Cascade County, Montana

Waterfalls Near Great Falls, MT

There are 7 named waterfalls within a 30-mile radius of Great Falls, 5 of them inside 10 miles. The nearest is Black Eagle Falls, 2.3 miles northeast of town. Black Eagle Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.7 stars from 14 Google reviews). Most of the falls are northeast of Great Falls.

Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.

Photo of Big Falls in Cascade County, Montana
Pictured: Big Falls, MT

Best Waterfalls Near Great Falls at a Glance

Photo of Big Falls near Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT
Most visited

Big Falls

30 Google reviews, the most near Great Falls.

7 Waterfalls Near Great Falls, Ranked by Distance

  1. Black Eagle Falls

    Great Falls, MT · Cascade County · 2.3 mi northeast of Great Falls
    4.7 (14 reviews)

    Black Eagle Falls is the closest named waterfall to Great Falls, 2.3 miles to the northeast in Cascade County. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Great Falls. USGS notes: coord approx

    Rating
    4.7 (14 Google reviews)
    Address
    Black Eagle, MT 59414
    View details Directions

  2. Colter Falls (historical)

    Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT · Cascade County · 4.8 mi northeast of Great Falls
    2.0 (1 reviews)

    Colter Falls (historical) lies 4.8 miles northeast of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 2 of 7 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Great Falls. USGS notes: coord approx

    Rating
    2.0 (1 Google reviews)
    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59405 (GPS 47.5375, -111.2147)
    View details Directions

  3. Rainbow Falls

    Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT · Cascade County · 5.0 mi northeast of Great Falls
    3.8 (21 reviews)

    Rainbow Falls lies 5.0 miles northeast of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 3 of 7 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Great Falls. Its own nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base.

    Rating
    3.8 (21 Google reviews)
    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59404 (GPS 47.5332, -111.2057)
    View details Directions

  4. Crooked Falls

    Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT · Cascade County · 5.5 mi northeast of Great Falls
    4.2 (5 reviews)

    Crooked Falls lies 5.5 miles northeast of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 4 of 7 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Great Falls. Its own nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base.

    Rating
    4.2 (5 Google reviews)
    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59404 (GPS 47.5361, -111.1963)
    View details Directions

  5. Big Falls

    Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT · Cascade County · 9.6 mi northeast of Great Falls
    4.3 (30 reviews)

    Big Falls lies 9.6 miles northeast of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 5 of 7 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Great Falls. Its own nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base.

    Rating
    4.3 (30 Google reviews)
    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59404 (GPS 47.5700, -111.1230)
    View details Directions

  6. Castner Falls

    Sun Prairie, MT · Cascade County · 16 mi southwest of Great Falls

    Castner Falls lies 16 miles southwest of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 6 of 7 by distance. Its own nearest town is Sun Prairie.

    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59421 (GPS 47.3048, -111.4969)
    View details Directions

  7. Buffalo Falls

    Sun Prairie, MT · Cascade County · 30 mi west of Great Falls

    Buffalo Falls lies 30 miles west of Great Falls in Cascade County, number 7 of 7 by distance. Its own nearest town is Sun Prairie.

    Address
    Cascade County, MT 59421 (GPS 47.3631, -111.9079)
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Great Falls sits in or near the Rocky Mountain Front and the Missouri area of Montana. Where the Rockies give way to the plains, Montana's falls change character. The Missouri River at Great Falls once descended a series of five falls that forced the Lewis and Clark expedition into a long overland portage in 1805; most have since been altered or submerged by hydroelectric dams, though Black Eagle Falls and others remain visible from riverside parks and overlooks. Teton County, along the Rocky Mountain Front west of Choteau, has falls on streams that leave the mountains abruptly. Fergus County in central Montana adds an isolated example in one of the island ranges rising from the prairie. Read the Montana waterfall guide.

By direction from Great Falls: 5 to the northeast, 1 to the southwest, and 1 to the west. They are spread across Cascade County (7). The average distance is 10.5 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of Great Falls

Black Eagle Falls (2.3 mi), Colter Falls (historical) (4.8 mi), Rainbow Falls (5.0 mi), Crooked Falls (5.5 mi), Big Falls (9.6 mi)

10 to 20 miles of Great Falls

Castner Falls (16 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Great Falls

Buffalo Falls (30 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Great Falls: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Great Falls, MT?

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Great Falls: 5 within 10 miles, 1 10 to 20 miles, 1 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to Great Falls?

Black Eagle Falls in Cascade County is the closest, about 2.3 miles northeast of Great Falls.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Great Falls?

Black Eagle Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.7 stars from 14 Google reviews. The most reviewed is Big Falls.

Which counties are the waterfalls near Great Falls in?

Cascade County (7).

How does Great Falls compare with other Montana towns?

Great Falls ranks 12th of the 32 Montana towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.