Base Crashpads

Base guide · Great Falls, Montana

The Malmstrom AFB guide

Gate hours, the 83-room inn, the $110 Great Falls per diem, Balfour Beatty housing, chinook winds, and where to ski when the field goes quiet.

Updated August 2026 · 10 min read

Now at Malmstrom AFBChecking local conditions…

Photo: U.S. Air Force 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron transports a new re-entry system to be installed at an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder (Public domain). Source

Base essentials
Major command
Air Force Global Strike Command (20th Air Force)
Host wing
341st Missile Wing
Nearest airport
GTF (Great Falls International) · ~20 min
Time zone
Mountain (MT)
Missiles on alert
150 Minuteman III at 150 launch facilities, 15 missile alert facilities
Runway
None — closed in 1996; rotary-wing only
01

Overview

Malmstrom is an ICBM base. The 341st Missile Wing keeps 150 Minuteman III missiles on alert from 15 missile alert facilities scattered across central Montana, with three missile squadrons, a security forces group that runs the largest convoy and field-security mission in the Air Force, and two helicopter squadrons flying the MH-139A Grey Wolf and UH-1N to support them. About 3,250 military members and 530 civilians work here, and the base's tempo of alert tours, nuclear surety inspections, and the coming Sentinel ICBM conversion keeps a steady rotation of inspectors, program teams, and contractors cycling through Great Falls.

Great Falls is a river town of about 60,000 on the Missouri, an hour east of the Rocky Mountain Front. It is sunny, dry, and windy: January highs average in the mid-30s, July highs run in the mid-80s, and the city sees around 63 inches of snow a year, with chinook winds that can swing a winter day 40 degrees in an afternoon. For a TDY traveler the essentials are simple: fly into GTF, rent a car, understand which gate is open when you land, and lock down lodging early because the town does not have the hotel depth of a big-city base.

Weather

Great Falls averages around 15 inches of precipitation and about 63 inches of snow a year, with January highs near 36°F and July highs near 85°F. Chinook winds off the Front make December and January the windiest months, averaging over 14 mph with gusts that regularly top 50 mph.

Best months

June through September, with warm, dry days and long light

Tough months

November through March — sub-zero cold snaps, blowing snow on the bypass and I-15, and chinook gusts that can close roads and shove trailers

02

Getting there

  • Fly into Great Falls International (GTF), served by Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, and United with nonstops to Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. The airport is about 9 miles southwest of the base; Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and National are on site. There is no base shuttle, so reserve a car ahead of time, especially in summer when Glacier-bound tourists drain the lots.
  • Two gates serve the base, both off the US-87 bypass on the east side of Great Falls. The 10th Avenue North gate is the 24/7 gate. The 2nd Avenue North main gate runs Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is closed weekends and holidays. Hours shift with FPCON and construction, so confirm on the Base Access page at malmstrom.af.mil before arriving late.
  • The Visitor Control Center sits just outside and to the right of the 2nd Avenue North gate. Published hours vary between sources (the base announced daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in September 2024; other listings show weekday hours only), so call the VCC at 406-731-4489 to confirm. Bring a REAL ID-compliant license or passport, and have your orders ready if you need a pass.
  • Traffic is light by any standard, but winter is the access issue: blowing snow and ice on 10th Avenue South and the bypass, and chinook gusts strong enough to tip high-profile vehicles. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes on storm days and keep an eye on the base Facebook page for delayed-reporting announcements.
03

TDY lodging

On base

On-base rates · FY2027

$102 per night · VOQ/VQ

October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027. Confirm your authorized allowance before booking.

Check your dates →Official rate sheet ↗

Malmstrom Inns and Suites

Phone
406-731-3394
Phone 2
888-235-6343
DSN
632-3394
Check-in / out
— / 11 a.m.
Pets
Pet-friendly units
TLF (families)
Available
  • Malmstrom Inns and Suites (Air Force Inns), 7028 4th Ave N, Bldg 1680, Malmstrom AFB, MT 59402; front desk 406-731-3394 (DSN 632-3394), open daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with central reservations at 888-235-6343.
  • The inn has 83 rooms, including 25 VQ suites, 22 VQRs, 6 DV suites, and 30 TLF units, 15 of them pet-friendly (cats and dogs only, two max, shot records at check-in).
  • FY2027 DAF rates are $102 for VOQ/VQ and $110 for TLF or DVQ.
  • Confirm pet fees separately with the lodging desk.
  • Check-out is 11 a.m. If they are full, ask for a non-availability number before you book off base.

