Things to Do in Northwest Montana

Visiting Montana.

Visiting Montana. We provide information and content for folks who are visiting Montana. Thank you for visiting our site. Many years back the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide was written to provide tourist with the information they needed while visiting Montana.

This Vacation Guide contains most every public access point around The Lake. Public and private fishing and camping areas. So if you are looking for public or private campgrounds around our Lake, this vacation guide has the information you will need to plan your Montana vacation. See what is included, and Read the booklet Table of Contents.

Since that time we have created many websites and informational guides to assist visitors on what to see, and what to do.

Visit Montana’s Flathead Lake Website to purchase your guide today. montanasflatheadlake.com . Montana’s Flathead Lake Vacations are better with our downloadable guide. The guide includes restaurants, hotels, motels, vacation rentals, boat rentals, water craft rentals as well as public and private campgrounds. It is the most complete vacation information about Flathead Lake. Purchase your copy today!

At $4.99 the Booklet 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 Flathead Lake Vacation. Purchase your booklet using our Pay-Pal option knowing your information is safe and secure and we will see you on the Lake!

For easy download, the vacation guide booklet is available for your tablet or smart phone. So spend less time wondering what to do and more time doing it!

Here is a list of some topics covered in the Flathead Lake Vacation Guide.

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

Mission Mountains Wilderness.

Mission Mountains Wilderness
Located in the Flathead National Forest in Montana.

The Mission Mountains Wilderness is on the Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest in northwestern Montana. The Forest Service manages it as part of the National Forest System. Officially classified as Wilderness on January 4, 1975, the 73,877 acre area is managed in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Mission Mountains run along the east shore of Montana’s Flathead Lake.

When to Visit – Most people visit the wilderness between July 1 and October 1. Snow-filled passes and high streams make earlier travel difficult and hazardous. High lakes do not open up until early or mid-June.

June is normally a wet month. Snow still covers high, shaded basins and surrounds trees.

July, August, and early September are dry months. Daytime temperatures are the 80-90 degree range. Showers are frequent. Nights are very cool. Snow occur at any time. Heavy snow generally occurs in late October and early November.

If you are a skier or winter camper, late February through May provide the best snow conditions and longer days. When planning an extended backcountry trip, be informed of potential avalanche conditions.

Trails – There are about 45 miles of maintained Forest Service system trails in the Mission Mountains. Most trails are better suited to hiking than horseback riding because of rugged terrain.

Travel is primarily by foot with some horseback use. Mountain bikes, hang gliders, motorized trail bikes, motorcycles, three and four wheelers, and snowmobiles are not permitted. Few of the trails can be called easy. Some are especially difficult because of steepness. You should be an experienced hiker to travel cross country and should possess map reading and compass skills.

Throughout the Mission Mountains you will find old Indian and packer trails. These are usually steep and difficult to follow. They are suitable for only the most experienced horse users or backpackers.

Access Points – The major access points into the Mission Mountains Wilderness from the Swan Valley: Glacier Creek, Cold Lakes, Piper Creek, Fatty Creek, and Beaver Creek. Other access points from the Swan Valley include Lindbergh Lake (south end trail reached by boat), Jim Lakes, Hemlock Creek, Meadow Lake, and Elk Point.

There are also three major access points from the Salish & Kootenai Indian Reservation side of the Mission Mountains. Access through tribal lands requires a permit. These permits may be purchased at major sporting goods stores in Missoula and the Mission Valley or through the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Recreation Department in Pablo, Montana, phone (406) 675-2700.

A major portion of the Mission Mountains is suitable for backpacking only. Travel is strenuous, but it has many advantages: independence and self-sufficiency, opportunities for solitude, and you’re more carefree when backpacking.

DAY HIKES: The Mission Mountains has several hikes ranging from 1 1/4 miles to 6 miles (one way) which can be completed in a day. You will carry less on your back and travel more easily.

BACKPACKING: Backpacking requires careful planning. Proper equipment, with maximum utility and minimum weight, will make the trip easier. The most important items will be your pack, sleeping bag, and foot gear. Take only what you need. A pack that is too heavy can spoil your trip. A pack without adequate food, clothing and shelter can be equally disappointing and unpleasant.

The Go Hike With Mike trail guide contains most every trailhead along the Swan front of the Mission Mountains.

Looking west at Flathead Lake from Yellowbay State Park.

Montana’s Flathead Lake.

Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. Lying in the Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana, the lake is more then 300 feet deep and extends north and south some 28 miles and is seven to 15 miles wide.

As you drive and drive on the roads that hug Flathead Lake’s shoreline, (US Highway 93 on the west and Montana Route 35 on the east) it’s hard to believe manmade dams that are so common in the Pacific Northwest didn’t create it. Rather, the lake is a fortuitous product of the activity of ice-age glaciers, and is fed by the Swan and Flathead Rivers.

All manner of water sports are enjoyed upon its 200 square miles of surface. Several state parks and lakeshore communities have boat launches and marinas on the Lake.

