Things to Do in Northwest Montana

Another Flathead Lake Video

The Pablo Wildlife Refuge south of Flathead Lake

How to Purchase Montana’s Flathead Lake Guide.

At $6.99 the Vacation Guide Download costs less then a Subway® sandwich you can buy in Bigfork or Polson. So this will insure you have the information you need to have a Great Montana Lake Vacation. Purchase your downloadable guide using our Pay-Pal option knowing your information is safe and secure and we will see you on the Lake!

Purchase the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide

Montana’s Flathead Lake Vacations are better with this downloadable guide. The booklet includes restaurants, hotels, motels, vacation rentals, boat rentals, water craft rentals as well as public and private campgrounds. Looking for the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide Paperback book?

It is the most complete vacation information about Flathead Lake. Download your copy today!

About Flathead Lake

#MontanasFlatheadLake

There are 185 miles of shoreline and 200 square miles of natural freshwater. Therefore earning the title as “the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi”. There are 13 public access sites around The Lake maintained by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks

The southern half of The Lake lies within the boundary of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Flathead Reservation, which was created in 1855 by the Hellgate Treaty. The Flathead Nation insists that all non-tribal members purchase a tribal recreation permit to recreate on tribal lands.

Another Flathead Lake Video

How to Purchase Montana’s Flathead Lake Guide.

Purchase the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide

It is the most complete vacation information about Flathead Lake. Download your copy today!

About Flathead Lake: Flathead Lake Montana

#MontanasFlatheadLake

Flathead Lake Alpine Coaster

Montana’s First & Only Alpine Coaster is Now open!

Our attraction provides an entertaining family experience suitable for all ages. Our visitors can enjoy the thrill of speeding down the mountain at up to 27 miles per hour or opt for a more leisurely ride by using the brakes. Our location is conveniently situated near Glacier National Park, Whitefish, and Kalispell, Montana. We’re thrilled to welcome you to our coaster!

ADULT SINGLE RIDE:

$18.75 (over 56″ tall and 13 years old +)

CHILD SINGLE RIDE:

$13.50 (36” tall and 3 – 12 years old. Must be with a driver 16 years old or older)

Tally Lake Campground.

Tally Lake Campground is located on the northern shores of its namesake lake, west of Whitefish, Montana. The campground is popular with locals and tourists visiting the Flathead National Forest and offers a variety of recreation facilities and activities for the whole family.

Natural Features:
The campground is nestled in the highlands of northwestern Montana, adjacent to Tally Lake, the second deepest Lake in Montana 445 feet deep. It sits in a mature forest of Western Larch and Douglas fir trees.

Recreation:
Hiking, horseback riding and biking trails wind around the Tally Lake Campground and the lake. Wildlife like waterfowl, bald eagles and migratory birds are commonly spotted. A dock provides access to the lake’s best fishing, which includes kokanee salmon, a variety of trout and northern pike. Visitors also enjoy boating, water skiing and other water recreation on the 1,326 acres of Tally Lake.

Facilities:
The campground offers dozens of campsites for tent and RV camping. It provides access to a boat ramp, an open air pavilion, beaches and picnic areas. Campsites are equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. An on-site host is available to answer questions and provide additional information. The campground has 40 campsites, boat launch, open air pavilion, beach area, picnic site, water and hosts on site during the summer months. The Tally Lake Pavilion is a beautiful timber frame open air pavilion. The site has parking for 50 vehicles, a double vault toilet, picnic tables, fire grill, group fire ring, horse pit, volleyball court, and nature trail. The pavilion is centrally located within the Tally Lake Campground. There are several trails nearby and two trails within the campground. One group site (site 39) and the pavilion can be reserved through the national recreation website. Firewood is generally for sale by the host.

Nearby Attractions:
The popular Whitefish Lake is about 20 miles from the campground. Visitors to the area also enjoy the Forest Service Summit Nature Center at Whitefish Mountain Resort, located about 25 miles away and accessed by the resort chairlift or the Danny On hiking trail.

Reservations:
This site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777 or on-line at Recreation.gov.

“Annual Season Pass” for access to those day use facilities located on the Flathead National Forest which are under Flathead Valley Campground (FVC) management, will be available for purchase from any of the concession facilities. This annual pass will cost $35.00, and will be available for the calendar year in which it was purchased. Note: Two passes may be purchased for $55.00 to accommodate a second family vehicle, only if the second vehicle is present. FVC will offer a 50 percent discount on all standard site fees and day use fees to holders of the Golden Age and Golden Access Passports, as well as holders of the Interagency Senior and Access Passes. Discounts will not be offered to holders of the Interagency Annual or Volunteer Pass. There will be no discount offered on group site reservations, boat rentals, dump fees, extra vehicle fees or firewood sales.

General Information
Directions: From Whitefish take Hwy 93 west 10 miles, turn onto Farm-to-Market Rd go 1.5 miles, turn onto the Star Meadow Road go 9 miles, turn onto FS Rd #913 go approximately 3.25 miles. Look for the campground entrance sign.

