Near the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center in great falls, Montana, is Giants Springs State Park. This was discovered by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805 and is one of the largest freshwater springs in the country, flowing at 156,000,000 gallons of water each day.
The springs are located right along the edge of the Missouri River. A small river, called the Roe River, is formed where the water flows from the springs to the Missouri River. It has been listed as the shortest river in the world at a whopping length of 200 feet!
What is spectacular about the springs is not only the amount of water that is flowing from them, but that studies have shown that the water takes almost 2900 years to travel from snowmelt from the Little Belt Mountains 60 miles away to this spring where it returns to the surface and empties into the Missouri River.
The springs are incredibly clear with beautiful green plants and is surrounded by a great park. If you are traveling on I-15 and need a break stretch your legs and let the kids run around and play for a bit, this would be a great stop to make. The park includes a fish hatchery, a playground, large shady areas and green grass.
We loved our time walking around the springs, sitting and watching them, looking at the wildlife, and just enjoyed the cool, shady area. It was very relaxing!
If you have a little extra time the Lewis and Clark interpretive center is just down the road and offers a an excellent overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
See below for pictures of this beautiful park and a map to show you how to get there.
See the Giant Springs State Park website for more information.
