed to visit a few near Bozeman while traveling here for work.

Akaiyan Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.61721,-113.87692 (McDonald Lodge Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.61391,-113.78592

Akaiyan Falls is a tall waterfall on a tributary of Sprague Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 12 miles round trip if you view it from near Sperry Chalet. I believe you can get closer on Sperry Lake Trail, but haven't been.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 9 miles and turn left into McDonald Lodge and park. From here, cross the street and pick up the Gunsight Pass Trail. In about 6 miles from the trailhead, you can see Akaiyan Falls from the footbridge over Sprague Creek. It's about another half-mile from here to Sperry Chalet.

Apikuni Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.80543,-113.63433 (Apikuni Falls Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.81424,-113.64322

Apikuni Falls is a 150-foot waterfall in three sections on Apikuni Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is about 2 miles round trip and moderately challenging.

To visit the falls, head into the park at the Many Glacier entrance on the east side of the park. The Many Glacier entrance is off US-89 near Babb. Drive about 10.3 miles and park at the pull-off on the right side of the road, just past Lake Sherburne. From here, hike the Apikuni Falls Trail, which starts at the left side of the parking area (right is Paio Lake Trail). From here, hike the trail for just under a mile to the end at the base of Apikuni Falls.

Arch Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 45.44794,-110.96160 (Grotto Falls/Hyalite Creek Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 45.42757,-110.96098

Arch Falls is 20-foot waterfall on Hyalite Creek in Gallatin County just outside Bozeman. As the name suggests, the waterfall flows under a natural rock arch. The waterfall is located in the Bozeman Ranger District of Gallatin National Forest. The hike to the waterfall is about 4 miles round trip and moderate in difficulty. To get to the base for a good view requires scrambling down a small cliff.

To visit the fall, head south from Bozeman on 19th Street for about 6 miles and turn left on Hyalite Canyon Road to enter Gallatin National Forest. Follow this road for about 11.5 miles. For most of the drive, the road is paved and follows Hyalite Creek upstream. Continue on this road past the reservoir as it changes to gravel. After passing the reservoir, you'll come to a split, where left goes to Palisade Falls. Go straight and follow the road for just under two miles to the parking area at the end.

Pick up Hyalite Creek Trail/Grotto Falls Trail at the end of the parking lot. At the first split, you can either way as they meet up shortly. Grotto Falls Trail is probably easier because its handicapped accessible. At the second split, go left to get on Hyalite Creek Trail. (If you want to see Grotto Falls first, go to the waterfall and a side path near the waterfall leads up to Hyalite Creek Trail). In another quarter-mile or so, the side path from Grotto Falls will come up from the left. Past here, you can see Twin Falls off to the right. In about a half-mile or so from the side path, another side path splits to the right at a sign for Arch Falls. The path comes out on a cliff above the waterfall. I couldn't see it well from here, so I climbed down the cliff to creek level. With the rock arch, this was one of my favorite waterfalls in the area.

Aster Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.48451,-113.36927 (Two Medicine South Shore Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.47129,-113.37554

Aster Falls is a scenic waterfall on Aster Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is about 2.5 miles round trip and easy.

To visit the falls enter the park in the Two Medicine area, about 4 miles north of East Glacier Park on MT-49. Turn left into the park and drive a little over 7 miles to the end and park near the boat dock. Pick up the Two Medicine South Shore Trail on the far end of the parking lot. The trail follows the southern shore of the lake. In 1.2 miles, turn left on Aster Park Trail and go about 0.1 miles to the waterfall.

Avalanche Creek Waterfall:

Trailhead GPS: 48.68091,-113.81898 (Avalanche Lake Trailhead)

Waterfall GPS: 48.67598,-113.81262

Waterfall on Avalanche Creek is a scenic waterfall on its namesake creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about a mile round trip and easy.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 14.5 miles and park at the trailhead for Avalanche Lake Trail and Trail of the Cedars. This is a very popular area, so parking may be difficult and you may have to park up the road. From the trailhead, hike the short Trail of the Cedars to the far end of the loop and get on Avalanche Lake Trail. The waterfall will be just off the trail on Avalanche Creek right after the junction.

Beaver Medicine Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.61721,-113.87692 (McDonald Lodge Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.60160,-113.79718

Beaver Medicine Falls is a 100-foot waterfall on Sprague Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is about 9 miles round trip and strenuous. As there's no good way to view the waterfall, it's probably not worth making the hike just for that, but it's along the way to Sperry Chalet.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 9 miles and turn left into McDonald Lodge and park. From here, cross the street and pick up the Gunsight Pass Trail. In about 4.5 miles from the trailhead, you can see Beaver Medicine Falls to the right. I was unable to find a way to get closer.

