The bright Montana sunshine shone through the windshield as my husband and I set out on a road trip around Flathead Lake. 160 miles of shoreline, seven state parks, and one notorious lake monster. We started at West Shore State Park. It’s off of Highway 93 just a few miles south of downtown Lakeside. It has a public boat launch, campsites, a beach, and easy to moderate hiking trails. It’s also close to eateries like Tamarack Brewery and Harbor Grill. We discovered Glacier Camp next door and were surprised to learn its trails connect with West Shore. Glacier Camp is a Presbyterian camp with 11 cabins, a summer camp, and a lodge open year-round to the public for events and lodging.
Leaving Glacier Camp, we headed to Big Arm State Park on the southwest shore. We entered the long, curvy entrance with sweeping lawns and trees along the water’s edge. Big Arm has 217 acres with 39 campsites, three yurts, a boat launch, hiking, and picnic tables. The park is on the Flathead Indian reservation, so you’ll need a tribal permit to fish. The most unique state park is Wild Horse Island. We explored it last summer by pontoon boat, but you can rent from Big Arm Boat Rentals or kayak. Hiking there, we saw five wild horses, bighorn sheep, and lots of deer.
From Big Arm, we drove to Polson for hamburgers at Sportspage Bowl Grill and caught the end of the Kentucky Derby. We continued to Finley Point State Park, 12 miles north of Polson on a peninsula. Finley Point is a heavily wooded park with campsites, a boat launch, and a beach. The road into the park was lined with cherry orchards, vineyards, farms, and gorgeous homes. Although Finley Point Grill was closed while we were exploring, it is a favorite with locals.
Our next stop was Yellow Bay State Park. Though it is a small, tent-only campground, it is in the heart of the Flathead’s sweet cherry orchards, making it a perfect launching point for U-pick cherries.
Perhaps the most popular of the Flathead Lake state parks is Wayfarers, with its dramatic cliffs and family-friendly camping. Like all of the state parks, it is open for swimming and paddleboarding. Burgertime, which will likely have lines wrapping around the building, and Rosa’s Pizza are right outside the park.
Lastly, we visited Somers Beach State Park, the newest addition to the state parks around the lake. We discovered a mom’s group where children played safely in the shallow shoreline. Next door is the Flathead Waterfowl Production Area, which is closed seasonally to protect nesting birds from March 1 through July 15. After your beach day, visit Cowboy Up for BBQ, Mountain Café for smoothies, or Somers Bay Café for donuts and coffee. Whatever you choose, it’s sure to be a sweet ending to a road trip that highlights Flathead Lake’s many unique flavors.
160 miles of shoreline, seven state parks, and one notorious lake monster.