Visiting Whitefish, Montana in the Winter | All the things to do and places to visit on your next winter vacation
Winter in Whitefish, MT is truly an ideal winter vacation destination
Winter season may not be peak season in Northern Montana but there is plenty to do if you are planning a winter vacation. Sure, thousands of people flock to Northern Montana in the Spring, Summer and Fall to explore all that Glacier National Park has to offer. After all it’s gorgeous mountains, endless trails, glistening lakes and camping spots are some of the country’s best but as we experienced this February, Montana has a lot to offer in the Winter too.
This blog post will share all our favorite finds as we spent five days in the charming city of Whitefish, MT and will give you suggestions of things to do in Whitefish in the winter.
Whether you are traveling with kids, teens or adult friends, there is so much to do in Whitefish, Montana in the winter. Let’s just say after our recent visit we have fallen in love with Whitefish and think you will too!
Note about links. In case you are new here, my mission in my blog is two-fold, to inspire you to travel to new places and to support small business in everything I share. As a former small business owner, I know how much word of mouth helps keep the doors open. All my links are from personal experience, we personally paid for everything and I do not get paid to share this information. There is absolutely nothing wrong with affiliate links but I wanted you to know that the suggestions I share come from our positive experiences and are shared with the hope that you will consider visiting these local businesses too.
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A little bit about Whitefish, MT before you go
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I’m a big fan of small airports. They are easy to navigate, less crowded and you don’t have to get there 2+ hours early to ensure you make your flight. Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, MT is no exception to that rule. To get to Whitefish, you will want to fly into Kalispell, likely from a connecting flight. As you fly in, you’ll see incredible views of the surrounding mountain ranges covered in snow and which will make you eager to start exploring.
Smaller airports do have one downfall, they tend to be a bit more expensive (you’re paying for convenience, after all!) but my friend Janice from Gather and Go Travel created an entire blog post about finding affordable airfare. Check out her blog post for many helpful tips & search suggestions!
Click this image to head to Gather and Go Travel’s blog post.
Winter weather in Montana is as you would expect—cold but it’s not so bone-chilling that you can’t bear to be outside. Keep in mind, we are coming from Georgia and not at all accustomed to cold weather so that’s saying a lot. Average highs in the winter months are about 37º between November and February and the averages lows are in the twenties. Compared to places like Minneapolis, that is mild!
Further down you’ll find my list of suggested items to pack and a travel hack for cutting down on the winter essentials.
Views of Whitefish Mountain Resort from downtown Whitefish, MT
What makes winter in Whitefish so special?
Located in the northern Rocky Mountains, Whitefish is home to about 8000 people. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, Whitefish is about 35 miles from Glacier National Park. Whitefish is a town that embraces a year-round love for the outdoors, is all things small business and has an evident love of good food and good beer.
Whitefish, MT is a friendly town that welcomes visitors and as long as you are there for the outdoor adventures and support of the locals, you will be greeted with smiles and friendly hellos. This causal, down-to-earth town is an idyllic place to visit in the winter.
Snow-capped peaks, frozen lakes and decorated city streets give Whitefish the quintessential winter postcard vibe.
The most popular destination in winter in Whitefish: Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Skiing was our main focus for a winter trip this year and after some research we landed on Whitefish, Montana.
Let’s start this off by stating that we are not avid or experienced skiers so we like resorts that are smaller and less crowded.
We also knew that considering our short amount of time, we didn’t have extra days to acclimate to higher altitudes and for all those reasons combined, Whitefish was the perfect choice.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is located about 15 minutes north of downtown Whitefish (8 miles in distance). An easy drive, even in the snow. It’s a main route and they plow it regularly when it’s snowing.
Skiing in Whitefish Mountain Resort
The resort is open for skiing from early December to early April, 8:30am to 5pm daily. Be sure to check the website for snow reports and closure updates. Their Instagram page @skiwhitefish is also a great place to get current updates.
The trails are groomed daily and they are very informative about snow updates and run availability. You can sign up for text updates, check the website or socials for constant updates.
For a full review of our time at Whitefish Mountain Resort and helpful information to plan your trip, be sure to read my blog post with all the details.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is a perfect snow destination for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities.
So much to do in winter in Whitefish beyond skiing, though it will likely involve snow!
Photo Credit: Alain Bonnardeaux/Unsplash. @bonnarda
We spent most of our days skiing and dining but we did research a few other options in case we tired of skiing early.
We left our final day in Montana open to go to Glacier National Park because it has been a dream of mine to go for years. I share more below about the visiting the park in the winter.
This list of winter activities in Whitefish remains on our wishlist for our next visit. We didn’t have enough time to check them out ourselves because we were having too much fun skiing.
There are so many ways to enjoy winter in Whitefish, so check out the list below for a variety of ideas for all ages and abilities!