Bird Woman Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.73907,-113.74958 (Bird Woman Falls Overlook)

Waterfall GPS: 48.70846,-113.74826

Bird Woman Falls is a 500-foot waterfall on a tributary of Logan Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. I don't believe that it's possible to hike to the waterfall, but it can be viewed from an overlook on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive 25 miles, passing Lake McDonald and the Loop, and park at Bird Woman Falls Overlook on the right. Bird Woman Falls can been seen across the valley, about 2 miles away, tumbling down from Mount Oberlin.

Feather Woman Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.61721,-113.87692 (McDonald Lodge Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.61167,-113.78029

Feather Woman Falls is a tall waterfall on a tributary of Sprague Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 12 miles round trip if you view it from near Sperry Chalet. I believe you can get closer on Sperry Lake Trail, but haven't been.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 9 miles and turn left into McDonald Lodge and park. From here, cross the street and pick up the Gunsight Pass Trail. In a little over 6 miles from the trailhead, you can see Feather Woman Falls from just past the junction with Sperry Lake Trail. It's about another quarter-mile from here to Sperry Chalet. When we visited, there were two distinct streams flowing down the cliff face. I believe that in high water, there are even more streams.

Grinnell Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.79718,-113.66846 (Grinnell Glacier Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.76294,-113.72029

Grinnell Falls is a 1000-foot waterfall on Grinnell Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. You can see the waterfall along the Grinnell Glacier Trail, but there's no way to get close to it.

To visit the falls, head into the park at the Many Glacier entrance on the east side of the park. The Many Glacier entrance is off US-89 near Babb. Drive about 12 miles and park at the large parking area on the left. From here, hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail past Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. After the second lake, the trail starts to head up and get steep and soon Grinnell Falls will come into view at the far end of Grinnell Lake. I think the best views of the waterfall are at about 3 miles from the trailhead, but continue the hike to the glacier as it's one of the most scenic and outstanding places in the park.

Grotto Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 45.44794,-110.96160 (Grotto Falls/Hyalite Creek Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 45.43557,-110.96375

Grotto Falls is a waterfall on Hyalite Creek in Gallatin County just outside Bozeman. The waterfall is located in the Bozeman Ranger District of Gallatin National Forest. The hike to the waterfall is about 3 miles round trip and easy.

To visit the fall, head south from Bozeman on 19th Street for about 6 miles and turn left on Hyalite Canyon Road to enter Gallatin National Forest. Follow this road for about 11.5 miles. For most of the drive, the road is paved and follows Hyalite Creek upstream. Continue on this road past the reservoir as it changes to gravel. After passing the reservoir, you'll come to a split, where left goes to Palisade Falls. Go straight and follow the road for just under two miles to the parking area at the end.

Pick up Hyalite Creek Trail/Grotto Falls Trail at the end of the parking lot. At the first split, you can either way as they meet up shortly. Grotto Falls Trail is probably easier because its handicapped accessible. At the second split, go right on Grotto Falls Trail and follow to the end at the waterfall.

Haystack Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.73907,-113.74958 (Bird Woman Falls Overlook)

Waterfall GPS: 48.73869,-113.74500

Haystack Falls is a tall waterfall on Haystack Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. This waterfall is roadside, with Going-to-the-Sun Road literally passing right across it, so no hiking required to view it.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive 25 miles, passing Lake McDonald and the Loop, and park at Bird Woman Falls Overlook on the right. Haystack Falls tumbles down, with Going-to-the-Sun Road crossing over the middle of it, just past the overlook. This one tends to dry up later in the summer. We visited in July and it was just a trickle.

McDonald Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.63750,-113.86863 (Pull-off on North Lake McDonald Road)

Waterfall GPS: 48.63952,-113.86425

McDonald Falls is a waterfall on McDonald Creek, just upstream of Lake McDonald in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is less than a mile round trip and easy.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 10.4 miles and turn left on North Lake McDonald Road immediately past Lake McDonald. You'll cross a bridge over McDonald Creek and the lake can be seen to the left and the waterfall to the right. Park in the pull-off on the right about a quarter-mile from the turn and follow the short McDonald Creek Trail to the waterfall. You have to scramble down some steep rocks to get a good view from the base.

