Rainbow Falls
Montana · 47-foot drop · Last verified 2026-05-15
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Snapshot built 3d ago. Sources: NWS TFX.
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Cascade County, Montana. It drops roughly 47 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall on the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana, just upstream from Crooked Falls and downstream from Colter Falls and Rainbow Dam. It is 47 feet (14m) high and 1,320 feet (402.3m) wide. The waterfall is part of the five Great Falls of the Missouri. The river spills over a sheer ledge of sandstone in the Kootenai Formation, forming the falls. The falls used to flow with a great deal of force year-round. In 1914 the river shortly upstream was dammed for hydroelectric power by the Rainbow Dam, which forms a run-of-the-river reservoir. As a result, the falls can almost totally dry up in the summer with only a few narrow strips of water trickling down its face. A railroad bridge crosses the river directly above the falls.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Falls (this page) | — | 47 ft | — | — | — |
| Crooked Falls | 0 mi | 19 ft | — | — | — |
| Colter Falls (historical) | 1 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Black Eagle Falls | 3 mi | 26 ft | — | — | — |
| Big Falls | 4 mi | 89 ft | — | — | — |
| Castner Falls | 21 mi | — | — | — | — |
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~47 ft)
- Erie Falls47 ft
- Forever Falls47 ft
- Highway 123 Falls47 ft
- Ladder Falls47 ft
- Lizard Log Falls47 ft
Questions visitors ask about Rainbow Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Rainbow Falls?
Rainbow Falls is 47 feet (14.3 m) tall. Height is sourced from OSM.
How far is Rainbow Falls from a major city?
Rainbow Falls is 2 miles from Malmstrom AFB (about 3 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Montana
Where it is
47.5344, -111.2038
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Falls_(Missouri_River)
Wikidata (Q7284624)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7284624
GeoNames (5673011)
https://www.geonames.org/5673011/
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
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