During our week in Montana we stayed in Whitefish, which was the perfect spot for our week of activities around the area and visiting Glacier National Park. We did a lot of exploring of the downtown area and a few activities outside of the town. Parking is limited and can be hard to find, but Whitefish is a pretty small town and you can walk everywhere in the downtown area. We popped into a ton of different food and beverage establishments, but there were plenty we didn’t get to.
Here’s a link to my Google Maps list that has everything saved + a few additional placed I had my eye on but ran out of time to visit.
Where We Stayed:
I cashed in some of my Marriott points and we stayed at TownePlace Suites on the south edge of town. While it’s not a 5-star resort, it is a brand new hotel and checked all the boxes that we needed for that week. Pool, free parking, free breakfast and we were even able to borrow bear spray for free from the front desk. (You cannot fly with it – not even in a checked bagged so many people rent once they arrive in town or ask their hotel if they have any additional.) The hotel offers a shuttle into town (it’s a super quick 5 minute drive if you have a car) and the rooms have kitchenettes.
Our friends’ wedding was held at the Grouse Mountain Lodge (aka “The Lodge”) at the western edge of town and I think it only took us 10 minutes to drive there. Most of our friends stayed at The Lodge too, while others rented AirBnBs or stayed in a town over.
Where We Ate & Drank:
Breweries & Bars-
Kalispell Brewing Company (Kalispell): We stopped here for a couple beers after our first day of hiking in Glacier and really enjoyed the rooftop. They don’t serve food but you can bring some in from neighboring establishments.
Backslope Brewing (Columbia Falls): We actually stopped here twice during our trip. It was the first place we stop into after landing in MT and the last placed before heading to the airport. Their food is VERY good for a brewery.
Bonsai Brewing Project: This place has a great outdoor space. Almost our entire group met here after everyone got in mid-week. They have a small food menu, too.
Casey’s: We stopped in at Casey’s a couple times during our stay. We grabbed rooftop drinks a couple nights and discovered the second floor of the establishment turns into a night-club on the weekends. I recommend sticking with the rooftop 😉
Remington Casino Bar: This place is dive-y! We grabbed one drink from here (so cheap!) one night while waiting for a table at the connect Tex-Mex restaurant and then our entire friend’s group popped in later in the week. It’s fine if you’re looking for cheap drinks, people watching and pool.
Craggy Range Bar & Grille: We stopped in here once for a cocktail because Tim had heard about their smoked old fashion. It’s a pretty typical bar and grille and drinks were fine otherwise.
The Great Northern: We only had a few drinks here, but it was a fun bar with live music. Great patio area too.
Restaurants & Cafes:
Jalisco Cantina: Probably my favorite restaurant of our entire trip. The food and the margs were fantastic. We were able to snag a seats at the bar, but they also have a great fire pit area if you have to wait for a table.
Tupelo: This was another favorite restaurant. It was super busy the night we went but somehow snagged spots at the bar and were able to order food. I had the fried green tomatoes with crab appetizer as my meal and it was delicious.
Indah Sushi: We had dinner here with a group of friends on our last night in town and it was really good!
Loula’s Cafe: People raved about this breakfast place and it was good, but it was kind of like any other average breakfast cafe. Maybe I didn’t order the right thing? We never ordered pie, which they are known for, but I heard it was fantastic.
Wrap and Roll Cafe: The service here was slow, but I did enjoy my souvlaki salad.
Folklore Coffee: Cute little coffee shop with good coffee.
Le Marché: This coffee shop / boutique was SO cute. It had just opened right before we got there. The coffee was expensive, but I did enjoy it.
I had lunch one day at a cute cafe called Peerman’s Farmstead but it doesn’t look to be open anymore. Tim and I also had dinner at a Tex-Mex place called Mama Blanca’s and that whole experience was less than stellar.
Other Activities
Paddle board at City Beach: Myself and a few girls decided to spend a few hours at the town’s beach one afternoon while a large part of our group went rafting. We paddle boarded and then hung out on the grassy area afterwards. It was so relaxing and we all had a great time. I think we rented our SUP boards from Whitefish Outfitters & Tours. We checked in at a stand at City Beach and were given our SUP boards there.
Hiked Lion Mountain Trail: My friend Angie and I did this hike (more of a nature walk with some elevation). It was a nice 2.6 mile loop with a view at the top about halfway through. We parked at the trailhead. Do pay attention signs as it could be marked a bit better.
Hiked Danny On Trail + Gondola Ride Down Big Mountain: This was probably THE hardest hike we did that entire week. It was also one of my favorites. We started at the trailhead near the Chair 2 Express lift and headed out. We added the Flower Point loop and did just over 6 miles and climbed over 2,600 ft in elevation. It’s not that long of a hike, but the elevation is what makes it tough. Definitely pack snacks and water! The gondolas passed over us at several points which made us wonder why we didn’t ride up and hike down. We saw several small groups of people while on the Danny On Trail, but once we veered off onto the Flower Point loop we only saw maybe 5 people total. The first part of the Flower Point trail was very overgrown, so be sure to wear pants or long socks! The last tenth of a mile up to the summit was terrible – it felt like you were just going straight up. We enjoyed a beer at the Summit House Restaurant & Bar at the top. It was well deserved. We bought tickets and road a ski chair down, which we both really enjoyed. The views were awesome! (You could also opt to do a closed gondola instead.) We were able to catch some mountain bikers heading down the mountain while we were riding.
So that concludes my little Montana series! We had so much fun. Other than having to get up incredibly early for a few days, I don’t think I had any complaints. Our friends’ wedding and rehearsal was a blast. It was great to get away for a week sans kids and be with so many of our friends. I just hope we can make it back out there again.
—m.