Virginia Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

100feet tall

A horsetail on Virginia Creek.

Scale49/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Horsetail
Watercourse: Virginia Creek
Coordinates: 48.66011, -113.61301

Get directions →

About Virginia Falls

Virginia Falls is a 100-foot horsetail in Montana, on Virginia Creek.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Virginia Falls 8.3/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

The 100-foot payoff past St. Mary Falls: Virginia Creek fans wide over a cliff staircase into a mist bowl you can walk right up to. Two of Glacier's best falls on one 3.6-mile round trip is the best waterfall math in Montana.

Getting there

Trailhead: St. Mary Falls Trailhead, Going-to-the-Sun Road
Parking: Same lot/shuttle as St. Mary Falls
Road: Paved, seasonal GTSR
Hike: 3.6 mi round trip, 500 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: Bear spray, noise, the Glacier drill. No 2026 vehicle reservation.

When to go

Late June through early October. The spray zone at the base is July's best air conditioning.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Glacier entrance pass; no reservation in 2026
Dogs: Not on trails
Camping: Rising Sun on the GTSR
Warnings: Slick rock in the mist zone.

Researched from NPS — St. Mary Falls Trail. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Virginia Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Planning a visit? We want your photo.

Virginia Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.