Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Atdusktheonlysoundyouarelikelytohearisthesplashofjumpingtroutandsalmon,
which reach record sizes in these protected mountain waters.
9.
Lone Pine State Park
A pretty state park with trails that wind through wildflower meadows and forest glens,
Lone Pine would be worth a stop even if it didn't offer some of the most arresting views in
FlatheadCountry.Fromthevisitorcenteralooptrailleadstothreecliffsidelookoutswhose
commanding perspective stretches from Kalispell to the jagged peaks of Glacier National
Park, serrating the horizon.
10.
Kalispell
SituatedongrasslandwithinsightofSwanPeakandtheWhitefishRange,thetownofKal-
ispell—from an Indian word for “prairie above the lake”—stands as a living monument to
theentrepreneurialspiritandgoodtimingofoneman,CharlesConrad.HisVirginiaplanta-
tionlostintheCivilWar,ConradheadedwesttoMontana,establishingasuccessfulfreight
operationinFortBenton.Intheprocessheamassedaconsiderablefortune,butrestlessness
got the better of him; on a tip from the head of the Great Northern Railroad, Conrad took a
chance and moved his enterprise to the Flathead Valley. When the railroad arrived in 1891,
Conrad was waiting, and Kalispell was born.
SincethosedaysKalispellhasservedasthenorthernFlatheadValley'sunofficialcapit-
al, a prosperous rail-and-river town with a busy commercial district and tree-lined residen-
tialneighborhoodswiththeproverbialwhite-picketfences.TheConradfamilymansion,on
Woodland Avenue, is the city's showpiece. An elegant Norman-style home with 23 rooms
decorated in period furnishings, it abuts a picturesque city park with rose gardens and a
duck pond, part of the original Conrad estate.
11.
Whitefish
Fifteen miles north of Kalispell, Whitefish is home to Montana's largest ski resort,
7,000-foot Whitefish Mountain. The peak lures visitors in the warm months too, when its
slopes are dressed with wildflowers and the views from up top stretch all the way from
Flathead Lake tosouthern Canada. Agondola will whiskyouswiftly tothe summit, oryou
can take a “Walk in the Treetops” at Big Mountain on platforms and paths 30-60 feet high,
in a canopy of fir, cedar, and tamarack. The Resort also offers a zipline, alpine slide and
mountain biking.
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