Tally Lake Overlook Trail #804

The Tally Lake Overlook Trail is 3.0 miles long and is located within the Tally Lake Campground. This non-motorized trail offers a spectacular view of Tally Lake from the summit rock located above the campground.

Closest Towns: Whitefish, MT
Operated By: Forest Service

General Information
Directions: From Whitefish take Hwy 93 west 10 miles, turn onto Farm-to-Market Rd go 1.5 miles, turn onto the Star Meadow Road go 9 miles, turn onto FS Rd #913 go approximately 3.25 miles. Look for the campground entrance sign.

Activities: Bicycling, Hiking and Day Hiking

The Bison Range.

The Bison Range, formerly known as the National Bison Range, was established in 1908 by the U.S. Federal Government in the middle of our treaty-reserved home, the Flathead Indian Reservation. The bison living on the Bison Range also are descendants of the free-ranging Reservation herd started by Tribal members in the 1800’s when plains bison were near extinction.

Through Public Law 116-260, Congress restored the Bison Range as a federal trust ownership under the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).

The Tribal Council has adopted, as its interim Bison Range management plan, the current Comprehensive Conservation Plan that was developed and adopted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2019 (for which CSKT was a cooperating agency).

As of 2022, the Bison Range is fully owned and managed by CSKT Natural Resource Department.

Some More History of the Bison Range

The National Bison Range was established in 1908 and is one of the oldest Wildlife Refuges in the nation. The Range is about 25 miles south of Montana’s Flathead Lake.

A large portion of the 18, 500 acre Range consists of native Palouse prairie; forests, wetlands, and streams are also found here providing a wide range of habitats for wildlife. Elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, coyote and ground squirrels are just some of the mammals that share the area with 350 to 500 bison. Over 200 species of birds also call this home including eagles, hawks, meadowlarks, bluebirds, ducks, and geese.

General Information

Fees are charged during the summer (mid-May to late October). The Range is part of the U.S. Fee System and accepts Golden Passes and Federal Waterfowl Stamps. Pay fees at the Visitor Center.

The Range is closed at night. Check the Contact Us page for current hours.

Camping is not allowed on the Range.

Visitor Center

The best place to start your visit is at the Visitor Center. Here you will find informative displays and handouts, restrooms, videos, a bookstore, and staff to answer your questions. Pay entrance fees here. For more information about the Bison Range and other activities in northwest Montana, consider purchasing a copy of the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide.

Auto Tours

Prairie Drive/West Loop: a 5-mile gravel road that travels through the flats. It is open to trailers and large RVs. It goes by the Bison Display Pasture. Plan for 1/2 hour. Open year round.

Red Sleep Mountain Drive: a 19-mile, one-way, gravel road which gains 2,000feet. There are many switchbacks and 10% grades along the drive. No trailers or vehicles over 32 feet are allowed on this drive. Allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Open mid-May to late October. (Check the Contact Us page for current information.)

Walking Trails: Hiking is limited on the Range to a few short walking trails. A mile-long Nature Trail is located at the Picnic Area and 1/4-mile Grassland Trail is at the Visitor Center. The 1/2-mile Bitterroot Trail and 1-mile High Point trail are both located off the Red Sleep Mountain Drive. Walking away from your vehicle is prohibited except for these designated trails. For a complete listing of trails around Flathead Lake, see the Go Hike With Mike Trail guide.

Picnic Area

The Range has a picnic area near Mission Creek. There are tables, grills, water, and accessible toilets. A covered pavilion is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no garbage cans, so please pack out all trash.

How to get here:

From Missoula: Travel north on US Highway 93 to Ravalli, turn left(to the west) on to State Highway 200, travel approximately 5 miles to the junction of Highways 200 and 212, turn right(to the north) and travel approximately 5 miles to the entrance of the Range at Moiese.

From Kalispell: Travel south on US Highway 93 or State Highway 35 to Polson, then travel Highway 93 through Pablo and Ronan to the junction of Highway 93 and State Highway 212, travel 12 miles (through Charlo) to the entrance of the Range at Moiese.

From the west: Travel Highway 200 through Dixon to the junction of Highways 200 and 212, turn left(to the north) and travel approximately 5 miles to the entrance of the Range at Moiese.

Glacier National Park History.

In 1910, Congress established Glacier National Park in Montana. Conservationist George Bird Grinnell played a key role in the creation of this park in order to preserve the land’s natural beauty. Indians have always revered this region. The Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai Indians, who have lived in the area for hundreds of years, consider it a sacred place.

Glacier National Park is named for the glaciers that produced its landscape. A glacier is a moving mass of snow and ice. It forms when more snow falls each winter than melts in the summer. The snow accumulates and presses the layers below it into ice. The bottom layer of ice becomes flexible and therefore allows the glacier to move. As it moves, a glacier picks up rock and gravel. With this mixture of debris, it scours and sculptures the land it moves across. This is how, over thousands of years, Glacier National Park got all its valleys, sharp mountain peaks, and lakes. There are more than 50 glaciers in the park today, though they are smaller than the huge ones that existed 20,000 years ago.