Off-base per diem

  • Confirm the current lodging allowance for your duty location and travel dates with the official rate lookup and your travel office.
  • No current rate is quoted here.
  • Alaska and Hawaii use DoD OCONUS rates.
  • A published ceiling is not proof of reimbursement eligibility.
Total your trip → per diem calculatorOn-base lodging cost →

The crashpad option

We're expanding at Malmstrom AFB. We are not listing a property here yet, but we are actively adding furnished crashpads priced inside the $110 Great Falls rate with DTS-ready receipts. Send us your TDY dates and we'll let you know the moment a bed opens up.

Malmstrom AFB crashpads
04

Housing & BAH

Housing

  • Family housing is privatized under Balfour Beatty Communities, with the community office at 6945 Goddard Dr, Bldg 130, 406-315-2262; the base Housing Referral Office handles off-base listings and unaccompanied housing.
  • Great Falls rents are cheaper than most Air Force towns: average apartment rent ran roughly $1,400 to $1,600 a month in early 2026 depending on the source, and the median home sale price hovered between about $340,000 and $358,000 through mid-2026.
  • Buying is realistic for a three-year tour and the VA loan goes far here, but inventory is thin, so start looking before you arrive.

BAH 2026 · MHA MT175

GradeWith dependentsWithout dependents
E-5$1,608$1,392
O-3$2,268$1,767
  • 2026 BAH for MHA MT175 (Malmstrom AFB, MT) is approximately $1,608 with dependents and $1,392 without for an E-5, and $2,268 with dependents and $1,767 without for an O-3, per published 2026 tables.
  • Rates rose about 7.6 percent over 2025.
  • Confirm on the DTMO BAH calculator.
Every grade → BAH calculator·2026 pay chart
NeighborhoodCommute

East Great Falls / near Loy Elementary

Modest ranch homes and rentals just outside the gates, zoned to Loy Elementary, North Middle, and CMR High, with the shortest commute on base and the lowest prices in town.

Commute: ~5 min

Fox Farm (southwest)

Mid-century and newer homes with big yards near the golf courses and the Missouri, close to 10th Avenue South shopping and among the pricier addresses in Great Falls.

Commute: ~15 min

Riverview / Westside

Grid-street neighborhoods with mature trees and larger lots near Riverview Elementary, West Bank Park, and the River's Edge Trail, with plenty of rentals and easy airport access.

Commute: ~15 min

Black Eagle

A small, quiet community of about 900 across the river on the north side, popular with base families who want space and a short drive down the bypass.

Commute: ~15 min

Belt

A tight-knit town of about 600 in the Belt Creek canyon southeast of the base, for people who want a rural Montana life and a scenic drive on US-87/89.

Commute: ~25 min
05

Schools & childcare

  • There are no schools on the installation. Children in base housing attend Great Falls Public Schools: Loy Elementary (K-6) right outside the gates, North Middle School (7-8), and Charles M. Russell (CMR) High School (9-12).
  • Great Falls Public Schools runs 15 elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and an alternative high school, plus a transitional kindergarten. The district partners with Malmstrom on a pilot pre-K program at the Skyline Center and an annual education summit hosted on base; private and parochial schools are also available in town.
  • The School Liaison Office is at 21 77th St North, Suite 149A, Malmstrom AFB, MT 59402; call 406-731-6106 for enrollment, transfer, and homeschool questions.
  • The Child Development Center is at 6201 Maple St, Bldg 4100, 406-731-2417, serving ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Get on the list at MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as you have orders; the Military & Family Readiness Center (406-731-4900) can point you to Family Child Care homes if the CDC waitlist is long.
06