Monument Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.68091,-113.81898 (Avalanche Lake Trailhead)

Waterfall GPS: 48.64961,-113.77221

Monument Falls is a tall waterfall on a tributary of Avalanche Lake in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 4 miles round trip and moderate in difficulty. In addition to Monument Falls, there are several other tall, unnamed waterfalls that flow into Avalanche Basin.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 14.5 miles and park at the trailhead for Avalanche Lake Trail and Trail of the Cedars. This is a very popular area, so parking may be difficult and you may have to park up the road. From the trailhead, hike the short Trail of the Cedars to the far end of the loop and get on Avalanche Lake Trail. Follow Avalanche Lake Trail for about 2 miles to Avalanche Lake, where you can see the waterfalls on the far end. In the picture below, Monument Falls is the waterfall furthest to the left; the other two waterfalls are not named on the topo map.

Oberlin Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.69941,-113.72515 (Oberlin Bend Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.69825,-113.72505

Oberlin Falls is a waterfall on Logan Creek in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The waterfall is roadside so no hike needed to see it.

To visit the falls, get on Going-to-the-Sun Road and head to Logan Pass. Logan Pass is roughly in the middle of the park, so doesn't matter whether you enter from the east or west. If you're coming from the east (St. Mary's), the waterfall is on the left just after passing the Logan Pass Visitor Center. If you're coming from West Glacier, the waterfall is on the right, shortly before the waterfall. If you want to get out, there is a parking area at Oberlin Bend, just west of the waterfall.

Palisade Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 45.46829,-110.93863 (Palisade Falls Parking Area)

Waterfall GPS: 45.46943,-110.93101

Palisade Falls is an 80-foot waterfall on a tributary of East Fork Hyalite Creek in Gallatin County. The waterfall is located in the Bozeman Ranger District of Gallatin National Forest outside Bozeman. The hike to the falls is an easy 1-mile round trip hike.

To visit the fall, head south from Bozeman on 19th Street for about 6 miles and turn left on Hyalite Canyon Road to enter Gallatin National Forest. Follow this road for about 11.5 miles. For most of the drive, the road is paved and follows Hyalite Creek upstream. Continue on this road past the reservoir as it changes to gravel. After passing the reservoir, turn left on Forest Road 3163 at the sign for Palisade Falls. Continue one more mile to the parking area on the left. From here, follow the paved, handicapped-accessible Palisade Falls National Recreation Trail to the base of the waterfall.

Ptarmigan Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.79959,-113.67922 (Ptarmigan/Iceberg Lake Trailhead)

Waterfall GPS: 48.82152,-113.71162

Ptarmigan Falls is a waterfall on Ptarmigan Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 5 miles and moderate.

To visit the falls, head into the park at the Many Glacier entrance on the east side of the park. The Many Glacier entrance is off US-89 near Babb. Drive about 12.5 miles to the end and park behind the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn at the trailhead for Ptarmigan and Iceberg Lake Trails. From here, hike the Ptarmigan/Iceberg Lake Trail for about 2.5 miles. There's not much of a view from the trail and it's extremely difficult to get any closer.

Rockwell Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.48451,-113.36927 (Two Medicine South Shore Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.45299,-113.40332

Rockwell Falls is a tall waterfall in several sections on a tributary of Paradise Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 7.5 miles round trip and moderate in difficulty.

To visit the falls enter the park in the Two Medicine area, about 4 miles north of East Glacier Park on MT-49. Turn left into the park and drive a little over 7 miles to the end and park near the boat dock. Pick up the Two Medicine South Shore Trail on the far end of the parking lot. The trail follows the southern shore of the lake. In 2.5 miles, turn left on Two Medicine Pass Trail and hike 1.2 miles to the waterfall. The waterfall has several sections and is a lot of fun to explore.

Running Eagle Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.49595,-113.34797 (Running Eagle Falls Nature Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.49815,-113.35204

Running Eagle Falls, also called Trick Falls, is a waterfall on Two Medicine Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in the Two Medicine region of Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is 0.6 miles round trip and easy (handicapped accessible).

To visit the falls enter the park in the Two Medicine area, about 4 miles north of East Glacier Park on MT-49. Turn left into the park and drive a little over 5 miles to the Running Eagle Falls Nature Trailhead parking. From the parking area, follow the well-maintained trail just over a quarter-mile to the viewing platform at the end. You can scramble around on the rocks to get a closer view. The name Trick Falls comes from the fact that during the spring when the water level is high, there are two waterfalls - a 40-foot free fall high stream flowing over a 20-foot cascade flowing through an opening in the cliff face. We visited in late summer and the upper waterfall had dried up, but the lower one was flowing well. Even with just the lower one, it's really cool as the water appears to be coming from inside the cliff.

