Things To Do
Glacier National Park
Getting into Glacier NP can be a little tricky but it’s worth it! You can enter the park prior to the timed entry (before 7:00am) – but you are required to have a park pass ($35 entry pass), which can be purchased through Recreation.gov. If you want to drive the ‘Going to the Sun’ road to Logan Pass you need to plan ahead. You will purchase a Going-to-the Sun corridor pass for $2 (in addition to the park pass) which allows you to drive to Logan Pass between 7am–3pm. This period has a timed entry where each segment is a 2-hour window. For example–a timed entry block of 9am – 11am means you need to begin your drive on the Going to the Sun Road to Logan pass during that window. These passes become available ~30 days prior to your selected date and we would recommend setting an alert to be logged in early to buy the passes because they have a tendency to sell out as soon as they are available. BE ADVISED – most parking lots are full by 9 am and traffic congestion is heavy so GO EARLY!
Whitefish Mountain Resort (Big Mountain)
A variety of activities including – Zip line, Alpine Slides, Aerial Adventure Park, Scenic Lift Ride, Mountain Biking, and Hiking (which includes picking huckleberries along the trail). Package combination deals are also available. Our favorites are the zip line ($89-2025 price) and the alpine slides (price varies depending on the rides you purchase; price starts at $13). Bike rentals are available at the resort (prices starting at full day - $57 or 2-hour rental $42). The website opens for summer activity reservations around May 1st, so visit their website for pricing, package bundles, and to making reservations; https://skiwhitefish.com/
Montana Hiking
Our recommended hikes in the valley are below but you can also find all sorts of hikes on the "All Trails" app. Make sure to check difficulty levels and pick what's best!! GNP - Hidden Lake (iconic), Avalanche Lake, Trail of the Cedars, Iceberg Lake. Stanton Lake – head east on Hwy 2 towards Glacier National Park but don’t turn off to the park stay on Hwy 2 until you reach the Stanton Creek Lodge Jewel Basin – beautiful hiking area on the Swan Range (mountain range that defines the east side of the Flathead Valley) – mostly moderate to difficult day hikes; the views are amazing and if you want to do one of the more challenging ones to the peak, you'll probably run into some mountain goats (babies included). Visit the Flathead National Forest website for maps to purchase - https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/maps-guides Whitefish Trails – on the westside of Whitefish; check the website for downloadable maps, access maps, and additional information https://www.whitefishlegacy.org/
Watercraft Rentals
There's various lakes to rent boats for but we recommend either Whitefish Lake (smaller, smoother water) or Flathead Lake (think Tahoe if you've been there). We've provided some options below but there are more businesses providing watercraft rental options which can be found via the internet. The Lodge at Whitefish Lake has a variety of watercraft options for rent - https://lodgeatwhitefishlake.com/marina Sea Me Paddle - https://www.tourglacier.com/whitefish-lake-state-park-rentals Whitefish Outfitters - https://whitefishoutfitters.com/ Flathead Wild Wave Rentals on Flathead Lake, located in Lakeside - https://wildwaverentals.com/
Glacier National Park Boating and Whitewater Rafting
Boat Rentals inside the park; visit the following websites for information https://www.glacierparkboats.com/tours-rentals/lake-mcdonald#rental-1 Apgar Boat Rentals – located in Apgar Village; boats rented on a first come, first served basis; mixed reviews on-line White Water Rafting - www.glacierparkcollection.com/activities/glacier-raft-co/
Huckleberry Picking
Go huckleberry picking with the groom’s mom (Karen; don't let social media influence you, she's a sweet Karen) at one of her favorite spots close to the continental divide. After the containers are full, you’ll be treated to huckleberry ice cream at the Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse.
Horseback Riding/Adventures
Bar W Ranch just west of Whitefish - https://thebarw.com/ Horseback rides in Glacier National Park - https://www.swanmountainglacier.com/ Bigfork (Justin's hometown) - https://www.flatheadlakelodge.com/
ATV, UTV, Side-by-Side Rentals
If you’d like something with a little more speed and to kick up some dust you can explore ATV options. Glacier Ridge Runners in Hungry Horse - https://glacierridgerunners.com/ NW Montana Adventure is west of Whitefish. They offer rentals of UTVs and boats - https://northwestmontanaadventure.com/summer
Restaurants/Breweries/Bars in Whitefish
Black Star - https://www.blackstarmt.com/ Great Northern - https://drinkgnb.com/ Craggy Range - https://www.thecraggyrange.com/