Dog Sled Adventures in Montana. We came so close to doing this but our lack of planning is what got us in the end. Getting hold of the owner can be a bit challenging so if this is high on your list, my advice is to book in advance to ensure you have a reservation before arriving in town.
Snowmobiling is a popular activity in this area and that is in large part because Northern Montana has the perfect terrain for it. There are quite a few options for snowmobiling outfitters. These are the ones we were looking into but again, we did not book a snowmobile adventure on this trip—we just ran out of time.
Northwest Mountain Adventure or Whitefish Marine-Snowmobile Whitefish. Both are less than 30 minutes from Whitefish and offer year round tours and rentals (in case you come to Whitefish in a different season).
Fat Tire Biking is a fast growing winter activity and it sounds like a lot of fun especially considering most know how to ride a bike. This link will give you some trail and rental suggestions.
If cross-country skiing is more your style, be sure to check out Glacier Nordic Club for trails, gear, lessons and more.
Snowshoeing is truly an activity for all levels. If you can walk, you can snowshoe and around Whitefish there are many areas to explore. There are two uphill trails at Whitefish Mountain Resort open to snowshoers. It’s essentially the only way you can get around Glacier National Park in the winter (more on that below). For all the places to go and not go, check out this article by explorewhitefish.com. The official site of Whitefish Montana.
Have you ever dreamed of taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy trails of Montana? Well, if you have, head over to Bar W Guest Ranch to reserve your spot. Bring your camera because you might get the most quintessential winter picture ever!
If you are REALLY adventurous, you can go ice climbing in Montana.
Indoor ice skating is always an option at the Stumptown Ice Den. Their calendar will list times for free skate opportunities. A great way to wear out little kids or try your hand at your long lost ice skating skills.
When you are not playing in the snow, there is plenty to explore in Downtown Whitefish in the winter.
As you know, I love all things small business so when I started walking around Whitefish, I was instantly in heaven…not a chain or big box store in sight!!
Local artisans, makers, restaurants, cafes and boutiques line the streets of Whitefish. Mom and Pop shops, independent store owners are all hustling and coming together to create a vibe that is uniquely Montana. Down-to-earth, creative, approachable and unique is how I would describe downtown Whitefish.
A few of our favorites were…
Abruzzo Italian Restaurant (reservations are suggested!)
The Tap House for local beers and good bar food
Loula’s Cafe for breakfast and pies
Central Ave Bakery and Deli for great breakfast sandwiches
Dinner reservations are STRONGLY encouraged. Most restaurants are small and not all save tables for walk-ins.
Our favorite Italian restaurant in downtown Whitefish, MT
Be sure to take time to wander the sidewalks, browse stores, learn from the locals and grab a few souvenirs that you will really use. At night, the city lights up with lights and festive decorations strewn from sidewalk to sidewalk—it’s so cheerful and inviting.
Montana is known for its great craft breweries and there are plenty to choose from in and around town but do be aware of the strict Montana laws for breweries. For breweries that have on-premise sales in Montana, they must stop serving by 8pm and can only serve each patron a maximum of 48 ounces per day, which means no more than 4 beers per person. Thankfully you can find many local beers available at local pubs and restaurants around town if you want to stay out past 8pm.
Due to recent times, a few have closed, hopefully some only temporary, so be sure to check websites before you go. Our favorite was just outside of town, on our way to Glacier National Park. Backslope Brewing in Columbia Falls. Their beers were so good, food was a wide array of cuisines and they even offered fresh baked desserts and cookies—something for everyone!
This was our view from our Penthouse condo in downtown Whitefish!
So many places to stay during your winter visit to Whitefish, Montana.
On this trip we decided to stay in town so we could ski by day and explore Whitefish by night.
We stayed at the Heaven’s Peak Penthouse rented by Glacier Getaways. You can also find the listing on AirBnB but you’ll save on fees if you book direct. Jamie was our manager and she was amazing to work with. Responsive, helpful and she had the unit ready for us when we arrived.
We loved this unit; it had plenty of room for the four of us, was spotless and had amazing views of Whitefish Mountain Resort.
If downtown life is your style, definitely check out this unit using the link above.
Glacier Getaways offers many options for a stay in Whitefish. They also have ski-in, ski-out units, mountain cabins and more. Click here for a for a complete list of their available units.
If you prefer more of the classic hotel/spa or mountain lodge stay, popular places in town are as follows:
Winter views of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
Visiting Glacier National Park in the winter.
For first time visitors to the Park, Winter may not be your ideal time to visit but if you are like me and have been dying to see this park in person, you’ll go, even if you can’t see everything you’d hope to see.
In the winter months, most of the roads around the park are closed, only the main roads are open and they are slow going. There are plenty of spots to pull over and take in some views, though they are not as spectacular as deeper inside the park. If you want to see more, you have to strap on a pair of snowshoes.
