outside the park - mostly...

Polebridge – Bowman Lake , Kintla Lake

Bowman and Kintla Lake are in the park but access is from the Northfork Road - north of Polebridge, MT.  Check out this link for a fellow traveler's views and thoughts...

 http://lynnsroadtrip.homestead.com/Polebridge.html

Ok – it looks less than stellar as far as a destination but it is a fooler of the “grand dimension” sort! The Polebridge Mercantile houses an absolutely WONDERFUL bakery – it is famous here – pastries, breads, sandwiches and other just fun general store stuff plus it is the grocery for Polebridge. The Northern Lights Café/Saloon – yep, it is nothing to look at but a 4-star meal is prepared – if you are ok with an outhouse for a day/evening and dining at a rustic picnic table – this is the place. In July and August it does not get full dark until 9ish so if you have dinner/supper 6-7 you can get back to “civilization” before full dark.

The Northfork Road does "leave the pavement" - about 6 miles of dusty, bumpy gravel road.  It is not a 4wd road but your car will be dirty.

Park entrances to Bowman and Kintla lake are north of Polebridge – roads to the lakes are nearly 4wd roads – bumpy and rocky track and takes 1 to 1.5 hours to go the 15-18 miles to the lakes. But worth it – lovely lakes, great kayak/canoe spot as the lakes are long and narrow – mountains in the background.

Whitefish, Montana  

Whitefish – not in the park - is home to Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort.  http://www.bigmtn.com/

Whitefish itself is interesting – lots of changes since I've been here (13 years), but still – nice shops, great restaurants and Big Mountain is open in the summer providing hiking, horseback riding, wagon rides, gondola rides to the top of the mountain, mountain biking – maybe more! – check their site with the link above. At any rate, access to views and the mountain in many ways –whether by your own steam, some sort of wheels/hoofs or complete automation!

Whitefish RV Park - this place is behind the “Cheap Sleep Hotel”… however the Cheap Sleep is better than it sounds – kind of a Holiday Inn type Hotel – very clean and neat. The RV park is nicely treed with wide sites – gravel pads and grassy “yards” and wide asphalt road access – I saw 40 footers here – I would call if you are bigger than that but I felt that this park was truly “Big Rig” friendly and it says 66 foot sites. It is flat and level!!! – quiet. The Whitefish KOA is pretty but KOA-busy, narrow sites, narrow roads – NOT level and more traffic noise than Whitefish RV Park. Whitefish RV Park is walking distance to a City Brew Coffee and maybe a mile from downtown Whitefish. Big Mountain Road is 4 miles and then a 5 mile drive up the mountain to Big Mountain Village .

Local Eats - ya know - those "hole-in-the-wall" places where you wouldn't stop unless someone told you - I'm tellin' ya!

Phyggs Deli - on Hwy 2 - west side just past the A&W - south of West Glacier - subs and home made soups

Montana Coffee Traders - Hwy 40, Columbia Falls - good breakfast and lunch, pastries and oh, yes - coffee - locally roasted

The Back Room  - Hwy 40 west of Coffee Traders - BBQ RIBS!!! - Montana beef!

Belton Chalet - West Glacier - historic lodge - bar and restaurant - just northeast of the West Glacier entrance.

click on this email link to send any questions:  Summers816