This Is The Friendliest Small Town In Montana
Whitefish runs a music scene that does not match the size of the town. The Whitefish Songwriter Festival pulls in writers behind hits for Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood. Whitefish Mountain Resort has drawn skiers since 1947. The Whitefish Lake Restaurant sits in a 1937 log clubhouse and the Great Northern Bar has poured drinks since 1919. It's easy to see why Whitefish has a reputation as the friendliest small town in Montana.
Feel The Rhythm
Music fans will not want to miss the annual Whitefish Songwriter Festival, a three-day fall event that brings hit songwriters to venues across downtown Whitefish. The festival programs original work from writers behind songs recorded by major artists including Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Rascal Flatts, with dozens of shows taking place over the weekend. Performers mingle with guests in downtown bars, restaurants, theaters, and music venues between sets, which keeps the event closer to a long musicians' weekend than a stadium show.
Another major music gathering is Under the Big Sky Festival, a three-day July event that brings country, Americana, roots, and folk artists to Big Mtn Ranch in Whitefish. From its location in the heart of the Flathead Valley, festivalgoers get views toward Glacier National Park, wide-open fields, and the surrounding peaks. Beyond the music, the festival runs rodeo events, food and drink vendors, and a ranch-party feel that lasts well past dark.
Wildin' Out
Whitefish Mountain Resort is the town's main draw in winter. With 3,000 acres of skiing terrain and 11 lifts, skiers and snowboarders have been making the trip up Big Mountain since 1947. The resort runs through summer too, with scenic lift rides, alpine slides, and zipline tours.
Beyond the mountain itself, the 47-mile Whitefish Trail runs hikers, bikers, walkers, and runners through varied views of mountains, trees, lakes, and the surrounding landscape. Fifteen trailheads spread access points across the system. The Big Mountain Trailhead, located near Whitefish Mountain Resort, is open year-round and connects to a groomed Nordic trail network for cross-country skiing in winter.
Take the Reservoir Trail to Valley Overlook for views of Blacktail Mountain, or the Skyles Connection to the Whitefish Trail for views of Big Mountain. Whitefish Lake itself is best accessed for boating, swimming, fishing, camping, and beach time at Whitefish Lake State Park, where the mature woodland gives way to beachfront access and secluded campsites. The state park, sitting at 3,012 feet, also handles paddleboarding, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
Dining Out
Beyond music and adventure, Whitefish runs a strong dining and nightlife stretch. Start with dinner at the Whitefish Lake Restaurant, located in the log clubhouse completed in 1937 at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. The restaurant sits beside a 36-hole golf complex built with timbers from the surrounding forests, and the dining room runs under crisscrossed ceiling beams that match the lodge architecture.
For another taste of Whitefish, head to Buchanan's Chop House and Whisky Bar, the Whitefish outpost of a Calgary restaurant founded in 1988. At its Kandahar Lodge location on Big Mountain Road, Buchanan's serves Alberta beef, house-made pastas, soups, sauces, fresh fish, wines, and a long whisky list.
Some establishments are built out of consumer want, others out of necessity. With the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in Whitefish, a local tavern became a gathering place for railroad passengers and workers. Since 1919, the Great Northern Bar has served as a local watering hole. The bar still stands today, with a band room, pool room, and beer garden eventually added. Sometimes referred to as a foreclosure museum because of its collection of signs from defunct businesses, the décor is one of the bar's highlights. Among the rescued signs is "Mom's Hall of Fame," a relic from a former business across the street where customers once paid to induct their mothers and visitors were charged admission.
Head out west and enjoy the Western spirit in the small town of Whitefish. With a focus on community, adventure, solitude, and music, Whitefish provides a wide range of activities for visitors of all backgrounds and interests. At the base of Big Mountain and on the shores of Whitefish Lake, the town's mix of festivals, mountain access, and long-running watering holes is what gives it the friendliest-small-town reputation in Montana.
