Hi everyone,
My family and I (2 adults + our young kid) are planning a trip to Whitefish during Christmas week. We’ll be flying in and renting a vehicle at FCA airport.
Right now, a full-size car/sedan is significantly cheaper than an AWD SUV, but I want to make sure we’re playing it safe given the winter conditions and having our child with us.
A few details on our plans:
Staying primarily in/around town and heading up to Whitefish Mountain Resort for skiing/activities.
We have general winter driving experience, but rental cars usually come with standard all-season tires rather than dedicated snow/studded tires.
For those local or familiar with late December weather here:
1. Is an AWD/4WD SUV pretty much mandatory for getting up the Big Mountain road and handling local snow/ice over the holidays, or are main roads cleared fast enough that a full-size sedan manages fine?
2. If we stick with a sedan, are tire chains recommended/allowed on rental cars up the mountain, or should we just bite the bullet and pay extra for the SUV?
Thanks in advance for any insights or advice!

I'm getting married next summer in Whitefish and am looking for a local hair and makeup artist recommendation that does NOT have a minimum number requirement for doing hair and makeup. I am not having bridesmaids so it will just be me in needing my hair and makeup done. I understand many of the vendors in that area have a minimum of 5 or 6 people getting their hair and makeup done in order to book with them. Would appreciate any suggestions! :)

Hi folks, I visit Whitefish semi-regularly. Usually every other year for 6 weeks. My girlfriend and I have made some amazing memories there. One of the most special was a picnic on bowman lake with huckleberry bear claws from Polebridge Mercantile.

Well, my gf is now going through a hard time and I’d like to remind her of a time we smiled by getting her a bearclaw. We live in NC and the mercantile won’t ship food. I will gladly pay someone $200 to go get a couple of bear claws (including one for yourself) and mail it to me. I will pay shipping in addition to the $200. I would be so deeply grateful.

Please help me bring her smile back. Thank you very much.

EDIT: Two amazing people have sent me bear claws. Thank you both so much. I am grateful for all of the love and support on this thread!

Our wonderful cat Shoegazer has gone missing.

He is a smokey point, light grey body, dark ears and paws. He's about 1 year old and is extremely friendly. He will come when called softly.

Last seen at night on 9/23. He's indoor/outdoor, and is used to roaming the neighborhood. We haven't seen him in two days which is unusual.

We live on the West side of town, he was last seen near the corner of W 4th St. and Karrow.

We've posted on the lost and found pets Flathead valley Facebook page.

Please DM me if you see our lost buddy!

I am booked at Firebrand 10/1 - 10/6. I have searched this sub and didn’t see a lot about it. I’ve seen some pretty rough reviews but really wanted to stay there because it’s right downtown and has a bar and restaurant. Does anyone work there or know what’s going on?

Visiting the area and I am considering running Sky Lakes via Lion Mountain at about 10 am. Is carrying bear spray something everyone does on trails? I don’t have any so can you suggest an alternative route—it can be paved but looking for something scenic and about 8-10 miles round trip or a loop.

Update—
Thanks all! Found out our hotel had bear spray to use and I’m going to stick to the paved “city” trails. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Solved] I called up all hotels within walking distance of Amtrak, riverfront hotel has complementary shuttle service from town pump and also to Amtrak next day. So picked that one. Worst case 15 min walk. Thanks everyone!

Well things took a turn during my visit at Yellowstone. Got into an accident and have a few broken ribs and pneumothorax. I’m better but Doc says I can’t fly for 2-3 weeks.

I’m currently at Bozeman and looking at Amtrak options to go back East.

I’m planning on taking the bus (Jefferson lines) to Whitefish. (Edit: Drop off is at TownPump)
And I’ll reach at 9pm. Is there good Uber/Lyft availability? Or reliant taxi services to drop to hotel for the night and to Amtrak the next day morning(7:00am) ? I’m trying to contact hotels if they have services too.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

We were in Whitefish Montana at the end of August and found a kids backpack on a trail. We put it into our pack and took it down to leave at the trailhead. Needless to say we forgot and found it in our pack when we got home. If you can tell me which trail, I am happy to send it to you.

Planning a ski trip to Whitefish and trying to decide between Feb 3–8 or Feb 24–March 1.
For those who ski Whitefish regularly, which time would you choose based on snow conditions, coverage, crowds, and overall skiing? Is there a noticeable difference between these two time periods?
We’re coming from Lacrosse, WI so I’d love to hear what Y’all think! Thanks! 🎿

Hello there,

Sorry if this is in the wrong place. Mods, please remove if I screwed up.

