10 Fast, Fun, Facts about the Flathead (the Valley, the Lake, the River and the County)

Here are some fun, fast facts about the Flathead Valley.  For clarification, when people say “the Flathead” they could mean one of several things: the Flathead Valley, the Flathead River (or one of its 3 forks), The Flathead Lake or Flathead County.  Flathead County encompasses most of the Flathead Valley and some of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex to the East but does not include the land bordering the lower half of Flathead Lake.

The Flathead Valley from Lone Pine State Park

1.  Flathead Lake, to the South of Kalispell is the largest freshwater lake West of the Mississippi (in the continental US).
2. Flathead County has an estimated population of 94,900.  3^rd most populated county in Montana.
3. Only about 30,000 residents live in the incorporated towns of Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.  The rest live in the country and in smaller communities.
4. 94% of the 5,000 + square miles of land in Flathead County is National Forest, State Forest, Corporate Timber, Wilderness or Agricultural.  Only 6% is developed.
5.  The total population of the Flathead increases by 40% from June through August.
6.  Dorothy M. Johnson, a Western Novelist, who had 3 of her books made into movies was a long-time Flathead Valley resident.
7.  The town of Kalispell (the largest town in the valley) was incorporated when the Great Northern Railway was built through the valley in 1891.  Prior to 1884 there wasn’t even a post office in the Flathead Valley.
8. The Flathead River and its 3 forks (North Fork, South Fork and Middle Fork) have 219 miles of designated scenic river.
9. Between 3 and 5 million pounds of cherries are harvested in the Flathead Valley every year.
10.  The Flathead Valley is named after the Native American tribe known by that name that now resides on a reservation bordering the south end of Flathead Lake.

Article written by Matt Harrington, marketing specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out Kalispell's best hotel!

Flathead Cherries- Festival, Seasons and Orchard - Flathead Lake's Fruit

You’ll see the signs and roadside stands all over as you drive in the Flathead Valley and near Glacier National Park:  “Huckleberries and Flathead Cherries Sold Here!”  Huckleberries get a little more publicity, but their domesticated rival, the Flathead Cherry, deserves some credit in the delicious category too.  Flathead Cherries are technically the Lambert variety of sweet cherries, but have their own unique flavor because of where they are grown.  Often colored in both yellow and light red, they have the perfect amount of sweetness combined with a savory flavor. 



As you can see the big three are: Cherries, Huckleberries and Jerky (not necessarily in that order)

Cherries? Montana in Montana?!  Isn't it too cold?

The Flathead Lake region is actually ideal for cherry production given its altitude, water access, soil and moderate climate.  "Cool evenings are our saving grace," said one Flathead cherry grower.  Apparently 40-50 degree evenings combined with warm days are ideal for extending the cherry growing season.  The early cherry growers must have realized this when they started growing cherries in the Flathead over 80 years ago in 1932!  The Flathead Cherry Growers Association has been around since 1935.  



Cherry Stand near West Glacier, MT

The Flathead typically produces between 3 and 5 million pounds of cherries every year with a high of 7 million.  There are 120 cherry growers in the Flathead.  This isn't close to the volume that Washington state produces, but Montana is among the top cherry producers in the nation.  

Where? When?  How?

The timing and volume of cherry crops are extremely weather dependent (this year the harvest was earlier because of the hot weather in June), but in general the cherry harvest occurs in mid July and lasts for 2-3 weeks.  Polson's Cherry Festival celebrating the beloved fruit is typically slated for mid to late July.  This event is a must attend if you are in the area!  Vendors line the streets and there are all manner of cherry related contests including: pie eating, stem tying and pit spitting.  

As stated in the beginning of this article, during the harvest you can buy them at almost any roadside stand anywhere near Flathead Lake and Glacier.  You can often get them in grocery stores and they are even sold at super markets in some northwest, midwest and southwest states.  

But if you want the most authentically Montana experience in obtaining your cherries, you can pick them right from the tree!  Hockaday Orchards, just south of Lakeside on the West shore of Flathead Lake will let you pick your own cherries at $1 a pound!  Or you can adopt your own tree at Point Caroline Orchards!


