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Benton Lake Wildlife Refuge
Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located 12 miles north of Great
Falls. Drive north on Bootlegger trail 9.25 miles, turn left on the
gravel refuge entrance road. Stop at information Kiosk for leaflets or
at refuge office during working hours; Monday - Friday: 8am - 4:30pm
Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge covers 12,383 acres on the western
edge of the Great Plains, near Great Falls, Montana. The lake is actually
a 5,000 acre shallow marsh in a closed basin created by the last
continental glacier to occupy the area. The gentle rolling refuge uplands
are dominated by 6,000 acres of native short grass prairie. Approximately
700 acres of former crop land has been planted to dense nesting cover, a
mix of tall growing grasses and legumes. Water for refuge marshes is
supplied by natural runoff from the small Lake Creek watershed and by
water pumped from Muddy creek, a stream 15 miles west of the refuge.
The refuge lands support a great variety of water birds with both nesting
and migration habitat. Up to 100,000 ducks, 40,000 geese, 5,000 tundra
swans, bald eagles and peregrines may be observed in migration. Refuge
habitat annually produces up to 20,000 ducks, 500 Canada geese, 10,000
franklin’s gulls, white-faced ibis and other species. A nine mile auto
tour route is open to the public for wildlife observation. About 4000
acres is open to public hunting of game birds.
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Charles M. Russell Museum
Famous western artist C.M.Russell's log home and studio stand in the middle of Great Falls' original townsite - 400 13th Street North. Open all year. Admission fee.
Established in 1953, the C.M. Russell Museum owns the most complete
collection of Russell art and personal objects in the world. The permanent
collection is comprised of over 12,000 art works and objects. View one of
the nation’s finest collections of Western art and history in spacious,
modern surroundings.
The Trigg collection is the nucleus of the museum’s permanent Russell
acquisitions. Highly personal and unique, it shows the wide scope of
Russell’s works and talents. Some of the most popular exhibits are his
illustrated letters, which feature Russell’s original spelling,
entertaining illustrations and down-to-earth humor and philosophy.
This museum has outstanding pieces from Russell contemporaries to works of
such world renowned artists as O.C. Seltzer, J.H. Sharp, E.E. Heikka, E.I.
Couse, Winold Reiss, Olaf Wieghorst and others. The museum shop offers
many unique gifts such as jewelry, Russell prints and fine Western books.
The complex also includes the former home and log cabin studio of
Montana’s famous cowboy artist. Preserved as it was in the early 1900’s,
the studio includes displays of Russell’s personal objects used as props
and references for accuracy.
The C.M. Russell Museum is located off Interstate 15. Take the 10th Avenue
South exit to 15th Street (this is a one-way street going north) to 5th Avenue
North. Turn west to 13th Street. The Museum Complex is on the southwest
corner of 13th Street and 5th Avenue North.
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Fort Benton
42 miles northeast of Great Falls on US Highway 87. Historic levee and
museums. Museums are open mid-May through Labor Day. Admission fees.
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Fort Shaw
11 miles northwest of Great Falls on I-15 to Vaughn then US Highway 87 west to Ft. Shaw.
On the way, stop off at historic Adams Stone Barn.
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Giant Springs Heritage State Park
5 miles east of downtown Great Falls on River Drive. There is a fee to get in. Large park / picnic areas and playground and fish hatchery. No fee State Dept of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Visitor Center across the street from the park.
Giant Springs feeds the Roe River, the shortest river in the world - it's only a few feet long!
Discovered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 and one of the
largest freshwater springs in the world. This is the site of the Roe River,
listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's shortest river
. Giant Springs flows at a measured 7.9 millions gallons per hour or 193
million gallons of water per day. The water stays at a temperature of 54
degrees, and has been carbon dated to be about 3,000 years old. More than
a quarter of a million people, visit Giant Springs Heritage Park each year.
Many come to marvel at this remarkable feature, or to view the variety of
bird life. Some come to visit the nearby Rainbow Falls Overlook, the
visitor center, and the fish hatchery. The Fish Hatchery Program raises
about 1.3 million fish annually. They are then distributed to areas within
a 150-mile radius of the hatchery. A group picnic site is also available.
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Gibson Park
In the heart of the original townsite of Great Falls. Plenty of space for picnicking, frisbee and family activities. You'll find a beautifully groomed flower garden and a jogging track, basketball courts and the popular duck pond. Seasonal access to a snack-bar and other amenities.
