On a recent vacation, we experienced an amazing location in Montana of which we had never been told. Given the great impression it made on us, I would like to share it with you.
This amazing spring can be found in the State Park dedicated to it in Great Falls, Montana. What this city is known for is its waterfalls on the Missouri River, the largest of which is ... Wait for it ... Great Falls! 😊
In the middle of these falls, though, is this incredible spring,
one of the largest freshwater springs
in the United States.
in the United States.
The crystal clear water bubbles up out of the ground, right on the banks of the Missouri River, at the remarkable flow rate of 156 million gallons of water per day. The source is in the Little Belt Mountains, about 60 miles away. From there, according to the experts, it takes about 50 years to travel underground before coming to the surface.
It was recorded by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. As a little trivia note, the flow from the spring into the Missouri River is officially called the Roe River and
was once listed in the
Guinness Book of World Records
as the world's shortest river!
Guinness Book of World Records
as the world's shortest river!
Along with the spring itself, a visitor will find a nearby fish hatchery, the Rainbow Falls overlook, and the incredible Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center operated by the U.S. Forest Service. For history buffs, this center is a "must do" experience in its own right!
The park itself is very shady, with lots of places to have a picnic with your family. Or to just relax in a beautiful setting for a while.
Photo: Looking at the footbridge crossing Giant Springs and a glimpse of the State Park behind it.
We had never heard of it before taking this trip, but very thankful we stopped in to this State Park to see what it had to offer. If this post has inspired you to add this great experience to your "bucket list," more information can be found here on the official Montana State Parks website dedicated to it.
Posted using Busy.org and immutably “enshrined in the blockchain” on Saturday, 1 September 2018!! Updated on the Hive blockchain on Saturday, 26 Oct 2024.
[Image Sources: My trusty smartphone!]