Healthcare

  • The 341st Medical Group is an outpatient clinic only, providing primary care, pharmacy, dental, and limited specialty care for TRICARE Prime and Select beneficiaries. It has no emergency room; book appointments through the MHS GENESIS patient portal or the appointment line listed on malmstrom.tricare.mil.
  • Emergencies go to Benefis Health System in Great Falls, the region's Level II trauma center, or to the Great Falls Clinic hospital; both are about 15 minutes from the gate on 10th Avenue South. Call 911 for anything serious.
  • Malmstrom falls under TRICARE West, administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance since January 2025.
07

On base

Commissary

7228 4th Ave N, Bldg 1320, 406-731-3675; closed Mondays, open Tue-Wed 9-7, Thu-Fri 9-8, Sat 10-6 (confirm current hours on commissaries.com)

Exchange

Main BX with food court and shoppette on the 4th Avenue North core, a short walk from lodging; Express fuel station on base

Fitness

Fitness and Sports Center, 7215 Goddard Dr, 406-731-3621: cardio and weight floors, indoor running track, basketball and racquetball courts, group exercise rooms

Dining

Elkhorn Dining Facility, 303 75th St N, Bldg 1075, 406-731-2008: breakfast 6-8:30, lunch 11-1, dinner 4:30-6:30, Grab n Go 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; the Grizzly Bend club and bowling center grill cover the gaps

MWR
  • Grizzly Bend club, bowling center, Outdoor Recreation with gear rentals and a FamCamp, Arden G.
  • Hill Memorial Library, auto hobby shop, arts and crafts, and ITT tickets through 341fss.com
Malmstrom Museum and Air Park

90 Whitehall Dr, free, Monday-Friday 10-4: Minuteman I/II launch consoles, a launch-facility cutaway, and outdoor F-101B, B-25J, and Minuteman III displays

08

Off duty

LOCATED IN GIANT SPRINGS STATE PARK
LOCATED IN GIANT SPRINGS STATE PARK. Photo: Photo by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Source
LOCATED IN GIANT SPRINGS STATE PARK

Giant Springs State Park

One of the largest freshwater springs in the country pushes 156 million gallons a day into the Missouri at a constant 54 degrees, about 10 minutes from the gate. The fish hatchery, the world's shortest river, and easy trails make it the go-to after-work walk.

Official site ↗

Photo by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · source

Woolly sedge forming a dense leafy colony along the River's Edge Trail in Great Falls, Montana

River's Edge Trail

Fifty-seven miles of paved and single-track trail on both banks of the Missouri, running from downtown past Black Eagle, Rainbow, and Ryan dams. Rent a bike at Outdoor Rec and ride the north-shore singletrack when the wind lays down.

Official site ↗

Photo by Matt Lavin, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · source

Meat for Wild Men, modeled 1924, cast by Roman Bronze Works (1926-1927), Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth (Provenance: Mrs

C.M. Russell Museum

The most complete collection of Charlie Russell's Western art anywhere, with more than 2,000 works and his original log studio, 15 minutes west of base near downtown. The March auction week fills every hotel in town, so watch your TDY dates.

Official site ↗

Photo by Charles Marion Russell, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · source

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (Managed by the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest) stands over the Missouri River in Great Falls Montana near sunset on July 16, 2023

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Free, on the bluff above the river next to Giant Springs, it tells the story of the Corps of Discovery's brutal month-long portage around the falls with the actual river as the backdrop. Worth an hour even if history isn't your thing.

Official site ↗

Photo by Forest Service - Northern Region, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · source

First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park

A mile-long sandstone cliff where Native hunters drove bison for a thousand years, with up to 18 feet of compacted bone below and a strong visitor center. About 25 minutes southwest of town off I-15 at Ulm.

Official site ↗

Showdown Montana

Montana's oldest ski area, 67 miles southeast in the Little Belts near Neihart, with 640 acres, 1,400 feet of vertical, 240 inches of light powder a year, and no lift lines. Sluice Boxes State Park on the way down Belt Creek is the summer hike.

