Overview
Whitefish is a small town in the northern Flathead Valley of northwest Montana, on the southern end of Whitefish Lake. Whitefish Mountain Resort north of town offers excellent skiing, and Glacier National Park to the east is a major hiking and camping destination.
2 sights · 4 things to do · 7 places to eat · 5 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Whitefish
Whitefish Lake
There is a state park and city beach on the shores. It is roughly 3300 acres and popular in summer for boating. There are public access boat launches, with a small marina at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The Lodge also re…
Whitefish Mountain Resort
In the winter, offers a wide variety of Skiing and snowboarding terrain, from moguls to powder to bunny hills. In the summer, there's golfing, hiking, biking, and ziplines.
Stumptown Historical Museum
Historical museum operated by Stumptown Historical Society. Learn about the logging and railroad industry and the impacts they had on Flathead Valley.
Whitefish Lake Golf Club
Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark
Smith Lake Disc Golf Course
A huge 27 hole course. Major wind damage in 2021 has mostly been repaired but some upper holes are rough and missing signage. You will go into the gorgeous real wilderness on this course so: pack-in pack-out, be bear awa…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Superior)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- FCA Glacier Park International Airport, Kalispell — 8 mi away. Directions
- MSO Missoula Montana Airport, Missoula — 104 mi away. Directions
- GEG Spokane International Airport, Spokane — 158 mi away (major hub). Directions
Whitefish is on U.S. Route 93 (US-93).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Whitefish Lake Golf Club, Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark
- Lunch McKenzie River Pizza
- Afternoon Whitefish Mountain Resort, Whitefish Lake
- Dinner Tupelo Grille
- Evening Bonsai Brewing Project
Day 2
- Morning Smith Lake Disc Golf Course
- Lunch Mambo Italian
- Afternoon Stumptown Historical Museum
- Dinner Loula's Cafe
- Evening The Great Northern Bar and Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Fast food options in Whitefish include McDonald's, Taco John's, Wendy's, and Dairy Freeze.
All of these options are in or within walking distance of the downtown area.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Whitefish was founded in 1905 as a stopover for the Great Northern Railroad. Traditional industries in Whitefish have included logging, ranching, and farming. The population was about 8,300 in 2019.
Get in
By car
Whitefish is on U.S. Route 93 (US-93).
From the south, take Exit 96 on Interstate 90 near Missoula and head north on US-93.
From Calgary, the fastest route is to go southwest on the Crowsnest Highway 3, passing through Fernie. Continue south on Hwy 3 until it crosses with US-93. Take that south through the Roosville border crossing and the town of Eureka until hitting Whitefish. Driving time is about 5 hours.
From Regina, take the Trans-Canada Hwy 1 west to Calgary and then follow the route explained above, which would take about 12-13 hours. Another way is to take Hwy 6 south to Plentywood, and take Hwy 16 south to Culbertson. Take US-2 west through Glasgow and Havre until eventually hitting Whitefish. This takes about 13 hours.
By plane
For commercial flights, the nearest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), roughly 11.5 mi southeast of town on US-2 towards Kalispell. There is no public transportation available from the airport into town. It's either by rental car, taxi or ride sharing.
There's a small general aviation airport close to town:
By bus
Go Flathead Transit
Bus operated by the Confederated Salish & Kootnai Tribes with the help of Montana D.O.T. and in partnership with Greyhound Lines (as booking agent) for travel up to Whitefish through Avaro, Arlee, Ravalli, St Ignatius, Pablo, Paulson, Lakeside and Kalispell along US Hwy 93. Passengers transfer to Jefferson Lines in Missoula to get to additional destinations.
By train
- The Empire Builder operates daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.
Get around
Walking, driving, or biking are ways to get around Whitefish.
By bus
Go Big Mountain Commercial Association's SNOW Bus and Glacier Park Express
The Big Mountain Commercial Association is a non-profit public trade association that raises funds to pay for common services and programs. These include funding for the SNOW bus, Glacier Park Express, Big Mountain Road winter maintenance, the Big Mountain Summer & Spring Brewfest, and the Winter Winefest.