We entered the park through the West Entrance and drove along Going-to-the-Sun Road for about 2 miles. It took about 20 minutes to reach the end point where the road is closed. There you can get out, walk around the McDonald Lake Lodge and get some views of the peaks surrounding Lake McDonald and walk along the bridges over the babbling brook in the snow. There are also restrooms at this point and a place to park to snowshoe. There are accessible trails directly off the road.
Trails that are great for snowshoeing in Glacier National Park are Lower McDonald Creek (2-3 Miles), Rocky Point (6 miles roundtrip) and Apgar Lookout (10.5 miles round trip) and there are a few more if you are wanting a longer trek.
Follow this link for more information about snowshoeing in Glacier National Park, including a downloadable brochure from the National Park Service.
There are plenty of places in town to rent snowshoes before you go to the Park…
Be sure to check Glacier National Park’s website for updates on road closures. Snow and closures come quickly and often!
Peak season for the park runs from late May through September but be sure to check the website for more information because Glacier has gone to reservation visits. Here’s a helpful link for information on the new ticket system.
If you are wanting a great lunch or cold beer on your way back from the park, be sure to stop by Backslope Brewing in Columbia Falls. This was our favorite spot for lunch on our whole trip!
Teens skiing in Whitefish Mountain Resort, Whitefish, MT
Tips for packing for a trip to Whitefish in the winter.
If you are like us, snow gear isn’t in your closet. We barely need a heavy coat in Georgia, so we don’t have snow gear and since we bought it last time, the kids outgrew it all.
One of the reasons we hesitate about winter ski trips is the cost of buying all new gear every time we go. Well, that all changed this year when I discovered Kit Lender thanks to someone I follow on Instagram. It’s a gamechanger!
Thanks to Kit Lender, we rented ski jackets, pants, goggles, gloves and boots for everyone. Their website is easy to use and you pick your “outfit” based on style or color preference and then proceed to choose between brands and sizes.
A few tips; order early, order quickly and double check size guides before you place your order. We took a few days to make final decisions and by the time we went back, a few sets were unavailable so we had to choose again. There are plenty to choose from but if you have your heart set on something, act fast.
Click here for my full review of our Kit Lender Experience.
Here is a quick packing list, including a few essentials we were happy to have:
Long johns-one pair each was enough for 3 days of skiing.
Fleece buffs for our necks
Sunglasses (that snow is bright!)
Lip balm
Sunscreen
Hand warmers (always good to have on super cold days)
Wool Socks (get the long ones so they don’t scrunch in your boots)
Pack & wear layers. Some days we were burning up, some days we were cold! I bought a thin wool shirt from Smartwool and wore it regularly, it was the perfect weight for skiing or nighttime walking around.
Whitefish is a ski town, so no dressy clothes are needed. Casual clothes were worn by all, everywhere we went.
Fleece lined leggings were a great item for walking around town or had we been snowshoeing.
Bring shoes/casual boots that have treads, are slip resistant and/or are waterproof or resistant—the sidewalks can be covered in snow, ice or puddles depending on the days weather.
We rented our ski equipment (skis, helmets & poles) from Tamarack Ski Shop on our way to town. In my blog post about Whitefish Mountain Resort, you will find more information on our experience with the store. We loved the convenience of getting our gear before getting to the resort and avoiding the long lines. We didn’t price compare the options so I can’t speak to that but the places I listed for snowshoe rental also rent ski and snowboard gear in case you want to price compare. Be sure to check store hours too!
Views from the slopes of Whitefish Mountain Resort
Final thoughts about our winter trip to Whitefish, MT
While we haven’t been skiing often and only have Deer Valley, UT to compare it to, we all felt that Whitefish was the perfect place for us. The casual vibe, the manageable resort and small town feel of Whitefish was exactly our style. We are novice skiers at best and places with large crowds and long lines would make us more uncertain & nervous.
Here in Whitefish, the slopes were not crowded, everyone was helpful and friendly and we really enjoyed our time in town. As you likely know, we travel with two teens and this trip, we actually were joined by my daughter’s boyfriend and his family for a few days in the trip. Whitefish is the perfect place for teens! It’s small and walkable, which gives them freedom to walk around town, grabbing ice cream or shopping on their own.
On the slopes, they went off on their own and we felt safe with them doing so—between cell phones in pockets (remind them to charge them!) and knowing there were ambassadors skiing around, we knew they were safe. Teens love a little space from parents and they could definitely find it in Whitefish and the worry-factor stays low for parents!
Other than the pricier flight, we loved the convenience of the airport to town and town to resort, for us a more expensive flight was worth it for short car rides and walking distance to everything from our rental.
We would absolutely visit Whitefish again and are very intrigued to visit in the Spring, Summer and/or Fall.
If Whitefish intrigues you and flights are outside your budget, don’t forget to check out my friend Janice’s blog on ways to find budget-friendly flights. Her post will help with this trip and all the others you have planned this year!
As always, if you have any questions, never hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.
Celebrate Winter, Explore Whitefish!
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