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. Bird Woman Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
2. Black Eagle Falls
Black Eagle Falls, near Great Falls, is next up, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 14 reviews.
Read full write-up
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.
-
3. Champagne Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
4. Running Eagle Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
5. Big Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
6. Rainbow Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
7. Silken Skein Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
8. Feather Plume Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
9. Big Salmon Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
-
10. Paradise Falls
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)
Read full write-up
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.
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.
More Montana Waterfalls by Type
- 10 Best Hidden Gem Waterfalls in Montana 2026
- 5 Best Cascades in Montana 2026
- 10 Best Waterfall Hiking Locations in Montana
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Montana
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in Montana
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Montana
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.