Whitefish
Whitefish is a small town in the northern Flathead Valley of northwest Montana, on the southern end of Whitefish Lake. Whitefish Mountain Resort north of town offers excellent skiing, and Glacier National Park to the east is a major hiking and camping destination.
Understand
[edit]
Whitefish was founded in 1905 as a stopover for the Great Northern Railroad. Traditional industries in Whitefish have included logging, ranching, and farming. The population was about 8,300 in 2019.
- Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, 307 Spokane Ave, Ste. #103, ☏ +1 406 862-3501, visit@whitefishchamber.org. M-F 9AM-5PM.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]Whitefish is on U.S. Route 93 (US-93).
From the south, take Exit 96 on Interstate 90 near Missoula and head north on US-93.
From Calgary, the fastest route is to go southwest on the Crowsnest Highway 3, passing through Fernie. Continue south on Hwy 3 until it crosses with US-93. Take that south through the Roosville border crossing and the town of Eureka until hitting Whitefish. Driving time is about 5 hours.
From Regina, take the Trans-Canada Hwy 1 west to Calgary and then follow the route explained above, which would take about 12-13 hours. Another way is to take Hwy 6 south to Plentywood, and take Hwy 16 south to Culbertson. Take US-2 west through Glasgow and Havre until eventually hitting Whitefish. This takes about 13 hours.
By plane
[edit]For commercial flights, the nearest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA IATA), roughly 11.5 mi (18.5 km) southeast of town on US-2 towards Kalispell. There is no public transportation available from the airport into town. It's either by rental car, taxi or ride sharing.
There's a small general aviation airport close to town:
- 1 Whitefish Airport (FAA LID: 58S) (east side of town, along Armory Rd). A small airfield for public general aviation use. The airport is .
By bus
[edit]- Airport Shuttle Express, ☏ +1 403 509-4799. Scheduled bus & shuttle services between Kalispell, Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and the Calgary Airport as well as local sightseeing tours for group charters.
- 2 Flathead Transit, (Bus stop) Whitefish Amtrak Station @ 500 Depot St (Bus stop in front of the train station), ☏ +1 406 675-2700 x1352, +1 406 275-8700. Bus operated by the Confederated Salish & Kootnai Tribes with the help of Montana D.O.T. and in partnership with Greyhound Lines (as booking agent) for travel up to Whitefish through Avaro, Arlee, Ravalli, St Ignatius, Pablo, Paulson, Lakeside and Kalispell along US Hwy 93. Passengers transfer to Jefferson Lines in Missoula to get to additional destinations. $31 one way.
By train
[edit]- 3 Whitefish Station, 500 Depot St (near downtown). Built in a Tudor Revival style, it is the busiest station in Montana.
- Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States. The Empire Builder operates daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.
Get around
[edit]
Walking, driving, or biking are ways to get around Whitefish.
By bus
[edit]- Big Mountain Commercial Association's SNOW Bus and Glacier Park Express, ☏ +1 406 253-9192. The Big Mountain Commercial Association is a non-profit public trade association that raises funds to pay for common services and programs. These include funding for the SNOW bus, Glacier Park Express, Big Mountain Road winter maintenance, the Big Mountain Summer & Spring Brewfest, and the Winter Winefest.
- Flathead County Eagle Transit (Mountain Climber), ☏ +1 406 758-5728. M-F 7AM-6PM (check schedules). Local buses between Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish and in-town shuttle within Whitefish and Kalispell. $1 per ride.
See
[edit]
- 1 Whitefish Lake (NW corner of town, walking distance to downtown). There is a state park and city beach on the shores. It is roughly 3300 acres and popular in summer for boating. There are public access boat launches, with a small marina at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The Lodge also rents boats and jet skis.
- Stumptown Historical Museum, 500 Depot St (at the Amtrak Station), ☏ +1 406-862-0067. Winter: M-Tu, Th-F 11AM-2PM; 11AM-3PM. Historical museum operated by Stumptown Historical Society. Learn about the logging and railroad industry and the impacts they had on Flathead Valley. Free.
Do
[edit]- 1 Whitefish Lake Golf Club, 1200 US Highway 93 (west of the city, on the lake).
- 2 Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark.
- 3 Smith Lake Disc Golf Course, 3655 E Lakeshore Dr, contact@smithlakediscgolf.com. May 1 - Oct 31. A huge 27 hole course. Major wind damage in 2021 has mostly been repaired but some upper holes are rough and missing signage. You will go into the gorgeous real wilderness on this course so: pack-in pack-out, be bear aware, bring snacks and water.
- 4 Whitefish Mountain Resort (Big Mountain), 1015 Glades Dr, ☏ +1 406 862-2900, info@skiwhitefish.com. In the winter, offers a wide variety of Skiing and snowboarding terrain, from moguls to powder to bunny hills. In the summer, there's golfing, hiking, biking, and ziplines.