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Lewis and Clark National Trail Interpretive Center
Just opened in the spring of '98.
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Malmstrom Air Force Base Museum
Located just inside the main gate of the Air Force base located at the
east end of 2nd Avenue North. The Malmstrom Park has numerous static
display aircraft from years gone by along with specialized vehicles such
as a missile transporter, old field ambulance and an armored security
vehicle.
There's also a building on the park grounds which houses a vast array of
items and information that explains the history and purpose for the base.
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Mehmke's Steam Engine Museum
A very large, privately owned collection of steam powered farming implements
from the early days of agriculture in Montana. Located 10 miles east of
Great Falls on US Highway 89. Items can be viewed during daylight hours.
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Montana Cowboys Association Museum
The Cowboys Museum is one of the Many projects the Montana Cowboys
Association has undertaken to perpetuate the historical importance of our
Western heritage. Built in the late 1930's by the National Youth
Administration and opened in 1941, the Cowboys Museum is an authentic log
cabin with double fireplaces and replicas of hitching posts from Montana's
frontier days.
Exhibits include a lady's intricately fashioned side-saddle, a trickrope
saddle, numerous Indian artifacts, and a Kimball-Reed organ that way
brought down-river from St. Louis to Fort Benton. Montana in 1876. There
is also a gun collection that even avid gun collectors would be in awe of.
There are also a number of special exhibits including a pair of spurs
given to Jack Kennedy in 1890 by Tom Horn (the subject of the Steve
McQueen movie, ‘Tom Horn’), a rivet set made by Kid Curry, and local
cowboy artist Charlie Russell's black boots, and a list that goes on with
over 500 momentos of a romantic era in our nation's history and is an
integral part of Montana's past.
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Paris Gibson Square
The Cascade County Archives is located on the third floor of the Great Falls Public Library, located at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and 3rd Street.
Home to the Cascade County Historical Museum and Archives and the Paris
Gibson Square Museum of Art. The museum is located in Paris Gibson Square, a Norman stone building
between Central Ave. and 1st Ave. No. and 14th and 15th
Streets. It can be reached by turning south off 10th Avenue South onto
Fifteenth Street and proceeding to Central Avenue.
Built in 1895 the building was Great Falls' original Central High School.
It was later Paris Gibson Junior High. A controversial piece of artwork
graces the lawn and serves as a gateway of sorts. Besides the museum and
archives there are galleries, a restaurant and gift shop. Located at
1400 1st Avenue North in Great Falls, this historic building has just
recently won a new lease on life through the generous contributions of the
citizens and businesses of Great Falls.
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Rainbow Dam and Falls Overlook
1 mile beyond Giant Springs on River Drive.
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River's Edge Trail
Closed to any motorized vehicles, the Trail provides eight miles of scenic
beauty along the paved walking path. Stroll along the Missouri River and
watch the sun set! Great for biking, skating or walking the dogs! Handicap
accessible.
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Ryan Dam
Go 4 miles north on US Highway 87 then turn east (right) at the sign for Ryan Dam. It's about 5 miles to Ryan Dam. You can also go a little further past Ryan Dam turnoff to get to the Morony Dam.
There are detailed maps and narratives of the Lewis and Clak portage route.
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Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump
The word ‘Ulm’ is an Irish Surname; ‘Pishkun’ is from the Blackfoot
meaning ‘deep blood kettle’. This archaeological site is possibly the
largest bison cliff jump in North America. Native peoples used this site
for at least two thousand years prior to Lewis and Clark’s expedition
through Montana. The kill site consists of a mile long sandstone cliff;
there are remenants of drive lines on top of the cliff and the remains of
millions of ‘processed’ bison below. The park has an interpretive trail,
shelters, picnic tables, fireplaces, and a protected black tailed prairie
dog town to help the visitor better understand the epic history of hunting
on the high plains.
Ulm Pishkun State Park is located 10 miles south of Great Falls on I-15 at
Ulm Exit, then 4 miles northwest on county road.
Open from sun-up to sun-down. Interpretive display and camping shelter.
Top of List
Travel Montana
http://travel.itrc.umt.edu/Regional/Russell/
Russell Country Travel Planner
Travel Montana, Department of Commerce
All photographs on this page, unless otherwise credited, were taken by me and are the property of GreatFallsMontana.net