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All the United States Montana Columbia Falls Shepard Memorial Fountain
AO Edited

Shepard Memorial Fountain

Crystal clear, drinkable mountain spring water by the side of the road.

Columbia Falls, Montana

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scottdfrank
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The spring and memorial marker   scottdfrank / Atlas Obscura User
A pipe provides easy access to the spring water   scottdfrank / Atlas Obscura User
The memorial marker.   scottdfrank / Atlas Obscura User
An offshoot of the spring tumbles down the mountain nearby.   scottdfrank / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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In a large turnoff across from the beautiful Flathead River near Glacier National Park, a pipe sticking out of a mountainside provides cool, clear water for locals and tourists alike.

A nearby stone marker names it the Shepard Memorial Fountain, "Dedicated to the memory of Lion Don Shepard of Kalispell"; a second nearby historical sign notes that for decades, "[this] natural spring provided water to locals and, during the early days of automobiles, helped cool more than a few overheated radiators." 

The pipe is there to make the local springwater more accessible, and water tumbles from it into a small pool full of colorful local argillite stones. And while a small, bullet-riddled sign warns "drink at your own risk," you'll often find the parking area full of locals carrying multi-gallon jugs to fill at the spring (perhaps the sign was shot up for questioning their water source). This author filled a few themself, and drank it continuously for a week with no ill effects.

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Fountains Spring Water

Know Before You Go

"Highway 2 E" Columbia Falls may be difficult to find. It's about a half-mile east of the intersection of Highway 2 and Berne Rd, and very easy to spot as you're driving towards Glacier Park. The Google Maps plus code for the spring is 9VPX+73 Columbia Falls, Montana; map coordinates are roughly 48° 23.143 N, 114° 6.142 W.

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scottdfrank

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Collector of Experiences, Wendy Alphabet

  • Collector of Experiences
  • Wendy Alphabet

Published

August 23, 2023

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Shepard Memorial Fountain
Highway 2 East
Columbia Falls, Montana, 59912
United States
48.385659, -114.102293
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Nearby Places

Montana Vortex and House of Mystery

Columbia Falls, Montana

miles away

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West Glacier, Montana

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Columbia Falls

Columbia Falls

Montana

Places 2

Nearby Places

Montana Vortex and House of Mystery

Columbia Falls, Montana

miles away

Lake McDonald

West Glacier, Montana

miles away

Wreck of the Steamship Helena

Bigfork, Montana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Columbia Falls

Columbia Falls

Montana

Places 2

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