Fodor's Expert Review Gibson Park

This park, named for the insightful founder of Great Falls, is the crown jewel of the city's 400-acre park system. The most popular features are the duck pond and extensive flower gardens. There are also jogging paths, outdoor exercise equipment, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, restrooms, a playground, a band shell, and prime picnicking spots. Riverside Railyard Skate Park, reputed to be one of the best in the Northwest and one of the largest in the country, connects to Gibson Park via the walking path leading underneath the railroad overpass. The restored log cabin of Vinegar Jones, reportedly Great Falls' first permanent resident, is also on display in the park near the gardens.