Flathead Attractions
Other than Glacier of course...
Outdoor Activities
Hungry Horse Reservoir
When the park is too busy, a nice drive along the reservoir is a nice way to spend the day. They have a couple of boat launches too. We kayak here when we want to get away from the crowds. There are a couple of islands you can explore too.
Desert Mountain
Right when you turn onto Glady’s Glen Road when you leave the tent, the mountain you see is Desert Mountain. You can drive all the way to the top of it via Forest Service Road in the Coram Experimental Forest.
Jewel Basin
We have never explored this area but there are raving reviews of the hikes there. It is about 45 minutes away in the Bigfork area. Head to Flathead Lake Brewing Co afterwards!
Whitefish Mountain Resort
Ride the Ski lift to the summit and grab a beer and a bite at the Summit House! Also, bring some bags/buckets and pick some huckleberries on the hike back down, or ride the ski lift both ways. They also have mountain bike rentals and trails.
Whitefish City Beach
A Montana beach with actual sand! The have SUP rentals and a dock you can jump off of!
The Tiki Bar at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Sure, this is more food and drink, but they also have boat rentals. Usually sold out so book ahead of time!
Area Info
Grocery Stores / Farmers Markets
Nearest grocery store is Canyon Foods in Hungry Horse. It is pretty small but it has all the essentials. If you are looking for more variety there is also Smith’s and Super 1 Foods in Columbia Falls.
Columbia Falls has a Farmer’s Market every Thursday. This is more of a community event then a farmer’s market with live bands, booze, and food trucks. They do have some fresh produce when in season. Whitefish also has a Farmer’s market on Tuesdays that is more traditional. Kalispell’s is on Saturdays.
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Restaurants
Our favorite restaurants are in Columbia Falls and Whitefish (30 mins away) but some good local ones are The Wandering Gringo Food Truck (summer only), Paul Bunyon Bar and Grill, and Great Bear Cafe in Hungry Horse. We go to Glacier Grill which is across highway 2 for burgers and pizza. It should be noted that Josh and I are NOT hard to please.
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Whitefish:
Craggy Range – American with some other flavors as well. Craggy Burger is amazing as well as their nachos.
Bulldog Saloon – Dive bar feel with amazing bar food. We have not ordered anything but the chicken breast sandwich because it is THAT good. People boast about the burgers and wings as well. Make sure to stop into the bathrooms for a potentially awkward surprise.
Mama Blancas – Latin food. Shrimp tacos and burrito bowls are good.
Buffalo Café – Breakfast and Lunch. Morning Glory Skillet is awesome.
Amazing Crepes – Breakfast. Darth Bacon is yummy.
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Columbia Falls
Gunsight Saloon – A great beer garden for a sunny day. Decent Food. Usually has live music. Check their website for the schedule.
Backslope Brewing – surprisingly we love the food more than the beer. The Sunshine burger is a HUGE veggie burger. The Bulgogi bowl and ginger pork bowl are also very good. Josh loves the bugers.
Backroom for BBQ dinner and Night Owl for Breakfast. We go to Nightowl on a weekly basis!
Sacred Eats within Sacred Waters Brewing - Yummy Poke Bowl!
Local Booze
Blackstar + Jeremiah Johnson Brewing – Whitefish
Bonsai Brewing – Whitefish
Glacier Distilling – Coram – About 1.5 mile walk from the tent.
Sacred Waters Brewing – By the airport. Great venue and good beer.
Events/Nightlife
Sometimes the Stonefly (across the street) will have summer concerts. Check out the Flathead Beacon newspaper (only digital now) and see what events are going on in the Valley. We have a couple of great local bands and more and more from out of town are coming to the valley. Most events/concerts will be in Whitefish.