Flathead Lake is largest natural freshwater lake (by surface area) in the western US is also one of the cleanest in the world. Twenty-eight miles long and 15 miles wide, Flathead Lake is renowned for its fishing.
Unique and breathtaking views can be found at each of the six units of Flathead Lake State Park including: Big Arm, Finley Point, Wayfarers, West Shore, Wild Horse Island, and Yellow Bay.
Big Arm
Located on the lake's Big Arm Bay, its long pebble beach is popular with sunbathers and swimmers. Camping under a stand of mature ponderosa pine and juniper is a major attraction. The hiking trail provides excellent vistas of surrounding mountain ranges and high peaks with abundant watchable wildlife opportunities. Other opportunities include: fishing for lake trout, board sailing, boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, bicycling, hiking the 2.5 mile trail, wildlife viewing, scuba diving, and water-skiing.
Make Finley Point at Flathead Lake State Park, located at the southern end of Flathead Lake, your base camp to enjoy the many activities in the area.
Fishing for Lake Trout and Lake Superior Whitefish is excellent. There's camping, hiking, swimming, and boating at the state park, along with golf, shopping, dining, entertainment and museums in nearby Polson.
Finley Point has 18 RV campsites and 4 boat camping slips with 50-amp electric hookups, plus 7 tent sites and 12 boat slips without electricity. Maximum RV Length varies by site. Please see ReserveAmerica website for details.
Bear resistant storage lockers are available. A joint state/tribal fishing license is needed for fishing at this park.
Located near the quaint resort town of Bigfork on the northeast shore of Flathead Lake, this park is 67 acres in size and is 2,923 feet in elevation. A mature mixed forest makes this site very pleasant for camping and picnicking. From spring to late fall the area abounds in wildflowers. Nature walks over the rocky shoreline to the cliffs are popular with photographers for an excellent view of Flathead Lake.
There are 30 campsites in the park, including a hike-bike campsite with 9 tent pads, convenient for cyclists traveling the nearby Continental Divide route. The maximum length for RV/trailer units is 40 feet.
West Shore offers glacially-carved rock outcrops that provide spectacular views of Flathead Lake and the Mission and Swan Mountain Ranges. The shoreline is rocky, and fishing and boating are very popular.
Sea Me Paddle Kayaking Tours, concessionaire at Flathead Lake State Park-West Shore, offers rental equipment, including: stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, and pedal boats. Open daily from June 15 thru Labor Day; hours of operation may vary. Call 406-249-1153 or contact them at seamepaddle.com.
The campground is located above the lake in a fir, pine, and larch forest on 129 acres at 3,130 feet in elevation.
There are 33 campsites; 7 tent sites only at this park, with an RV/trailer size limit of 40 feet.
Wild Horse Island has been a landmark since the Kootenai Indians were reported to have used it to pasture horses to keep them from being stolen by other tribes.
The park is noted for its wildlife including bighorn sheep, mule deer, songbirds, waterfowl, bald eagles, and falcons, as well as five wild horses. To protect wildlife viewing opportunities, pets are not permitted on the island. This is bear country and bears do frequent the island. Please store food properly on your boat or carry with you; there are no food storage lockers on the island.
Rare and endangered plant species have also been found on its Palouse Prairie grasslands. The island's scenic shoreline is a favorite of hikers, boaters, swimmers and sailboat enthusiasts.
Yellow Bay at Flathead Lake State Park is in the heart of the famous Montana sweet cherry orchards.
In the summer, cherries can be purchased at nearby roadside stands or U-Pick orchards.
The park includes Yellow Bay Creek and a wide, gravelly beach. Among its attractions are boating, lake trout fishing, water skiing, bird watching, swimming, camping, and scuba diving.
There are 5 tent campsites that are first-come, first-serve only.
A joint state/tribal fishing license is required at this park.
Amy Grout began her career in Montana State Parks in 2004 as an intern at Lone Pine State Park, later becoming the Northwest District Park Ranger. Amy manages Flathead Lake State Park - Finley Point, Big Arm, Yellow Bay, Wayfarers and Wild Horse Island. She has a B.A. in Parks and Protected Area Management from Colorado State University at Fort Collins. Speaking about her love of the outdoors, Amy said, “Most of my childhood was spent outside of Anchorage, Alaska and so that is the one place I consider my hometown and where my love for the outdoors really began. “
CONTACT INFO Mailing Address:
Flathead Lake State Park
Ranger Station
8600 MT Hwy 35
Bigfork, MT 59911
Phone:
Flathead Lake State Park Ranger Station 406-837-3041 Email:agrout@mt.gov
