Things To Do
Yellow Bay
Located 15 minutes north on Hwy 35, Many Springs Resort is available and offers two bedroom condo units on the water and a discount is included when you mention our wedding under the name Stephenson. It has outdoor dining and serves nightly only.
Bigfork
This village is located 30 minutes north from Finley Point with scenic views along the lake. Bigfork Cottages is a very nice venue to stay, but may not be available during peak season. Pocketstone Café is great for breakfast or lunch. There are a number of quaint stores, cafes and a summer playhouse theatre in this charming village.
Polson
Polson is 15 minutes from The Barn wedding venue on Finley Point. The Red Lion Inn is available for lodging and offers our wedding discount, MacKenzie River Pizza is in the building as well for convenience. Durham Bar and Grill on Lakeshore Hwy 93 downtown has great street tacos and burgers. Glacier Brewing has a beer tasting room. Cherries BBQ (open for lunch only-outdoor seating). The Shoe restaurant is a steakhouse with live music some nights. Polson has a Safeway, Walmart and Super-One for groceries.Other restaurants include Finley Point Grill and South Shore Smokehouse just minutes away from the Barn wedding venue. We recommend checking out Polson Boat Rentals to get the full Flathead Lake experience! https://www.polsonboatrentals.com/
Whitefish
Firebrand Hotel is located downtown, within walking distance to Herb and Omni, an excellent but expensive restaurant, also walking distance to Latitude 48 Bistro, Crepe Café, breweries-Blackstar, Sunrift and Jeremiah Johnson. Whitefish offers more shopping and cafes than BigFork and certainly is a nice day trip. Just north of town is The Lodge at Whitefish on Whitefish Lake which offers nice views and amenities. Travel up the mountain road to Whitefish Lake Resort and enjoy the beautiful views, zip lining, hiking and chairlift rides.
Missoula
If you fly in or out of Missoula you have a lot of lodging options available but the Residence Inn downtown is a good option as you can walk everywhere from this location. The Inn is a newer building and next door to The Camino, upscale Mexican eatery, and 1889 steakhouse restaurant, both are good choices. The Plonk martini bar/restaurant is a few blocks away and is a fun stop. Missoula has 10 microbrews, several distilleries, a Carousel in Caras park, many outdoor cafes and shops to enjoy. Hiking is popular and is very accessible and if you have time, hike to the “M” which is a moderate level hike with phenomenal views. If you want to walk/bike ride the Milwaukee Road Trail it follows along the Clark Fork River and goes down to the UM campus.
Big Sky
Big Sky Resort is between Bozeman and Yellowstone, there are nice hotels and restaurants. You can get a good low season rate at the Summit Hotel, there are zip lines, a pool, take the chairlift up the mountain, mountain bikes, lots of fun for the family!
Glacier National Park
Please visit the Glacier National Park website for up-to-date information, as roads may be unexpectedly closed. 90 minutes to the West Entrance. Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main corridor of travel through the park from West to East. Lake MacDonald Lodge is near the west entrance and offers beautiful vistas. The GTS drive is two hours without stops and gives you a good overview of both sides of the park and is breathtakingly beautiful. Logan Pass is at the Continental Divide, which is halfway and is a good rest stop with great hiking. We recommend leaving the park at the St. Mary’s exit and driving to the Many Glacier Hotel/Park entrance on the east side. On your way to Babb is the Two Sisters restaurant and the Cattle Baron’s steakhouse. They are on the Blackfoot reservation so a little rustic but good food.
Glacier National Park Pt. II
When booking lodging at GNP we recommend the following site: www.glaciernationalparklodging.com We highly recommend staying at the Many Glacier Hotel for at least one night, this venue offers the best views in the park with fabulous hikes at this trailhead. You can take the Glacier Boat which tours two lakes with a 10 minute walk between. Our favorite hike is to Grinnell Glacier, offering glorious views but also if wanting to do a leisurely hike the lakes are a beautiful walk with possible moose and grizzly sightings. Taking the boat will shorten your hiking time to Grinnell Glacier as well but tickets should be purchased weeks ahead of time.
Yellowstone National Park
This drive is 7 hours from Finely Point but is close to Bozeman as an option to fly out going home. The park is massive and should allow two days to tour it. Old Faithful Geyser is one of the highlights and erupts every 45 minutes. The historic Old Faithful Inn is a famous log hotel next to the geyser, and is a treasure if you can get a reservation. Another option is to stay at the Lake Hotel which has plenty of rooms and may be more affordable. Eat at the hotel restaurant (nothing else is around). The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone has many lookouts on either side and is a must see. The park has a lot of wildlife to view - Bison are everywhere and possibly elk herds in the pastures.
Grand Teton National Park & Jackson Wyoming
You can drive south out of Yellowstone and travel to Jackson Hole which takes 1.5 hrs and has many fine hotels and restaurants, - Snake River Grill is a fave. The whitewater rafting on the Snake River is a great experience as well. Teton Park is not very big, you generally park at Jenny lake and hike around the area - 1-2 miles. The Tetons are craggy with jagged peaks and are a sight to behold.
Wild Horse Island
Old growth Ponderosa pine forest, incredible trails and wildlife viewing opportunities abound on the largest island in Flathead Lake. If you’re lucky you will see the handful of wild horses that still inhabit this park, which is only accessible by boat.
Jewel Basin Hiking
The Jewel Basin is located east of Kalispell and west of the Hungry Horse Reservoir at the north end of the Swan Mountain Range. The Basin is 15,349 acres including 27 lakes and 35 miles of trails. Camp Misery is the main trailhead for the Jewel Basin Hiking Area, which is considered as a favorite spot among Bigfork locals. Described as a day hiker’s paradise, Montana’s Jewel Basin is an outstanding choice if you’re looking to get even farther away from it all and experience the high mountain area popular for backpacking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. Located in the Swan Range, above the eastside of the Flathead Valley – the spectacular views look into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the southwest portions of Glacier National Park. Hikes range from easy to demanding, depending on the route you choose, however all trails involve some elevation gain.
Mount Aeneas Hiking
Check out this 6.0-mile out-and-back trail near Bigfork, Montana. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. This is a popular trail for hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The Mount Aeneas Trail meanders through a subalpine spruce woodland before breaking into breathtaking views of the region's floral fields, mountains, and lakes. There are steep switchbacks on the trail. Jewel Basin will come into view as you approach the crest. Eventually, the trail continues along the ridgeline. When you reach the summit, you will be rewarded with breathtaking 360-degree views of Glacier National Park, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Flathead Valley, and the glittering Hungry Horse Reservoir waters. Mountain goats are frequently sighted close to the peak, so watch out for them.
Whitewater Rafting
We recommend Alberton Gorge which is one hour west of Missoula-there are a number of companies-they shuttle your car so you have it when you get done. Another popular rafting experience is in West Glacier on the Flathead River.
Horseback Riding
The Cheff Ranch is 30 minutes to the south off of Hwy 93-they offer two hour and all day rides.
Flyfishing
We recommend a guide, they will take you in a drift boat, teach you how to cast and provide equipment. Bigfork Anglers/BigFork is closest, you go on the Flathead river to the north. Missoula has several fly shops/ fishing guides as well. Prices range from $200-$500 per person and reservations are highly recommended.
Golfing
Experience Montana golf the way you imagine it should be… the way it is at Polson Bay Golf Course. Open to the public since 1938 and a Flathead Valley favorite for decades, its twenty-seven breathtaking holes boast spectacular lake and mountain views and comprise the only golf course with fairways adjacent to the shores of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.