Black Eagle Memorial Island

The historic, man-made Black Eagle Memorial Island, located downstream from the Black Eagle Dam, opened to the public for the first time in the summer of 2005.

The completion of the project, along with a new section of the River’s Edge Trail that links West Bank Park to the island, marked an important milestone in the addition of public recreation enhancements to the Missouri River corridor in Great Falls.

Black Eagle Memorial Island features exceptional stone walls, a restored truss bridge, and an interpretive viewing plaza below the falls. A 1,500-foot path links to a viewing area at the tip of the island. Recreational opportunities include hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and picnicking. The island also offers outstanding views of the falls and the remains of Paris Gibson’s first hydropower plant, and of the river canyon, birds and wildlife.

PPL Montana partnered with Recreational Trails Inc., the City of Great Falls, Cascade County, Lewis & Clark National Forest, the state Bureau of Land Management, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Montana Conservation Corps to open the island up to the public.