See
See Whitefish Lake
There is a state park and city beach on the shores. It is roughly 3300 acres and popular in summer for boating. There are public access boat launches, with a small marina at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The Lodge also rents boats and jet skis.
Do
Do Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark
- Hiking and Biking: Glacier National Park has 735 miles (1180 km) of trails for day-hiking and multi-day backpacking adventures.
- Fishing: Fly fishing is the choice in and around Whitefish. Close to the Flathead River, trout fishing is ample during summer and fall. There are two fly shops in Whitefish. There are many lakes in the area that support fishing, though rivers are better.
- Boating: Water sports form kayaking down the lazy flowing Whitefish River to water skiing across Whitefish Lake can be enjoyed. Boats can be rented from local business.
Buy
The downtown area has many family-run stores. In the southern part are larger chain stores such as Safeway.
Shop Whitefish Mountain Center
A small shopping mall, which includes a Super 1 supermarket and a cinema.
The commercial area south of the city in Kalispell on Highway 93 has all the national big-box chains you need.
Eat
Budget
Fast food options in Whitefish include McDonald's, Taco John's, Wendy's, and Dairy Freeze.
Mid-range
All of these options are in or within walking distance of the downtown area.
Eat McKenzie River Pizza
Gourmet pizza and pastas.
Eat Loula's Cafe
A breakfast option.
Eat Buffalo Cafe
A breakfast option.
Splurge
Eat The Boat Club
Offers a standard selection of entrees.
Eat Tupelo Grille
Has a Cajun-themed menu.
Eat Whitefish Lake Restaurant
Offers a standard selection of entrees.
Drink
Drink Bonsai Brewing Project
Small batch ales. Kitchen with made from scratch comfort food, menu changes seasonally.
Drink Bulldog Saloon
Full bar with handmade burgers and other bar food. 15 TVs for all sporting events.
Drink The Great Northern Bar and Grill
Two full bars and a kitchen (consisting of burgers/sandwiches mostly). An outdoor deck is provided to allow for smoking, which is prohibited inside the bar. Live music three times a week, pool tables, shuffleboard and ping pong provide the entertainment. Usually is the busiest bar in town.
Drink Palace Bar
A small bar. A popular hangout for locals and those looking to escape the throngs, The Palace maintains a good crowd throughout the week.
Drink Remington Bar and Casino
Containing two full bars, it has two poker tables, shuffleboard and three pool tables. It also has the only dartboard (electronic) in town.
Sleep
There are many lodging options available in and around Whitefish. They range from four star luxury, to budget, to vacation homes and condominiums.
Mid-range
Stay Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge
The Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge offers rooms with king or queen sized beds. Suites-featuring a fire place, hot tub, and wet bar- are also available. This pet-friendly hotel has specially designated rooms available for guests who wish to travel with their dogs and/or cats.
Splurge
Stay The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
The Lodge is a full-service resort. There is an outdoor pool and hot tub, full service day spa, concierge service, marina and private beach. The Boat Club restaurant is fine dining and there is also a full service bar, both offer spectacular views of the lake.
Stay Grouse Mountain Lodge
An indoor pool, driving range, tennis courts, and sauna highlight the amenities. They also provide a free shuttle service to downtown. Dining at the resort ranges from casual to formal.
Go next
- Glacier National Park: Many backpackers and adventurers use Whitefish as a staging point for expeditions into the park. 27 miles (43 km) east along US-2 to West Glacier.
- Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse Dam: Visit one of the largest concrete dams in the U.S. 20 miles east.
- Flathead Lake to the south past Kalispell is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi and features many opportunities for water sports and boating.
- Flathead National Forest: Over 2000 miles of trails, lakes, campgrounds, and ski areas. 16 miles east.
Nearby
Columbia Falls
City / town · 13 listings · 7 mi away
Kalispell
City / town · 28 listings · 15 mi away
West Glacier
City / town · 22 listings · 18 mi away
Bigfork
City / town · 6 listings · 27 mi away
Glacier National Park
Park · 36 listings · 31 mi away
Eureka
City / town · 5 listings · 46 mi away
St. Mary
City / town · 4 listings · 47 mi away
Polson
City / town · 11 listings · 51 mi away
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