A small town winter wonderland tucked away in the northwest corner of Montana, Whitefish is becoming more and more popular as a winter escape and for good reason.
With over 3,000 skiable acres Whitefish Mountain resort, or as locals call it “Big Mountain”, is the second largest ski resort in Montana. Skiing and snowboarding may be the main draw, but there is so much more the flathead valley has to offer. This blog is dedicated to all the wonderful, adventurous, and often delicious things there are to do in Whitefish and the surrounding area all winter long!
1. Ski/Snowboard Whitefish Mountain Resort. As one of the few privately owned resorts left in the country you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the price of lift tickets compared to other resorts out west. Big Mountain has over 100 runs up to 3.3 miles long and vast bowl and tree skiing available. Take a ride down the front side to enjoy expansive views of Flathead valley and Whitefish Lake. On a clear day you can see the peaks of Glacier National Park from the summit. Book a lesson, rent gear or bring your own and get acquainted with the mountain through free guided mountain tours that are offered daily from the summit. Tours start at 10:30am and 1:30pm and are a great way to find your perfect terrain with an ambassador who knows the mountain. No need to register, just show up and be comfortable riding Blue runs.
2. Go snowmobiling. There are so many great snowmobile trails near Whitefish and multiple outfits who rent them for self-guided tours or if you’ve never been you may opt for a guided tour. We always rent through Swan Mountain Snowmobiling in Columbia Falls. They are very organized and have drop offs at Canyon Creek and Dessert Mountain. Both locations have great views. Dessert Mountain has much less traffic, but the trails don’t have as many open areas to really play around with the sleds. On the Canyon Creek trails you can make your way to the Summit of Whitefish Mountain resort and stop in for a break/drink.
3. Visit Glacier National Park. Not many realize that Glacier National Park is actually open year round. Going-to-the-Sun road stays plowed from the West Entrance to Lake McDonald lodge. The road past the lodge is not plowed and used exclusively for cross-country skiers, snowshoers, or hikers. We recommend you try your hand at xc skiing. You can rent xc skis from Sportsman Ski Haus on your way to Glacier for $20/day (comes with boots and ski poles). After testing out the backcountry skiing Lake McDonald is a beautiful place to have a winter picnic. Lake McDonald Falls pictured below is 3.85 miles roundtrip from parking at the Lodge.
4. Go dog sledding. Just 20 miles north of Whitefish you can sit back and enjoy the winter scenery of Stillwater State Forest while being pulled by Alaskan Huskies. To make reservations call Jeff at 1-406-881-BARK (2275). He is best reached around 6pm MST. Or check out Butch and Sara Parr of Winter Woods Dog Sled Tours.
5. Explore charming downtown Whitefish. From lively bars to funky art shops to delicious restaurants Whitefish has something for everyone.
6. Go Ice fishing for a one-of-a-kind fishing experience on the many lakes in NW Montana. Howe’s Fishing offers guided ice fishing trips on beautiful Flathead Lake with all the necessary gear.
7. Go Ice Climbing. Dreaming of scaling a frozen waterfall, well Whitefish Vertical Adventures has you covered. Ice conditions are ever changing, but if the conditions are right during your visit you can spend a full or half day ascending inclined ice formations.
8. Go on a brewery tour or distillery tour. Big Sky Brews Cruise offers a few different tour options depending on the day of the week that include visiting multiple breweries, tastings, and behind the scenes look at the brewing process. One tour option even includes an hour at Hanks Hatchet throwing. The tours depart from downtown whitefish so you don’t have to worry about anyone driving.
9. Experience the true joy of a small mountain town at one of Whitefish’s annual events. Parades, polar plunges, fire dancers, live music, and barstool ski races are some of the few happenings you might be lucky enough to catch while visiting this lively mountain town. Check out https://www.whitefishchamber.org/events for upcoming events.
Where to Fly into: Glacier International Airport (FCA)
Where to stay: We recommend staying in the heart of downtown Whitefish. Park your car and walk everywhere including to the Free SNOW bus shuttle that will take you up to Whitefish Mountain Resort. These condos are the perfect location, just steps from Central Ave and have an attached garage for the easiest downtown parking. For a family friendly option closer to Glacier National Park and snow mobile adventures checkout this great cabin: https://www.airbnb.com/h/columbiamtncabin
https://airbnb.com/h/packersroost
Let us know if you have any questions – We’d love to help you plan your next vacation to Beautiful Whitefish, Montana!
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