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Oct 3, 2019

Montana is home to some of the most beautiful land in this country. Its nickname, Big Sky, is well deserved, and there’s much to see beneath her big sky. If you find yourself visiting the Great Falls, Montana area, you need to visit Giant Springs State Park. Here are a few sites worth the trip.great falls water spring in montana

Hiking & Biking Trails

If the tandem names of Lewis and Clark make you feel like stuffing a backpack, lacing up the hiking boots, and heading into the woods for a few months, than you need to visit Giant Springs State Park. The famed explorers, Lewis and Clark discovered the park, in 1805. Rarely in life do we have the opportunity to walk in the actual footsteps of those famous adventurers, but here we can.

Giant Springs State Park has over 4,500 acres of land to explore. You don’t have to imagine what Lewis and Clark saw, you simply need to go there and see for yourself. The park has over 20 miles of single-track trails perfect for mountain biking and hiking. If that seems to rigorous, then stick to the miles of paved trails and enjoy a leisurely stroll through this wonderland of nature.

Madison Aquifer

The park is named Giant Springs because of the Madison Aquifer. One of the largest freshwater springs in the country, the Madison Aquifer pumps out 156 million gallons of crystal clear water every day. An amazing feat, but even more amazing is that the water originates in the Little Belt Mountains some 60 miles away to the south and east. It’s estimated that the water takes 26 years to make the journey.

One of the more unique aspects of the water is it stays at a constant 54 degrees, no matter the season. In the winter the spring fills the air with steam which then freezes to the trees presenting one of the most magical displays of frozen landscape you will ever see.

Fishing & Hunting

The Giant Springs State Park is on both sides of the Missouri River. The river is great for fly fishing and rod and reel casting for the experienced angler along the banks of Roe Island. For the novice fisherman, come down to the Family Fishing Pond and try your hand from one of the five docks.

Hunting is also great within the park, thanks to a conservation easement from Northwestern Energy. Acres of land are dedicated to hunting waterfowl, game birds, and deer within the easement.

Giant Springs State Fish Hatchery

Giant Springs is the only park with a fish hatchery within its boundaries. This offers the rare opportunity to see how a hatchery operates. You can see how the hatchery uses the water from the river to fill its raceways, learn about how the fish are spawned, and even feed the giant trout in the show pond.

Giant Springs State Park is the most visited state park in Montana. Come and see for yourself the beauty of nature on full display here. Over 300,000 people a year can’t be wrong.

Image by Tim Evanson via cc by-sa 2.0