Official site ↗

Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain Front

Glacier's east entrances at St. Mary and Two Medicine are about three and a half hours northwest via US-89, which makes a weekend trip easy from mid-June through September. Closer in, Augusta and Choteau on the Front put you at the Bob Marshall trailheads in 90 minutes.

Official site ↗
09

Insider tips

  1. 01The 2nd Avenue North main gate closes at 6 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend. If your flight lands late, punch the 10th Avenue North gate into your GPS, not the visitor center.
  2. 02Chinook winds are the local hazard, not just the cold. The 2025-26 winter was the windiest on record in Great Falls with average gusts above 37 mph, so park nose-in to the wind, hold the car door, and don't tow a trailer up the bypass on a red-flag day.
  3. 03Pack real winter gear from October through April: insulated boots, a windproof shell, and a car kit with a blanket, scraper, and jumper cables. Sub-zero mornings kill rental-car batteries.
  4. 04Book Malmstrom Inns and Suites the day your orders drop. With only 83 rooms, inspections, missile-wing exercises, and summer PCS season fill it fast, and you need the non-availability number before a crashpad or hotel is reimbursable.
  5. 05Great Falls is standard CONUS per diem at $110, and summer hotel rates on 10th Avenue South routinely blow past that when Glacier tourists roll through. Furnished lodging inside the rate saves you from eating the difference.
  6. 06Great Falls is Mountain time and the town runs early: most restaurants downtown close by 9 p.m., and a lot of things are shut Sunday. Plan your grocery run around the commissary being closed on Mondays.
  7. 07If you're headed to the missile field, remember the MAFs are one to three hours out on two-lane roads with no cell coverage in places. Fuel up in town, carry water, and watch for deer and cattle at dusk.
  8. 08PCS families: put your name on the Balfour Beatty list and the CDC waitlist at MilitaryChildCare.com before you leave your current base. Both move slower than you'd expect for a town this size.
10

FAQ

Can I stay off base at Malmstrom and get reimbursed?
Yes, once base lodging issues a non-availability number. Call Malmstrom Inns and Suites at 406-731-3394 first; if they are full, you can lodge commercially at the FY2026 Great Falls rate of $110 lodging plus $68 M&IE. A crashpad priced inside that rate with an itemized receipt reimburses cleanly in DTS.
Which gate should I use when I arrive?
The 10th Avenue North gate off the US-87 bypass is open 24/7. The 2nd Avenue North main gate and the Visitor Control Center next to it run weekday hours, so if you need a visitor pass or you are sponsoring someone without a DoD ID, arrive on a weekday and confirm current VCC hours at 406-731-4489.
Is there a hospital on base?
No. The 341st Medical Group is an outpatient clinic with no emergency room. Emergencies go to Benefis Health System or the Great Falls Clinic hospital, both about 15 minutes away in town. Malmstrom is in TRICARE West under TriWest.
Where do families live near Malmstrom?
Many take Balfour Beatty base housing (406-315-2262) or rent on the east side near Loy Elementary for a five-minute commute. Fox Farm and Riverview on the south and west sides are the established neighborhoods 15 minutes out, and Black Eagle and Belt draw people who want small-town space. 2026 BAH for an E-5 with dependents is about $1,608, enough to rent comfortably; confirm on the DTMO BAH calculator.
11

Helpful resources

Official

Things to do

Community & local

List your resource

Run a business, park, church, gym, or service that helps Malmstrom AFB travelers and families? Have a correction? Email basecrashpads@gmail.com with the link and a sentence on why it's useful. We review every submission and list the ones that earn it.

Sources & disclaimer

Photos: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder (Public domain); Photo by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Full attribution on the photo credits page.

Rates, hours, and policies change — BAH resets every January and per diem every October. Confirm specifics with the official sources above and your orders. This guide is written by Base Crashpads and is not an official Air Force or DoD resource.

Mission-ready lodging

Headed to Malmstrom AFB? Lock in lodging first.

Furnished crashpads near Malmstrom Air Force Base, priced at the government rate, with DTS-ready receipts.

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