Click button for more
![]()
Pacific Northwest
ACCOMMODATIONS
Bed and Breakfast
Cabins and Cottages
Campgrounds
Hotels and Motels
Resorts
RV Parks
Vacation Rentals
More Flathead Valley
Bigfork
Coram
Columbia Falls
Hungry Horse
Kalispell
Lakeside
Polson
Ronan
Somers
Whitefish
More Northwest Montana
Bitterroot Valley
Blackfeet Indian Res.
Clark Fork River
Flathead Valley
Kootenai Valley
Missoula Valley
Seeley Swan Valley
More Montana
Northwest
Southwest
North Central
South Central
North East
South East

Bigfork quite aptly calls itself the Village by the Bay, as it is sheltered in a bay on Flathead Lake, right where the Swan River joins the Lake. It has great Flathead Valley views of mountain ranges that drop off dramatically into the Lake's edges.
Bigfork is known as a leading arts community in Montana, and it's population is growing quickly with urban refugees. In summer the number swells still more with visitors who have come to enjoy its art galleries, live theatre, sidewalk cafes, and restaurants.
Despite the beginnings of urban sprawl, Bigfork retains a genteel, village atmosphere closer to the Lake. Here, there are no shopping malls or franchise businesses, rather unique food establishments and galleries. You will find much art with a Western theme, including excellent sculpture work, which is supported by two bronze foundries in the region. Contemporary art is also starting to make a breakthrough. Local artwork can be found in nontraditional venues such as the Bigfork Inn, and the main art event is the Bigfork Festival of the Arts the first weekend in August.
The performing arts scene is alive with year-round activity. Residents and visitor alike enjoy indoor and outdoor performances at the 400-seat Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts, and Sliter Memorial Park.
Each Christmas season, hundreds of elves decorate the Bigfork village in an event that has attracted national media attention. You might like to coincide your visit with the May's White Water Race on the Wild Mile of the Swan river, or the Tamarack Times Festival in October.
Getting to Bigfork
Road
Main routes in are US 2, US 93, MT 35, MT 82, MT 83. Closest
Interstate is I-90 to the south.
Air
Glacier Park International Airport is north near Kalispell. Services include
Big Sky Airlines, Delta Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Northwest Airlines and
Holman Aviation (private charters).
Rail
The daily Amtrak passenger service the
Empire Builder runs between Seattle/Portland and Chicago. Nearby depots
are in: Whitefish (35 miles north, toll free phone: 800-862-7245) and West
Glacier.
See also the Go Northwest! guide to the Flathead Valley
Explore Bigfork in more detail by clicking through the pages listed below and the links they provide to more detailed descriptions and presentations:
|
Click on Flathead Valley Area Map above for more Northwest Montana. |
Go Northwest!
Bookstore
Best selection of books on the Northwest.
Click
here!
Go Northwest!
Bookstore
Best selection of books on the Northwest.
Click
here!
Moon
Handbooks: Montana
by W. C. McRae and Judy Jewell. March 2009, (guidebook). Filled with unique travel strategies such as the Hot
Springs Tour of Montana, and following Lewis and
Clark’s Corps of Discovery.
Order now...
Adventure Guides: Montana by Genevieve Rowles. Guide to museums, historic sites and shops
with the focus on activities. Learn about the best spots for diving, snorkeling,
horseback riding, hiking, biking, rock climbing and more.
Order now...
Montana
Atlas & Gazetteer. Paperback, May 2004.
Detailed map including campgrounds, attractions, historic
sites and museums, recreation areas, trails, freshwater fishing site
& boat launches, canoe trips & scenic drives.
Order now...
Montana
Wild and Beautiful II by Chuck Haney, Photographer and John Reddy, Photographer. Photograph collection of Montana landscape.
Order now...
Ghost
Towns of Montana: A Classic Tour Through the Treasure State's Historical
Sites by Shari Miller. First published in 1974, Ghost Towns of Montana is
the classic look at the history of Montana. An invaluable resource for ghost
town tourists and history buffs alike.
Order now...
Hiking
Montana, 3rd: 25th Anniversary Edition by Bill Schneider and Russ Schneider. Completely field-checked and updated
edition. The classic guide to 100 of the best hikes in Big Sky Country from
easy day hikes to backpacking trips.
Order now...
Montana River Maps & Fishing Guide by Ray Rychnovsky, Editor and Esther
Poleo, Illustrator. Features the best 30 Montana rivers including best
seasons and species for each river.
Order now...
Fly Fishing Montana: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters by Brian
Grossenbacher and Jenny Grossenbacher. All the information needed to fly
fish from the Yellowstone River to the Boulder River.
Order now...
We appreciate your orders. They help keep
Go Northwest! online.
Northwest Books
from . . .
![]()
Go Northwest!® gonorthwest.com (tm)
Go Northwest!®
gonorthwest.com (tm) and GoNorthwest.com (tm) are trademarks of Go
Northwest, LLC
All original text, maps, photographs, and other images on this web site, as
well as the compilation and design thereof, are
Copyright © 1997-2009
Go Northwest, LLC. All rights reserved.