Salamander Falls:

Trailhead GPS: 48.79718,-113.66846 (Grinnell Glacier Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.75565,-113.73591

Salamander Falls is a spectacular waterfall in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. You can see the waterfall from the end of Grinnell Glacier Trail, but there's no way to get close to it. The hike is about 11 miles round trip.

To visit the falls, head into the park at the Many Glacier entrance on the east side of the park. The Many Glacier entrance is off US-89 near Babb. Drive about 12 miles and park at the large parking area on the left. From here, hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail past Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. After the second lake, the trail starts to head up and gets steep. You'll pass Grinnell Lake and Falls and in about 5.5 miles from the trailhead, the trail ends at Upper Grinnell Lake. Salamander Falls is visible across the lake, flowing down from The Salamander Glacier.

Snyder Creek Waterfall:

Trailhead GPS: 48.61721,-113.87692 (McDonald Lodge Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.60934,-113.84731

Waterfall on Snyder Creek is a small waterfall in Flathead County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is about 4 miles round trip and moderate. It's probably not worth making the hike just for that, but it's along the way to Sperry Chalet on Gunsight Pass Trail or Snyder Lake Trail.

To visit the falls, enter the park from the West Glacier entrance off US-2. Go about 2 miles into the park and turn right on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Village. Drive about 9 miles and turn left into McDonald Lodge and park. From here, cross the street and pick up the Gunsight Pass Trail. In about 2 miles from the trailhead, there is an intersection with Snyder Lake Trail. Stay on Gunsight Pass Trail and cross Snyder Creek on a footbridge. A short ways past the footbridge, you should be able to hear the waterfall on the creek below. I had to bushwhack down to creek level for a good view.

Twin Falls (Hyalite):

Trailhead GPS: 45.44794,-110.96160 (Grotto Falls/Hyalite Creek Trailhead Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 45.42994,-110.97645

Twin Falls is a tall double waterfall on a tributary of Hyalite Creek in Gallatin County just outside Bozeman. The waterfall is located in the Bozeman Ranger District of Gallatin National Forest. The hike to the waterfall is about 3 miles round trip and easy though it's not a close view. I'm not sure how to get closer.

To visit the fall, head south from Bozeman on 19th Street for about 6 miles and turn left on Hyalite Canyon Road to enter Gallatin National Forest. Follow this road for about 11.5 miles. For most of the drive, the road is paved and follows Hyalite Creek upstream. Continue on this road past the reservoir as it changes to gravel. After passing the reservoir, you'll come to a split, where left goes to Palisade Falls. Go straight and follow the road for just under two miles to the parking area at the end.

Pick up Hyalite Creek Trail/Grotto Falls Trail at the end of the parking lot. At the first split, you can either way as they meet up shortly. Grotto Falls Trail is probably easier because its handicapped accessible. At the second split, go left to get on Hyalite Creek Trail. (If you want to see Grotto Falls first, go to the waterfall and a side path near the waterfall leads up to Hyalite Creek Trail). In another quarter-mile or so, the side path from Grotto Falls will come up from the left. Just past here, look through the trees to right and you should see Twin Falls above. I tried to bushwhack to a better view but when I got down to the creek, I couldn't see the falls and there was no safe way to cross. The best view was just a little ways off the trail. There must be a way to get closer, because people ice climb it in the winter.

Twin Falls (Two Medicine):

Trailhead GPS: 48.48451,-113.36927 (Two Medicine South Shore Parking)

Waterfall GPS: 48.47609,-113.42658

Twin Falls is a double waterfall on a tributary of Two Medicine Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the falls is about 9 miles round trip if you hike the entire way. If you take the boat across Two Medicine Lake (for a fee), the hike is about 2 miles round trip. Either way, the hike is relatively flat and moderate in difficulty.

To visit the falls enter the park in the Two Medicine area, about 4 miles north of East Glacier Park on MT-49. Turn left into the park and drive a little over 7 miles to the end and park near the boat dock. Pick up the Two Medicine South Shore Trail on the far end of the parking lot (or purchase boat tickets to cut off some distance). The trail follows the southern shore of the lake and reaches the boat dock in a little over 3 miles. From here continue on the trail for less than a mile to the end at Upper Two Medicine Lake Trail. Turn left and follow this trail about a quarter-mile to the falls. The unnamed tributary splits to form two distinct waterfalls that join back together just downstream of the waterfall.