Article written by Matt Harrington, marketing specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out the Trip Advisor number 1 Kalispell hotel!

As Sweet as Authentic Montana Honey

"Honey is a 12 million dollar industry in Montana," my Montana legislator friend remarked in the midst of a discussion on cottage industries.   Montana isn't known for honey, but perhaps it should be.  The industry isn't huge, but as far as honey goes, Montana was second in dollars of honey sold only to North Dakota (South Dakota was a close 3rd).   Not only are sales high, it tastes pretty amazing too!

Employees pour honey into containers

If you like sweets, it is difficult not to like honey!  I recently toured Glacier County Honey Company during "Fill Your Own Bucket Day".  The process is pretty amazing and so is the honey.  The honey is transferred from the boxes you'll see in fields by simply pulling out the trays that are already in the boxes.  The trays are sealed with wax and put in a hot room.  They are then transferred to a couple pretty impressive machines that first pull all the honey and wax out of the trays and then separate the wax from the honey.  

Honey Bear and Glacier County Honey Co.

They make Christmas ornaments out of the wax and all the honey goes through a set of pipes and comes out of spicket-like piece of hardware on the wall, almost as if it is on-tap.  I was amazed that when I handed them my mason jar, they didn't get any honey on the lid.  In addition to the honey and wax products they sold their own blend of Montana Coffee Traders Coffee and they even had a delicious honey bar recipe!

Great idea for a tasty treat

From what I understand, honey varies greatly by the environment in which it is made so even within the Flathead or Glacier Country the taste of honey can vary significantly.  So this summer, try something Montana may not be well known for, but certainly should be: honey!

The process: start to finish

Glacier County Honey Company is located near Babb, MT and the Many Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park.  

Great Northern Honey Company is located in Columbia Falls, MT near the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park.

Both companies have a list of local retailers that sell their honey. Glacier County Honey Company sells directly to customers and can give you a tour if you stop by as well!

Best Restaurants Glacier National Park

Its late and you are just getting out of Glacier National Park.  By the time you get back to Kalispell it will be eight o'clock and you are hungry now!  Is there anywhere you can eat that is closer to Glacier, actually has decent food and isn't trying to rip you off ?!  Oh, you don't want to eat in a seedy bar either?! Why yes, there are several places!  We have divided our suggestions by where you might be coming from in Glacier.

The Pole Bridge Mercantile

Polebridge/Bowman Lake:  If you are adventurous enough to drive up the West Side of Glacier along the North Fork of the Flathead you will come to a town....of sorts, Polebridge!  It happens to have 2 restaurants and a bakery and they're all good!  The Polebridge Home Ranch Bottoms serves standard burgers and fries, and also features Taco Tuesdays!  Northern Lights Saloon and Cafe serves classic burgers and fries and also features pizza on Fridays (sometimes featuring live music)!  The Polebridge Mercantile has one of the best bakeries around....their huckleberry bear claws are to die for!

Where the pies from the Huckleberry Patch Go

Hungry Horse/ West Glacier: Most of the restaurants in West Glacier are overpriced and crowded.  Hungry Horse, just down the road, might be busy, but it has some unique options that are worth stopping for.  If you are looking for a huckleberry shake to hold you over, the Huckleberry Patch and Willow's Huckleberry Haven are good places to start.  The Huckleberry Patch even ships their pies nation-wide!  Hungry Horse is kind of the Huckleberry Mecca of Montana, but unfortunately I haven't found the classic Glacier trifecta (burger, fries and shake) all at the same place in the town of Hungry Horse.  For that you have to go to The Glacier Grill.  The Glacier Grill is a great place for standard burgers, fries and shakes (shakes are spendy though).  They also make tasty pizza!

Two Medicine/East Glacier: If you have been exploring the East side of Glacier and are on your way back to Kalispell don't overlook East Glacier's dining options.  It has two superb bakeries: Rock 'n Roll Bakery and Brownies.  It also has one of the best Mexican Restaurant in Glacier Country, Serranos!  Serranos doesn't open until 5pm and many entrees cost around $12-15 but it is worth waiting for.  Great Chimichangas!  Two Medicine Grill offers the standard burgers and fries but their unique feature is that they bake the best (arguably) huckleberry pies in Glacier Country!  If you are looking for a tasty, slightly more healthy option, check out Luna's for some mouth-watering wraps!