You can avail yourself of a boat tour or rent one of the many types of watercraft including canoes, kayaks, windsurfers, hydro bikes, sailing and fishing boats. Serious anglers can arm themselves with heavy-duty equipment and probe the 300-foot deep Flathead Lake for trophy Mackinaw. Lake trout, salmon, perch, pike, bass, and whitefish are found in the Flathead area’s many lakes.

Locals know summer has arrived when a steady stream of traffic starts to build on the secondary roads. So in peak season expect to share your enjoyment of the Flathead Valley with many others, although the mountains still offer room to get-away if you are willing to exert yourself.

Purchase the: Go Hike With Mike Trail Guide, The Flathead Lake Vacation Guide, or the Vacation and Trail Guide Combo Pack

Pablo Wildlife Refuge.

Pablo Wildlife Refuge is located on tribal trust lands of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. It is superimposed on the irrigation reservoir managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Flathead Irrigation Project.

Pablo Wildlife Refuge is 2,500 acres of water, marsh, and upland grassland. The refuge provides nesting and resting areas for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Shaped by glacial activity approximately 12,000 years ago, the terrain surrounding Pablo NWR is rolling and interspersed with many pothole wetlands.

Visitor Opportunities

Fishing is permitted on Pablo NWR in accordance with applicable State, Federal, and Tribal regulations. Yellow perch and largemouth bass are caught at Pablo NWR. Ice fishing is permitted after the waterfowl hunting season has ended and the refuge reopens.

Photography and wildlife observation are encouraged. Waterfowl numbers vary throughout the year. There may be as many as 80,000 in October and November, and half that number in late March and through early May. A few ducks and geese may spend the winter. Nesting begins in late March and lasts through July. The most numerous nesting species are Canada geese, mallards, and redheads. Pintail, American widgeon, shoveler, blue and green-winged teal, ruddy duck, gadwall, common merganser, and coot are also present. Other species of water, marsh, and upland birds are abundant from May to October. Common loons are occasionally seen and this is a good area to see Bald Eagles.

Common mammals on these refuges are the field mouse or meadow vole, muskrat, and striped skunk. Mink, badgers, and porcupines have also been observed.

Management Programs

Although water levels are controlled primarily for irrigation and flood control, the Fish and Wildlife Service works closely with the Flathead Irrigation Project to insure that water levels are properly maintained to accommodate nesting waterfowl. A portion of the refuge is closed each spring to minimize disturbance in nesting areas, and the refuge is closed entirely during the hunting season. There is an active Bald Eagle nest on the Refuge which regularly fledge one to two young per year. In 1996, a release of 19 trumpeter swans was conducted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks and the USFWS with the hope of re-establishing a breeding flock in the valley.

Efforts to improve wildlife habitat over the years have included planting food and cover crops for upland game birds, the construction of nesting islands for waterfowl, and prescribed burning to enhance brooding areas and provide browse for Canada geese. Biological, chemical and mechanical methods are used to control some species of non-native plants which have begun encroaching on the refuge. Aerial surveys are conducted periodically to monitor waterfowl numbers and nesting success.

The refuge is closed to hunting. Adjoining State-owned lands are managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks for wildlife cover, food production, and public hunting. These lands are open to hunting on a first-come-first served basis for waterfowl and pheasant shooting. The closure of Pablo NWR enhances the quality of hunting in the Flathead Valley.

Directions

Pablo National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 75 miles north of Missoula and 3 miles south of Polson. Turn west on Reservoir Road 3 miles south of Polson. Traveling west for 1-1/2 miles will bring you to the kiosk for Pablo NWR. The dike road is open for travel during daylight hours through the summer. There are several county roads bordering the Refuge.

The National 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.

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 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 $4.99 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

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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

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Hiking in Montana

Hiking Trails in Montana

The GoHikeWithMike.com website contains information about camping & hiking around Flathead Lake. Mike has been hiking, wandering, hunting and spending time in these woods for more then 20 years. The Go Hike with Mike Trail Guide contains most every trail head around Flathead Lake. The guide includes trails as far north as Polebridge. It also contains the Hungry Horse recreation area, the Swan Front and Swan Valley to the east. To the north the guide contains trail head and campground information around Tally Lake.

Hiking Around Flathead Lake

Mike receives countless inquires about good trails and camping spots around Flathead Lake. There is clearly a need for more detailed information about hiking around Flathead Lake. This website and trail guide are the trails Mike would like to recommend to you during your visit to northwest Montana.

The trail guide is focused on trails, camping and being in the woods. Mike’s Flathead Lake Trail Guide breaks the area in five easy to use sections. North of Flathead lake, including The Talley Lake area and due north to Polebridge. East of Flathead Lake, including the Swan Front, Swan Valley, and on into the Hungry Horse recreation area. West of Flathead Lake, including Blacktail Mountain and the Kootenai National Forest. The guide contains most every trail Mike has hiked in the last 20 years or plans to hike in the next 20 years.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY.

Don’t need the hiking guide, just some basic trail information, do not fret. Mike has included some beginner to medium hikes on this website. Depending on were you as staying there is most likely a trail head near you. Thanks for visiting, hope to see you on the trail.

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