Running Eagle Falls

Running Eagle Falls, also called Trick Falls, is a 75-foot plunge waterfall on Two Medicine Creek in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, Montana, in Glacier County. A short, wheelchair-accessible path leads to it, and the Trick Falls nickname comes from the way the water appears to pour out of the middle of the cliff.

The falls

Lidar data measures the drop at about 75 feet in segmented plunges stacked one above the other. Upstream the creek sinks underground and comes back out of a cave about two-thirds of the way down the cliff. During snowmelt, extra water also spills over the top, so two falls pour down at once. The spring drop over the upper ledge is about 40 feet. By late summer the upper fall dries up and only a lower fall of about 20 feet runs from the opening in the cliff face.

Getting there

The trailhead is on Two Medicine Road, 1.1 miles west of the Two Medicine entrance station. The walk is 0.3 mile each way, with 47 feet of gain. A separate 0.7-mile nature loop from the same trailhead is also easy. The trailhead has car and bus/RV parking and accessible restrooms.

For road rehabilitation, the park closed Two Medicine Road at the Running Eagle Falls Trailhead on September 8, 2026, and planned to move the closure back to the junction with Highway 49 in mid-to-late September. The work is scheduled to run into late 2027. Check the park's project page before driving in.

Admission from May to October is $35 per vehicle for seven days, or $25 from November to April. Non-US residents aged 16 and older pay another $100 unless a qualifying pass, such as the America the Beautiful Pass, covers them. No vehicle reservation is required in 2026.

When to go

Spring runoff feeds both the upper spill and the lower fall. From late summer on, only the lower fall runs from the cave.

On site

The path is wheelchair accessible up to a viewing area of the falls, but not beyond the creek. One trail guide describes a wide path, a footbridge and a viewing platform, with Rising Wolf Mountain, at 9,513 feet, rising above the falls. Pets aren't allowed on Glacier's trails. Grizzly bear activity has been reported in the area, especially in late summer and early fall; carry bear spray.

History and name

The falls are named for Running Eagle, a Pikuni woman warrior who held a vision quest at this spot. The park profiles Pi'tamaka (Running Eagle), a Piikáni hunter and warrior who was born Brown Weasel Woman. Pitamakan Lake in the park is also named for her.

Nearby

Sky Lake Falls is about 1 mile away and Appistoki Falls about 1.1 miles. Twin Falls and Rockwell Falls are about 3.7 and 3.9 miles away.

Distances are straight-line.