- Hiking and Biking: Glacier National Park has 735 miles (1180 km) of trails for day-hiking and multi-day backpacking adventures.
- Fishing: Fly fishing is the choice in and around Whitefish. Close to the Flathead River, trout fishing is ample during summer and fall. There are two fly shops in Whitefish. There are many lakes in the area that support fishing, though rivers are better.
- Boating: Water sports form kayaking down the lazy flowing Whitefish River to water skiing across Whitefish Lake can be enjoyed. Boats can be rented from local business.
Buy
[edit]The downtown area has many family-run stores. In the southern part are larger chain stores such as Safeway.
- 1 Whitefish Mountain Center, 6475 U.S. 93 S. A small shopping mall, which includes a Super 1 supermarket and a cinema.
The commercial area south of the city in Kalispell on Highway 93 has all the national big-box chains you need.
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]Fast food options in Whitefish include McDonald's, Taco John's, Wendy's, and Dairy Freeze.
Mid-range
[edit]All of these options are in or within walking distance of the downtown area.
- 1 McKenzie River Pizza, 9 Central Ave. Gourmet pizza and pastas.
- 2 Mambo Italian, 234 E Second St. Italian.
- 3 Loula's Cafe, 300 2nd St E. A breakfast option.
- 4 Buffalo Cafe, 514 3rd St E. A breakfast option.
Splurge
[edit]- The Boat Club (inside The Lodge at Whitefish Lake). Offers a standard selection of entrees.
- 5 Tupelo Grille, 17 Central Ave. Has a Cajun-themed menu.
- Whitefish Lake Restaurant (at the golf course). Offers a standard selection of entrees.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Bonsai Brewing Project, 549 Wisconsin Ave, ☏ +1 406 730-1717, bonsaibrew@gmail.com. Tu-Su noon-8PM, closed M. Small batch ales. Kitchen with made from scratch comfort food, menu changes seasonally.
- 2 Bulldog Saloon, 144 Central Ave. Daily 11AM-2AM, grill closes at 10PM. Full bar with handmade burgers and other bar food. 15 TVs for all sporting events.
- 3 The Great Northern Bar and Grill, 27 Central Ave (corner of 1st and Central Ave), ☏ +1 406 862-2816. Two full bars and a kitchen (consisting of burgers/sandwiches mostly). An outdoor deck is provided to allow for smoking, which is prohibited inside the bar. Live music three times a week, pool tables, shuffleboard and ping pong provide the entertainment. Usually is the busiest bar in town.
- 4 Palace Bar, 125 Central Ave (across the street from the Remington), ☏ +1 406 862-2428. A small bar. A popular hangout for locals and those looking to escape the throngs, The Palace maintains a good crowd throughout the week.
- 5 Remington Bar and Casino, 130 Central Ave (two doors down from The Bulldog). Containing two full bars, it has two poker tables, shuffleboard and three pool tables. It also has the only dartboard (electronic) in town.
Sleep
[edit]There are many lodging options available in and around Whitefish. They range from four star luxury, to budget, to vacation homes and condominiums.
Mid-range
[edit]- 1 Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge, 6510 Highway 93 South (1 mile south of downtown), ☏ +1 406-862-2569. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge offers rooms with king or queen sized beds. Suites-featuring a fire place, hot tub, and wet bar- are also available. This pet-friendly hotel has specially designated rooms available for guests who wish to travel with their dogs and/or cats.
Splurge
[edit]- 2 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, 1380 Wisconsin Ave. The Lodge is a full-service resort. There is an outdoor pool and hot tub, full service day spa, concierge service, marina and private beach. The Boat Club restaurant is fine dining and there is also a full service bar, both offer spectacular views of the lake.
- 3 Grouse Mountain Lodge, 2 Fairway Dr (3 miles west of downtown, across from Whitefish Lake Golf Club). An indoor pool, driving range, tennis courts, and sauna highlight the amenities. They also provide a free shuttle service to downtown. Dining at the resort ranges from casual to formal.
Go next
[edit]- Glacier National Park: Many backpackers and adventurers use Whitefish as a staging point for expeditions into the park. 27 miles (43 km) east along US-2 to West Glacier.
- Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse Dam: Visit one of the largest concrete dams in the U.S. 20 miles east.
- Flathead Lake to the south past Kalispell is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi and features many opportunities for water sports and boating.
- Flathead National Forest: Over 2000 miles of trails, lakes, campgrounds, and ski areas. 16 miles east.
| Routes through Whitefish |
| Spokane ← Libby ← | W  E |
→ West Glacier → Minot |
| Cranbrook ← Eureka ← | N  S |
→ Kalispell → Missoula |
| END ← | W  E |
→ Columbia Falls → END |