Waterfall hikes are some of the most photographed and most family-friendly trails in any state — the destination delivers a clear visual reward, and many are short enough to do before lunch. We pulled every Montana trail in our database whose name explicitly references falls, cascade, chute, or plunge, then ranked them by accessibility so the easiest and shortest waterfall hikes surface first. The result is ten hikes that pay off without punishing the people you're hiking with.
Montana ranges from the Northern Rockies' glacier-carved peaks (Glacier NP, Bob Marshall Wilderness) to the rolling Great Plains east of the divide. Late June through mid-September is the high-country window; afternoon thunderstorms and grizzly activity are routine. Waterfalls run hardest in spring snowmelt and after sustained rain — the same windows when trail surfaces are slipperiest.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 6,170 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Montana — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We identify waterfall hikes by scanning trail names for terms like "falls," "cascade," "chute," and "plunge." That misses unnamed seasonal cascades and trails whose primary feature is a waterfall not mentioned in the route name. Treat the list as a confident sample, not a complete catalog.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. 8029 Falls Fork
8029 Falls Fork near Wisdom in Granite County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #1 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the 8029 Falls Fork trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. 8029 Falls Fork
8029 Falls Fork near Philipsburg in Granite County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #2 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the 8029 Falls Fork trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Appistoki Falls
Appistoki Falls near East Glacier Park in Glacier County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #3 slot for accessibility. Expect unpaved surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Appistoki Falls trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Big Timber Falls
Big Timber Falls near Melville in Sweet Grass County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #4 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Compared to similar trails in Montana, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Big Timber Falls trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Boulder River-Great Falls Trail
Boulder River-Great Falls Trail near Mc Leod in Sweet Grass County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #5 slot for accessibility. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Boulder River-Great Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Brink of Lower Falls Trail
Brink of Lower Falls Trail near Yellowstone National Park in Park County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #6 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Brink of Lower Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Brink of Lower Falls Trail
Brink of Lower Falls Trail near Yellowstone National Park in Park County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #7 slot for accessibility. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Brink of Lower Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Brink of Lower Falls Trail
Brink of Lower Falls Trail near Yellowstone National Park in Park County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #8 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Brink of Lower Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Brink of the Lower Falls Trail
Brink of the Lower Falls Trail near Yellowstone National Park in Park County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #9 slot for accessibility. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Montana, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Cascade Creek
Cascade Creek near Yellowstone National Park in Park County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #10 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Creek trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Montana trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Montana. Late June through mid-September is the high-country window; afternoon thunderstorms and grizzly activity are routine. Grizzly bears (carry spray, know how to use it), unbridged stream crossings, and lightning on exposed ridges are the recurring concerns.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Montana hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Montana coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Montana — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Montana — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Montana — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Montana — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Montana — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Montana — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Montana — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Montana last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
