Kalispell Travel Guide : Attractions

Duck Pond in Woodland Park in Kalispell, Montana

Kalispell, Montana, as mentioned, mainly serves as a very popular gateway to Glacier National Park. However, Kalispell also has many attractions that bring people here as well.

Kalispell sits just 9 miles north of Flathead Lake. For those who aren’t familiar with Flathead Lake, it is the largest body of freshwater found west of the Continental Divide. Flathead Lake use to have excellent fishing for salmon. Unfortunately, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks experiment went a bit awry and killed all the salmon in the 1970’s. As such, Flathead Lake has reverted over to a quality Lake Trout fishery – in a very scenic setting.

If lakes aren’t your thing but hiking is, then you’re in luck since the Jewel Basin Hiking Area is a quick and dirty 45 minute to reach. Excellent hiking trails are found up in the Jewel Basin, all of which provide some stunning views of the mountains the Flathead Valley itself. The trails are also fairly easy to hike as well, as the trailhead starts up at a high elevation.

If you don’t feel like hiking, you can always head north 15 miles to the town of Whitefish. From there, it’s another 7 miles to the base of Big Mountain Ski Area. You can either ski there (during the winter) or hop on their gondola during the summer for what is probably one of the finest views of Glacier National Park anywhere.

Kalispell itself has a reasonably good city park system. While it's a far cry from the extensive park network found in Great Falls or even Whitefish, both Lawrence Park and Woodland Park are quite nice. Thus, if you need a place for a picnic, you at least have a nice place to go. Just beware of the tame ducks at Woodland Park - they have been known to mug anyone with food that happens to cross their path!

Kalispell Weather

The Old Depot in Kalispell

The weather in Kalispell, Montana, is not nearly as wild as is found elsewhere in Montana. In many ways, Kalispell is a banana belt of sorts. The high mountains of the continental divide to the east prevent most (but not all) of the cold air that hits Great Falls from reaching Kalispell during the winter. Thus, when it’s like 20 below in Great Falls, it will commonly be around 20 above in Kalispell. Similarly, the mountains around Kalispell tend to keep things a bit cooler in the valley during the summer than will be found elsewhere in Montana.

Summer weather is, quite simply, excellent. Beginning in July and lasting through September, the weather is generally sunny, with high’s in the 70’s and 80’s, with the occasional 90+ day thrown in for variety. However, the rest of the year, Kalispell tends to suffer from lots of cloudy, overcast days. The clouds keep the temperature warm, but also keep the days cooler than they would otherwise be. The clouds also have a way of wearing on peoples nerves at times, too.

As a side note, it is worth mentioning that June weather can be hit and miss. June is the wettest month in Kalispell, and the precipitation isn’t always in the form of rain – particularly in the mountains. Highs will range from 40 degrees up to 90 degrees, with no rhyme or reason in the patterns. Thus, be careful planning a trip here in June, as the weather can be just about anything.

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