Babb/ Many Glacier:  If you're coming out of Many Glacier around dinner time, you might not have too many options, but Two Sisters Grill is always worth a stop!  Classic burgers, fries and shakes with a few unique features and a funky atmosphere that completes the unique experience!


Article written by Matt Harrington, marketing specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out the Trip Advisor number 1 Kalispell hotel!

The Glacier National Park Family Photos, Group Pictures and Selfies Conundrum

The hikers coming up the trail looked nice enough, maybe they would take our picture.  Eight of us sat relaxing overlooking the Two Medicine Valley.  Eight people from five different countries.  The chances of us all being in the same place again were slim to none and we needed a picture to document the occasion.   So we asked the first group of hikers coming up the trail and they were kind enough to consent.  One of our group members, a trained photographer, handed the lead hiker her $900- camera and he snapped a couple photos.  The hikers continued up the trail while our photographer examined his work.  Apparently it didn't cut it, because she set up a rock tripod and timer on her camera a couple more times until the moment was sufficiently memorialized.  

This is not an uncommon situation.  I have often struggled with how to take the best group photo, especially when scenery is involved.  When visiting a place as picturesque as Glacier National Park, people generally want to have equally outstanding pictures of themselves, family and friends with a great back-drop.  This can be hard to pull off.  There are three methods for taking group pictures that people typically try.  Some work in certain situations but all of them have downsides. I have listed the basic methods, pros and cons below. At the bottom of the page there are a couple pointers that will help you make the most of every group photo opportunity.   

1. Basic Selfie - The person taking the picture extends their arm out, turns the camera toward the group and pushes the button.  

• Pros: Easy to take multiple photos, good resolution on people's faces, does not require additional technology (tripod) or people (a volunteer photographer), can be done with any camera phone.



Classic Selfie

• Cons: Pictures are facebook-worthy but not frame-worthy, its difficult to adequately capture a large group, scenery is a secondary consideration, you can always tell that the picture was a selfie.

2. Tripod Timer - The person taking the picture puts their camera on a tripod (a large professional one, a gorilla pod or even a flat rock), sets a timer and then runs back to where the rest of the group is standing before the timer goes off and the picture is taken.

Gorilla Pod Photo

• Pros: Can produce frame and Christmas-card quality photos, allows for multiple attempts as long as your group is patient, can be done without an additional person (volunteer photographer)
• Cons: Tripods can fall down or cameras can fall off in windy situations, it can be difficult to get the right angle (unless you have a large tripod which is cumbersome to carry), the photographer must run back to his/her spot in the photo, a tripod cannot make sure everyone is smiling.

3. Volunteer Photographer - You find a random stranger and ask him/her to take a picture of your group.

Volunteer Photographer Photo

• Pros: The photographer can make sure everything looks good, they can adjust for better angles, they can take multiple photos quickly.
• Cons: The photographer may have no sense of photography, he/she has no motivation to care about the picture they're taking of you and your group, its awkward to ask them to re-take your photo, sometimes there are no potential photographers where you want to take a group picture.

Best Solutions:
The Skilled, Incentivized Photographer- If there are a few people in the area where you are taking your group photo, pick the one with the nicest camera and offer to trade photography duties (you take his/her picture they take yours).  This way you are picking the most skilled person (generally) and they have an incentive to do it well.

Carry Backup- Always take a gorilla pod tripod with you.  They are small, can grab onto rocks or trees to resist wind and are a good option if there are no volunteer photographers present.

Written by Matt Harrington

Marketing Specialist

Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites

4824 Highway 93 South

Kalispell, MT 59901

Looking for a place to stay near Glacier National Park?  Check out: http://www.bestwesternflatheadlake.com/  we also have comprehensive lists of things to do and places to eat!

Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Grizzly Bear Attacks in Glacier National Park, Montana

We watched with a mixture of concern and amusement as the situation unfolded before our eyes.  We were near the top of Siyeh Pass, looking at the glacial lake below us.  Nearly half a mile away, a hiker was walking around to the far side of the lake, possibly with the intention of sliding down the snow field into the freezing water.  Walking from the other direction, across the scree field nearest the snow, was what appeared to be a large grizzly (through binoculars).  Neither the bear, nor the hiker could see that they were about to have a close encounter.

They both saw each other at the same time and they had to have been within 100 feet when it happened.  Fortunately for the hiker, the grizzly reacted by turning around and heading up the rock slide away from the hiker.  Even though the hiker was a small dot from our vantage point, he seemed to move with incredible speed as he ran back around the lake.  I've never seen someone so far away move so fast.

Millions of people visit Glacier National Park every year and only a small handful will have the kind of encounter that this visitor did.  But grizzly bears and black bears are present in Glacier so here are a few facts and tips to put you at ease and help keep you safe in the event of a bear encounter.

• Fact: The last fatal bear attack in Glacier National Park was in 1998 even though the number of bears has increased since then. 
• Tip:Never run from a bear
• Fact: Bear spray is much more effective than a gun.
• Tip: Check the expiration date, practice taking the safety off, keep it easily accessible and visualize spraying a Z-pattern at a bear if he/she charges!
• Fact: Most fatal bear attacks happen to lone hikers or groups of two and there are no recorded bear attacks against groups of 6 or more.
• Tip: If you make noise while on the trail, you probably won't surprise a bear
• Fact: Bears stand on their hind legs to get a better view of what has caught their attention
• Tip: If they are defensive (stomping and huffing), back away slowly.
• Fact: Bears have good eyesight and can see in color.
• Tip: If they are aggressive (approaching you silently and swiftly), get loud and big!
• Fact: People who use guns against bears are more than twice as likely to incur serious injury than people who use bear spray in the event of an attack.
• Tip: Never get between a mother and her cub(s)!
• Fact: Grizzly bears can outrun horses over short distances!
• Tip:Know the difference between grizzlies and black bears
• Fact: 3 people die from bears every year....90 people die by being struck by lightening
• Tip: In the unlikelihood you are attacked play dead if you're attacked by a grizzly and fight back if you're attacked by a black bear 

Be bear aware but don't let it keep you from hiking.  Chances are you won't have a bear encounter and if you follow the tips above, the chances of the encounter turning into a bear attack are about as small as.....all the glaciers being around in GNP 100 years from now!


Article written by Matt Harrington, Marketing Specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out the Trip Advisor number 1 Kalispell hotel!

Iceberg Lake Glacier National Park- the family friendly 10-mile hike

With so many day-hikes to choose from you might think Montanans never hike the same trail in Glacier twice.  However, some hikes in Glacier are worth repeating and Iceberg Lake is definitely one of them.  About 2 weeks ago, I hiked up to Iceberg Lake for the 3rd time and yet again I was blown away by the captivating rugged amphitheater that holds this classic glacial lake.

The trail takes you up a sweeping glacial valley, offering views of several rugged mountains.  The slopes above the trail stay green most of the summer and you can often see bighorn sheep and mountain goats grazing or bedding down during the heat of the day.  A little past mid-way you will cross a small babbling falls with several large flat rocks which are perfect for a lunch or snack stop (don't worry, there is a bridge over the falls).  Right before the lake, there are a few snow fields that remain until late July (depending on the year) but they are very navigable and do not have steep pitches.

It is possibly the easiest 10-mile hike in Glacier which gives it unique appeal to many families whose kids are ready for longer days but would tire with a steep incline.  The gradual down-hill slope makes it manageable for those with bad joints as well.   I have seen eight-year-olds make it to the lake as well as people in their seventies.  It is not a short hike, but it is doable for many people and worthwhile fore everyone.

You can reach the trail by going to the Swift Current trailhead/store area.  There is plenty of parking.  If you can, park so your car is shaded during the heat of the day.  Also, keep in mind, the store offers great refreshments but is not open until mid-June, so don't bank on getting Gatorade there like we did if you're hiking before the 16th of June.

Written by Matt Harrington- Marketing Specialist at the BestWestern Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites