Hiding out among the mountains of northwest Montana, Whitefish is a town that has nothing to do with fish whatsoever but a great deal to do with excellent skiing and fine mountain views. The town lies close to the Canadian border in the Rocky Mountains as well as Glacier National Park, a supreme area of protected natural wilderness which is less than two hours away by car, at least when the roads are not covered in snow.
Whitefish is a winter wonderland between November and March when the snow comes thick and hard and skiers head here to take advantage of its pistes. It used to be called Stumptown in reference to the many tree stumps left after forest was cleared but to describe it as stumpy is a little off the mark given the peaks are over 2,000 meters.
Aside from the great skiing and other winter outdoor adventure on offer, Whitefish is also famous for altogether different kind of sport, at least if you’re male. For every nine men in the town there are ten women, meaning the odds are good for the non-fairer sex – according to the statistics, that means one whole extra woman going around for every group of nine men.
Highlights
Big Mountain Ski Resort: close to 100 ski runs and around 300 inches of snow a season make this excellent resort a popular destination for the winter sports crowd.
Whitefish Lake: the water is usually cold but there are beaches, picnic areas and opportunities for kayaking and fishing on this pristine stretch of water.
Whitefish Lake Golf Course: is the most popular golfing destination in the area with 36 holes and excellent scenery to enjoy.