Great Falls (Montana)

Great Falls is a city in Central Montana. It is the third most populous city in Montana with approximately 60,000 people. It is the hub for commercial and financial dealings in the center of the state.

Understand
There is no waterfall to see in Great Falls. This refers to other definition of "falls" meaning "rapids." That said, there is a waterfall in Big Falls, about a 20 minute drive to the northeast.

There are two military installations in the city - Malmstrom Air Force Base and Montana Air National Guard. Malmstrom is the city's largest employer.

The Missouri River bisects the town. Crossing the bridge at 15th St takes you to the suburb of Black Eagle.

By car
Interstate 15 goes through the outskirts of Great Falls. Either the Central Ave. exit or the 10th Ave. S exit will go to the center of the city. The road from Helena to Great Falls, hugging the long curves of the Missouri river, is one of the finest stretches of interstate in the country.

By train
There is an Amtrak station about 90 miles north of Great Falls in the small town of Shelby. The Empire Builder, which runs from Seattle to Chicago makes stops daily. There are rental cars available near the station.

By bus
Salt Lake Express and Greyhound provide intercity bus service.

Get around
Montana is huge: most residents think nothing of driving in what most of the world consider long distances, so with that in mind like most of Montana, you're going to need a car. Although Great Falls does have a bus system, it's limited to the city proper. Another option for seeing the area is by bicycle. In an area with so many sparsely traveled roads, there is plenty to be seen on a road bike.

The Historic Trolley runs during community and themed events. Tours discontinued in 2022 but the owner is hopeful to resume.

Airport Shuttle Express of Calgary Canada offers year-round charter van service between Great Falls and Calgary, Banff & Lake Louise.

By bus
Great Falls Transit operates bus service in Great Falls. Fare is $1.00. Buy a day pass for $4 for unlimited rides. A pass good for 11 rides is $10. Buy passes from the bus driver or the transit office at https://cmrussell.org/3905 North Star Blvd.

Do

 * Disc Golf - Great Falls has 3 disc golf courses. CMR is on 17th Ave NW. Warden Park, at 101 13th Ave S, has 18 holes and is on the highest hill in town. West Bank, at 1600 4th St NE, has 9 holes and runs along the river.

Buy
There are two Albertsons grocery store locations.

Eat
You can find pretty much any fast food places/chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Applebees, etc.) you're looking either for on 10th Ave South, the Northwest Bypass, or Smelter Ave. The exit signs on I-15 will indicate which exit you should take if that's what you're looking for.

For those looking for something different than the same old fare here are a few local restaurant suggestions:



Drink
As is common with most cities in Montana, Montanans love to whet their whistles after a long hard day of work; if you're not within walking distance of a bar in Great Falls you're probably not within the city limits. If you're looking to get your drink on you have pretty wide assortment of options. From dance clubs to hole-in-the-wall dive bars there is something to suit almost anyone's taste, heck most of the gas stations in Great Falls have casinos attached to them for your drinking/gambling pleasure while you fill 'er up.

Great Falls is not that populous, but it is fairly spread out, so depending on which part of the city you're in you're probably close to one of the main drags and its plethora of drinking venues. 10th Ave South has the most bars by a long shot; it is the main street in the city and stretches on for about 8 miles with dry stretches few and far between. You'll also find plenty of bars on Central Avenue and its surrounding streets in the downtown area of Great Falls. Smelter Avenue/The Northwest Bypass possesses many options for those visiting the Northern portion of Great Falls. For those located out towards Malmstrom Air Force Base 57th St, River Road, and the Eastern End of 10th Avenue South provide your best options to find some libations with friends. Suffice it to say, no matter where you are in Great Falls a frosty cold one is never far away.



Stay safe
Great Falls has one of the highest crime rates in America, compared to its size. That doesn't mean it's unsafe for visitors, but lockup your valuables, and keep them out of sight.

Winter snow can come in quickly. Keep a snow brush in the car.

Connect
As a larger town, most coffee shops offer free wi-fi.



Go next

 * Glacier National Park - Widely considered one of the most beautiful areas in the world. It's approximately 3 hours northwest of Great Falls. Glacier is at the very least an absolute must do day trip.  See incredible mountain peaks, dramatic valleys carved by glaciers, isolated alpine lakes, raging waterfalls, active glaciers, and more wild life than you ever imagined.  Camp at one of the many campgrounds and spend some time just soaking in the natural beauty of one of North America's Crown Jewels.
 * Yellowstone National Park and Grand Tetons National Park - Approximately 4½ hours south on US 89, Yellowstone is the most famous national park in the US. See thermodynamics at work in nature!  Visit Old Faithful, hike to breath taking Yellowstone Falls, see wolves, bear, and bison in their natural habitat, see the spectacular vistas of the Grand Tetons.  Yellowstone pretty much explains itself.  While it would be a difficult day trip, there's doubt that anyone would only want to spend a single day in one of the most incredible places in the world.  Warning, Yellowstone gets incredibly crowded during the summer months as it is a world wide tourist destination.
 * Fort Benton - Approximately 45 miles north of Great Falls on Highway 87. A Nationally Registered Historic Landmark.  Fort Benton's claim to fame is that it was as far west as Steam Ships could go on the Missouri River and thus became a vitally important to the expansion of the United States into the western territories.  Once gold was discovered in Montana, Fort Benton became a primary destination for goldminers as they expanded into the western US and Canada in search of gold.  Visit the still intact actual Fort.  Walk along the levee and see an actual steam-ship.  Visit the museums and learn about the history of one of the Wild West's Wildest towns.
 * The Highwood Mountains - From Great Falls, go east on US 89 6 miles, east 13 miles on MT-228, 16 miles east on County Road 121, then 2 miles east on Forest Road 8840. The latter are dirt & gravel. Want to get out of the city and into the Montana wilderness? The Highwood Mountains are a mountain range located approximately 40 miles from Great Falls.  Get out, hike some trails, camp out at Thain Creek Campground and get away from it all.  Always remember safety, know where you're going, let people know where you're going, dress appropriately, take plenty of food and water as you can become isolated, never leave food out in the open as you may attract wild life, if you're staying over night make sure to take shelter with you, and take a sleeping bag as it can get chilly at night, especially in the spring and fall.  Camping in the winter in Montana is not recommended for the inexperienced as conditions can become extremely harsh.