Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Home to the largest freshwater lake in the western United States, a mountain range that
will take your breath away, and the wide-open space of the National Bison Range, this part
of Montana truly is God's country. The Flathead Valley, home to such towns as Kalispell,
Whitefish, Polson, and Bigfork, is situated just west of the Continental Divide amid the
Swan, Mission, Salish, and Whitefish mountain ranges. The Mission Valley is south of Flat-
head Lake and the Flathead Valley, and includes the communities of St. Ignatius, Ronan,
and Hot Springs, all three of which are located on the Flathead Indian Reservation. All tiny,
with populations ranging from 553 in Hot Springs to 1,912 in Ronan, these are fascinating
places with rich histories, but not too many services. St. Ignatius is home to a remarkable
Catholic mission, built in 1854. Ronan was settled in 1883 and provides excellent access
into the Mission Mountain Wilderness Area, and the Ninepipe and Pablo National Wildlife
Refuge complex. Hot Springs was founded in 1910 around the natural mineral springs in
the area that still attract visitors today.
Between the wildlife refuges and the 1.3-million-acre Flathead Indian Reservation, the
area is of great significance, historically and today. Time spent in these valleys is often quiet
and contemplative; there are many opportunities to learn. Flathead Lake has created a va-
cation culture all its own, with luxe lodges, sprawling lakeside mases, and high-end shops
and eateries in and around Bigfork. There are endless recreational opportunities as well, in-
cluding hiking, boating, and soaking in hot springs. On the way to Glacier, these valleys
and their small but vibrant communities should not be overlooked.
The oldest town on the Flathead Reservation, and among the oldest settlements in the state,
St. Ignatius (population 842, elevation 2,939 feet) is the site of the St. Ignatius Mission,
built in 1854 by Jesuit priest Adrian Hoecken, who moved from Washington State to be
closer to the indigenous people he wanted to reach. The town grew quickly as nearly 1,000
Native Americans moved to be close to the mission, and in 1864 a group of nuns added
schools and a hospital to the settlement.
The building considered to be the oldest in the state, built in 1846, is located at Fort
Connah, just six miles north of St. Ignatius on U.S. Highway 93. It is all that remains of the
last trading post built in the United States by the Hudson's Bay Company. The post was in
operation until 1871.