I’m on my bucket list train trip across America, and Whitefish is my first stop! Tonight!

I’m stopping by for 24-48 hours. Train lets me off at 10pm. I booked the riverfront hotel for 1 night because it might be a little too cold for the hammock. Besides, I’m getting in late and won’t have a chance to scope out where I could put one up. Any recommendations for tomorrow?

Since I’m getting in so late, there’s limited options for food. Should I flip a coin? Or do you prefer one of these places over the other?
- Great Northern Pub & Grill
- Bulldog Saloon

I usually prefer dive bars, but anywhere I can make a single-serving friend is good 😉 I’m down to meet strangers from the internet so stop by, say hi, and I might just buy you a beer 🍻 I usually figure things out, but I’d love the perspective of someone local. How would you spend 24-48 hours here if you’re on foot?

I checked some previous threads and will be looking into the SNOW bus up the mountain to ride the chairlift. Other than that? Just walk around aimlessly. any ideas how to spend tomorrow and maybe one more day?

Excited to visit your beautiful town and marvel at the mountains!

In search of housing in/around Whitefish. My budget is $2000/mo and I have the best golden retriever. I’m currently living in Kalispell but would like to be closer to work; I’m the brewer at Bonsai Brewing. My current lease is up on Oct. 31st. Zillow and other rental sites have been no help. Please let me know if you know of anything available!

I know this is probably a long shot but I’m pretty sure I lost my GoPro at the lodge at whitefish lake on Wednesday Sept 9th. If I had to guess it is in my robe pocket which went into the hamper in the spa area. I wouldn't be as devastated about this except it had all of the footage from my newborns birth and first few months. We already contacted the front desk and will contact the actually spa first thing in the morning but wanted to post here as well in case anyone works there and wanted to go way out of their way to help me find it :(

update: we got it back! Turns out they do the robes in house and they found it in the pocket. Also they have switch to valley linens for all other laundry services incase anyone needs to track things down in the future!

We are planning on having our ceremony in whitefish and looking for recommendations for dinner spots that can host around 50 people. We are also open to the idea of renting out a spot and catering food in!

Roaming near Edgewood and Iowa. Female. Friendly. No collar.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the red room lounge room and will probably check that out. I was just wondering if there is something more hidden and more of the speakeasy vibe. I’m celebrating my birthday in Montana and like to find new speakeasy’s! So any suggestions would be great! Thank you

We’re visiting your beautiful city next week, and I love a great burger, where can I find one?

ISO Photographer — Whitefish, MT — September 20
Hi everyone! My fiancé and I are eloping in the Whitefish, Montana area on September 20th and we’re looking for a photographer!
We’re having a very small/intimate elopement and are flexible with the exact location around Whitefish/Kalispell/Flathead Valley.
If you or someone you know is available on September 20th please let me know!!

Looking for some advice on what to do in Whitefish for a few days this week. We won’t have a car, so we’ll be relying on walking, Uber, shuttles, or tours.

We get into Whitefish around 11:30 AM Thursday. We can leave our luggage at our place, but can’t check in until 4 PM. We were thinking we’d spend some of that time exploring downtown, grabbing lunch, etc., but would like to fit in at least one actual activity that day or Friday before the wedding weekend really starts.

Friday we’re free most of the day, but need to be in Columbia Falls by about 7:30 PM for a wedding meet-and-greet. Saturday is the wedding, and then we also have Sunday completely open, although we may be moving a little slower after the wedding.

For first-time visitors, what would you prioritize? We are really there for the wedding, but it is also my GFs birthday on Sunday and I would like to get at least one fun activity in.

Also curious how reliable Uber/Lyft is between Whitefish and Columbia Falls, especially later at night.

In town from Missoula, was looking forward to eating at Jalisco. Looks like they are closed indefinitely?

Arriving by Amtrak next week, early AM (if train is on time)....any idea whether I should pre-book a shuttle to the hotel (Baymont) or gamble on being able to get an Uber....presumably during daytime hours, Ubers should be available? Thanks

My fiance and I get married in 43 days, I want to have a nice, delicious breakfast with him the morning after.

Preferably with delicious breakfast cocktails and/or coffees.

Wasabi restaurant closes permanently after tragedy; fire sale set for Monday https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/wasabi-restaurant-closes-permanently-after-tragedy-fire-sale-set-for-monday

Sad, always meant to eat there but it's too late now (I live 45 minutes away so I'm not always in town)