Montana's Up-And-Coming Wine Region Centers Around One Of The Largest Natural Lakes In America

In Northwest Montana, beautiful Flathead Valley hugs the western side of the Rocky Mountains, encompassing the cities of Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, and an underrated riverside city full of outdoor fun, along with recreational destinations like Flathead Lake, Whitefish Mountain Resort, and Glacier National Park. If you're interested in finding the best things to do outside of Glacier National Park, make sure you earmark some of this area's fantastic attractions.

Thanks to its national park known as the "Crown of the Continent," which is among the most-visited in the U.S., there are myriad ways to get to Flathead Valley. Driving is, of course, a popular option, especially if you've packed up your RV for a stay in one of the area's numerous campgrounds. Glacier Park International Airport offers daily service through Seattle and Denver, plus regular flights through Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, and more, depending on the season. Another scenic option is via Amtrak, which connects Chicago, Minneapolis, Spokane, Portland, and Seattle via its iconic Empire Builder route. Disembarking at Whitefish's historic train depot, it's worth lingering a few minutes to check out the charming Whitefish Museum, located inside. Once you've arrived, the easiest way to get around is by car.

Once you've checked in to your site or one of the area's bountiful and picturesque resorts and inns, you might as well begin with the valley's most prominent feature — nature! Flathead National Forest offers miles of hiking trails with gorgeous mountain views. You'll have even more to choose from around Whitehead Lake and within Lone Pine State Park, offering stunning panoramas of Big Mountain, the Jewel Basin, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake.

A glimmering gem of the valley, Flathead Lake stands out for its sheer size, boasting the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the western U.S. — and one of the cleanest in the world. Flathead Lake State Park has five major campgrounds on the mainland surrounding the lake, plus Wild Horse Island, a 2,160-acre oasis with denizens like bighorn sheep, mule deer, eagles, falcons, and — as the name suggests — five wild horses. Companies like Flathead Lake Charters and Big Sky Fishing Charters offer world-class angling experiences on both the lake and Flathead River, specializing in trout, northern pike, kokanee salmon, Lake Superior whitefish, and more.

The best time to visit the area — and also the busiest — is June through August when the weather is warmer and sunnier. Welcoming main streets offer endless options for quaint shops and inviting eateries. Shoulder months of May and September are a little milder, and you'll avoid the largest crowds, while skiing draws winter sports enthusiasts to the area's stunning peaks. July happens to be harvest time for the Flathead cherry growers, some of whom have been tending to their fruit trees for at least a century. You'll find roadside stands and farms like Bowman Cherry Orchards selling predominantly sweet cherries. Fat Robin Orchard & Farm specializes in organics, just like Spindrift Organics and The Orchard at Flathead Lake. And family-run Big Sky Orchards not only grows cherries but also hops.

With its less intense seasonal extremes than the eastern side of the Continental Divide, the area's climate relates more closely to Eastern Washington, a state second only to California in its abundance of wineries. So it's no surprise that as the Flathead Valley has grown, so has the Big Sky State's taste for good grapes! Montana vintners have increasingly been growing hardy varieties similar to those grown in other places with short seasons, like Minnesota and Wisconsin. While many European varieties require longer stretches of warm days than Montana can provide, hybrids of French and American native grapes have resulted in immanently tasty wines. Fourteen years ago, Montana had only 13 wineries, but the sector has been growing quickly, and as of 2023, it boasts 41, generating close to $800 million in economic activity annually.

White Raven Winery, outside of Columbia Falls, grows five types of wine grapes in its vineyard, crafting six wines from 100% Montana-grown grapes. D. Berardinis Winery, which sits in the town of Polson on Flathead Lake's south shore, also focuses on producing wines from grapes grown in the Flathead Valley, along with neighboring Mission Valley, which can be found on the southern part of the lake. Wineries like Waters Edge Winery & Bistro in Kalispell produce their wines on-site from grapes imported from all over the world, so in addition to local ingredients, you can get a taste of the truly global, too.