In addition to its glaciers, mountains, and valleys, Glacier National Park covers approximately 1.4 million acres and includes 200 lakes and streams. The park is also home to many different types of wildlife, including black and grizzly bear, moose, golden and bald eagle, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and whitetail and mule deer.

Glacier National Park is a stunningly beautiful ice-carved terrain of serrated ridges, jutting peaks, dramatic hanging valleys, 50 glaciers, more than 200 lakes, waterfalls and thick forests covering some 1.2-million acres. Deer are among the most commonly spotted wildlife but elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly and black bears roam its wild vastness and are often seen by visitors.

Goat Lick overlook, for example, is a natural salt lick on cliffs overlooking the southern border of the park. From a viewing platform just off US Highway 2 east of Essex you are sure to see mountain goats or other animals at any time of day enjoying the lick.

Wild flowers, too, are abundant and put on a lengthy show of color as they follow spring up the mountains all summer long.

The park is unique among US parks in its relationship with the Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. The two parks meet at the border shared by the two countries. Though administered by separate countries, the parks are cooperatively managed in recognition that wild plants and animals ignore political boundaries and claim the natural and cultural resources on both sides of the border. In 1932, the parks were designated the first International Peace Park in recognition of the bonds of peace and friendship between the two nations. The two parks jointly share the name The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Then, in 1995, The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was designated for inclusion as a World Heritage Site.

Camping and Hiking around Flathead Lake.

There are many state and private places for camping around Flathead Lake. On the east shore you will enjoy sunsets across Flathead Lake every evening as the weather cools. As the scenic route, Highway 35 is also the road less traveled along the east shore. If you decide to take this route, please have patience as the road is posted at 50 miles per hour.

There are 13 public camping access sites around Flathead Lake that are maintained by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. In addition, this vacation booklet contains information about each and every public campground around Flathead Lake. It also contains most every private campground around Flathead Lake. So it doesn’t matter if you are looking for public or private campgrounds for camping around Flathead Lake, this vacation booklet has the information you will need to plan your Montana vacation.

Flathead Lake State Parks

Big Arm State Park on Flathead Lake ~ Big Arm Montana
Big Arm State Park is a 217 acre state park providing camping, hiking trails, boat launch, restrooms with showers offering camping opportunities from May through September and limited services camping available through mid-November. While a Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal fishing license is required for fishing at this state park.
Finley PointState Park
Finley Point State Park is a 28 acre park offering 18 campsites and 16 boat slips that can accommodate boats up to 25 feet long
Wayfarers StatePark ~ Bigfork Montana
Wayfarers Park is a 67 acre state park that provides users with camping, restrooms and showers, trailer dump, and boat launch facilities. Therefore, the campground maintains 27 with several tent sites located next to The Lake for visitors arriving by boat, and one ADA approved campsite. In addition, next to the park is Harry Horn Day Use area. Wayfarers is open year-round with limited services and is available May through September offering full services.
Yellow Bay
Yellow Bay State Park is a public camping and fishing access site Yellow Bay is located on the Flathead Indian Reservation, so you will need a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe fishing license to enjoy fishing here.

West Shore of Flathead Lake

West Shore StatePark
With 31 sites and 7 reserved for tent camping, The West Shore State Park is a 129 acre state park. In addition, the park offers vault toilets, grills/fire rings, firewood, picnic tables, bear resistant storage locker, trash cans, drinking water and interpretive displays. Although the shoreline is rocky the views of Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountain Range is impressive.
Wild HorseIsland State Park on Flathead Lake
Wild Horse Island is one of the larger islands on Flathead Lake. Also, it is a primitive 2,100 acre State Park that is only accessible by boat. Furthermore wildlife on the island includes osprey, bald eagles, deer, big horn sheep, and wild horses. The island is for day use only and maintains about 4 miles of trails.The perimeter of the island contains Private property. Please do not trespass on private property. One of the better public access points in on the north side of the island, Skeeko Bay. It’s in a cove, has a gravel beach and easy access to trail-head. This park resides within the boundaries of the Flathead Nation. Therefore a license from Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe is required for fishing.

How to Purchase The Ultimate Flathead Lake Vacation Guide.

At $6.99 the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide costs less then a Subway® sandwich you can buy in Bigfork or Polson and will insure you have the information you need so you have a Great Montana Lake Vacation.

Camping around Flathead Lake — Flathead Lake Vacation Guide

Click Here to Purchase your downloadable guide.

For easy download. So spend less time wondering what to do and more time doing it!

Purchase your downloadable guide using our safe and secure Pay-Pal option.

If you Need more information

Finally, if you have any questions about The Flathead Lake Vacation Guide, including advertising options and affiliate programs send us an email to : vacation@MontanasFlatheadLake.com

Purchase your Vacation Guide Here $6.99.