Montana State Parks is partnering with the City of Great Falls Park and Recreation to open Cochrane Dam, owned by NorthWestern Energy, for a public crossing on Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in celebration of National Public Lands Day.

The public crossing only happens a few times a year and the public is welcome to ride, run or walk across Cochrane Dam.

The dam can be accessed from the Rainbow Trailhead at the end of Rainbow Dam Road with a leisurely 2.5-mile hike or bike ride along the River’s Edge Trail to the dam. For the more adventurous, take the single track from Rainbow Trailhead for a medium difficulty hike of about 4 miles, according to Montana State Parks.

For a full day outing, park your vehicle on the South Shore trailhead, Lewis and Clark Overlook and take one of the many trails along the South Shore to Cochrane Dam, about 3.5 miles, cross it and then head to Rainbow Trailhead on the North Shore. Remember to set up a shuttle.