Glacier Way Fountain, Columbia Falls, MT  5/5 (2)

5 people follow this spring.
Directions:

Description

Its is located at the very northernmost point of the swan mountain range, right off the main highway on the way to Glacier, A few miles past columbia falls and just past the House Of Mystery.. it flows with beautiful crystal clear essence and gives nourishment to all who drink from it.

Nearest Address

House of Mystery on the way to Glacier National park, about half a mile past it on the right, there is is a very large pullout and it comes gushing out of a pipe.

Directions from Nearest Address

N/A

Vital Information

  • Fee: No Fee
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS: N/A

Map Link: Glacier Way Fountain Map

Submitted by: Wes Hays

Responses

  1. Took it upon myself to test this water with an at-home water test kit. Uploaded the images of the test for all to see!
    No Coliform Bacteria present, no copper or iron present either. Water is crystal clear, cold, and wonderful.

  2. I was talking to a woman today at the Whitefish Earth Day festival about water quality in the valley, as she is involved with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

    The conversation turned to this particular spring. She said the water was tested about a year ago and showed that it did contain surface water, which isn’t safe to drink untreated. It was recommended that the spring should be shut down, and it was, for a time, but the public outcry was so strong, the spring was reinstated.

  3. I have lived in the area my entire life. We used to drink from the spring all the time but a few years ago it was contaminated and people did get sick. They put a sign up since then and i haven’t drank from it since but i do know people that do and haven’t heard of anyone getting sick. I have hiked around above it (there are some cool caves) but i have never seen a pond and am pretty sure the water comes from a spring. And there are definitely moose in the area.

  4. I stopped at this spring last summer and it tasted great. The original fountain is not operating, but the pipe works fine. Someone told me this once public fountain was decommissioned because of aluminum contamination from mining in the area. Hope someone local could get the straight story to us, or simply test the water, and I’m sure there are plenty more good springs to be found.

  5. Visited GNP and had to stop at this spring. It was easy to find right next to the Shepard Memorial Fountain. IMHO the coldest and best tasting spring water I’ve tasted! I envy the locals who can access this spring as I’m from California. There was also a sign warning that it wasn’t an “approved source.” I would rather drink this water than what is being bottled and sold as “plastic tea” or the “safe chemical water” being piped into my home. Just search the common contaminants being found in our common drinking water today, it’s shocking! That being said if you have concerns about a source of water I suggest getting a sample and sending it in for analysis as springs are not immune from outside contamination. Hope this helps!

  6. I’ve often stopped and drank from this spring. Never got sick. And I have took a good look on google maps and there is no pond/lake that I can see. This is a very rugged hillside/mountainside, I seriously doubt anyone has climbed it just for the hell of it to find a tiny pond. Lots of deer etc, I’ve never heard of anyone hunting moose around here.

  7. I had lived in the area and had seen it and I think stopped at it…but I was talking to a friend who was knowledgeable about the site…He informed me that there was a pond above it and that’s where the water comes from… He mentioned that moose used it as a watering,bathing and bathroom spot….this may be why Jennifer got sick….if you don’t believe me just go look at the google map provided…

  8. After reading the post below and talking to a local at the site I decided to try the water. I did get sick next day. There is a sign at the site saying they can’t guarantee the water is safe to drink. I talked to other locals. One said it was fine and the other said they always boil it. I didn’t have any containers with me so just used a cup I had with me and that’s all it took. I would not recommend.

  9. Best water I’ve ever tasted in my life! Grown up around Portland, OR, i visit this and only drink from this while I spend my summers in MT. Lots of locals come, often a line, especially summertime. Never got sick, just constantly experiencing the best water ever. 😉

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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