Paiota Falls
About
Paiota Falls is a waterfall in Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, about 18 miles from the town of Babb. It sits at roughly 6,184 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 73°F with lows in the mid-40s, and those months see the fewest wet days of the year. That station sits well below the falls, so temperatures at the falls run cooler. Several trails start close by. The Cleveland South Ridge Route is about a mile away, and the Sue Lake Observation Trail and Mokowanis Lake Trail are each within about 2 miles. The Porcupine Lookout Trail is a little farther, at about 3.6 miles.
Waterfall Facts
Elevation
6,184 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Paiota Falls
Montana
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–73°F and lows of 39–46°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the St. Mary 1 Ssw, MT weather station, 21 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan32° high15° low
- Feb31° high14° low
- Mar38° high20° low
- Apr45° high28° low
- May56° high35° low
- Jun63° high42° low
- Jul73° high46° low
- Aug73° high45° low
- Sep63° high39° low
- Oct49° high32° low
- Nov37° high25° low
- Dec31° high17° low
The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.
Where it is
- Glacier National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Babb, Montana · 18 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Glacier National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Going-to-the-Sun Road is Open for 2026 Season
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Cleveland South Ridge RouteHiking1 mi
Sue Lake Observation TrailHikingPhoto: USGS, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)1.3 mi
Mokowanis Lake TrailHikingPhoto: Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.9 mi- Kootenai Cabin TrailHiking2.9 mi
- Stoney Indian Pass TrailHiking3.1 mi
Porcupine Lookout TrailHikingPhoto: -ted, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3.6 mi
Ahern Pass OverlookHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5 mi- Helen Lake TrailHiking5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Paiota Falls open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Glacier National Park. It doesn't name Paiota Falls, so check the source for the area it covers.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Seasonal Closure
Park closure covering Glacier National Park · NPS · Glacier National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Glacier National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Paiota Falls
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
32° / 15°
15 wet
Feb
31° / 14°
14 wet
Mar
38° / 20°
16 wet
Apr
45° / 28°
14 wet
May
56° / 35°
13 wet
Jun
63° / 42°
12 wet
Jul
73° / 46°
9 wet
Aug
73° / 45°
8 wet
Sep
63° / 39°
9 wet
Oct
49° / 32°
12 wet
Nov
37° / 25°
14 wet
Dec
31° / 17°
15 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at St. Mary 1 Ssw, MT, 21.1 mi away at 4,555 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
