What’s Unique About the Giant Springs?
- Located near the Great Falls, and at the mouth of the Missouri River, Giant Springs is one of the largest first magnitude springs in Montana, USA. It was described in the Lewis and Clark expedition in the year 1805. Today, Giant Springs is a popular tourist attraction in the state for picnicking, hiking, biking, hunting, birdwatching, photography, and fishing. Giant Springs is one of the beautiful features of Montana’s geography.
- The Giant Springs was formed from an opening in the Madison Aquifer. It is one of the major sources of drinking water in Montana. The state is nicknamed “Big Sky Country” because of its overwhelming natural beauty and picturesque landscapes beneath the sky. It is also sparsely populated and hence, the greenery is usually undisturbed.
- The temperature of the water in the spring is constantly 54°F throughout the year. An interesting fact is that the temperature remains the same even in winter.
- Over 156 million gallons of water are produced every day. Since it is a freshwater spring, the water is bottled for consumption.
- Giant Springs is an important landmark in the Giant Spring State Park. It was established in the 1970s and is the most visited state park in the state with over 300,000 visits every year. There are 54 other state parks in Montana.
- The Giant Springs State Park stretches over 4500 acres of land and is an interesting hotspot for biking and hiking. It covers several miles of the Missouri River shoreline. There are 5 Missouri waterfalls and 5 hydroelectric dams in the State Park.
- The Giant Springs State Park is the only state park in Montana to have a fishing hatchery. One of the interesting things you can do there is walk through the trout hatchery and witness how it operates. The Giant Springs State Fish Hatchery mostly raises Rainbow Trout. It is a colorful fish of salmonid species.
- You can bring your pets to the State Park. Camping is not allowed though.