Les Mason

Les Mason State Park encompasses 4 acres on the Missouri River near Great Falls in Cascade County. The small park provides a scenic picnic and fishing spot along the Missouri River below Giant Springs.

The Missouri River supports rainbow trout, brown trout, and walleye. Bald eagles and ospreys fish the river. Waterfowl and shorebirds utilize the river corridor. White-tailed deer visit the riparian area.

Cottonwoods and willows shade the small park along the Missouri River. Native grasses and wildflowers grow in open areas. The riparian vegetation provides shade and bank stability.

The park sits on the Missouri River below the Great Falls, where the river flows through a canyon cut into Cretaceous sandstone and Madison Limestone. The river's course was established after Pleistocene glaciation.

Great Falls is one of Montana's windiest cities with cold winters and warm summers. Annual precipitation averages about 15 inches. Chinook winds provide occasional winter warming.

The Great Falls of the Missouri were a major landmark for the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. The portage around the falls was one of the expedition's most difficult passages.

Les Mason State Park was named for a local conservationist and provides river access near Great Falls' extensive parks along the Missouri River.

Fishing access on the Missouri River is the primary draw. The park connects to the River's Edge Trail system. Picnicking in the riverside setting is popular.

The park provides picnic facilities and fishing access. It is located along River Drive on the Missouri River in Great Falls, near Giant Springs State Park.

The park provides public river access while protecting a small stretch of Missouri River riparian habitat. It complements the larger Giant Springs State Park nearby.