Monument Falls is a 215-foot segmented horsetail waterfall on an inlet stream of Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana. Fed by meltwater from Sperry Glacier, it is the lowest of several falls that pour into the basin at the head of the lake.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database places the name on the lowermost fall of the northernmost stream draining Sperry Glacier, where water splits across a low cliff band about 215 feet high and roughly 50 feet wide, well below the headwall where much larger falls drop into the basin. A taller fall sits upstream on the same stream, and a neighboring fall on another Sperry Glacier stream drops at least twice as far. The long-published figure is 350 feet; Wikipedia gives 170 feet.
Getting there
The approach is the Avalanche Lake Trail, leaving the Trail of the Cedars at Avalanche Picnic Area on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The trail runs 2.3 miles one way, climbing 741 feet and losing 275 through old-growth forest to the lake. Because the fall sits low in the basin, most of it can't be seen from the trail's end, and access to its base is uncertain. In 2026 park shuttles don't serve Avalanche Lake or the Trail of the Cedars, and no vehicle reservation is required. Glacier admission is $35 per vehicle for seven days ($25 from November through April), plus $100 per non-US resident aged 16 and older without an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass.
When to go
In winter the west-side road is gated at Avalanche Creek or Lake McDonald Lodge, depending on weather.
On site
Steep dropoffs, water hazards and wildlife are hazards along the route, and the trail to the foot of the lake has been posted for bear activity. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
Nearby
Avalanche Basin Falls and Floral Park Falls are each about 0.4 mile away, and Sperry Glacier Falls is about 0.5 mile.
Distances are straight-line.