Town · 56 min south
Polson
A lake town at the south end of Flathead Lake, known for cherry orchards, a July cherry festival and lakeside parks.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › Montana › From Kalispell
Day trips from Kalispell
From Kalispell, Whitefish and Big Sky Waterpark are under 20 minutes away, Bigfork and Flathead Lake's state parks under half an hour, Lake McDonald about 40 minutes, and Going-to-the-Sun Road about an hour. The best day trips from Kalispell, by drive time.
52 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Kalispell
- Wayfarers State Park 25 min southeast
- Polson 56 min south
- Miracle of America Museum 58 min south
- Going-to-the-Sun Road 1 hr 2 min northeast
- Glacier National Park 1 hr 14 min northeast
- Museum of the Plains Indian 1 hr 34 min northeast
- Bison Range 1 hr 52 min south
- Garnet Ghost Town 2 hr 28 min southeast
- Route of the Hiawatha 2 hr 52 min southwest
- Wallace 2 hr 55 min southwest
Within an hour from Kalispell 9 spots
State park · 25 min southeast
Wayfarers State Park
A Flathead Lake park near Bigfork with rocky cliffs and shoreline, forest trails, swimming and a playground.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round day use (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.); campground April to October
- Montana State Parks day-use fee (nonresident vehicles; free for Montana residents)
Museum · 58 min south
Miracle of America Museum
A huge, quirky collection of American history items spread across dozens of buildings just south of Polson.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily)
- Admission
Viewpoint · 31 min northeast
Hungry Horse Dam
A huge concrete dam on the South Fork of the Flathead River near Glacier, with the road across the top open to cars and walkers.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round (check winter road)
- Free
State park · 31 min south
Wild Horse Island State Park
A boat-only island in Flathead Lake where a few wild horses, bighorn sheep and other wildlife roam open grassland.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round (day use only)
- Montana State Parks day-use fee (nonresident vehicles; free for Montana residents)
Bike trail · 39 min northeast
Apgar Bike Path
A paved, flat path of about two miles linking Apgar Village with the West Glacier entrance and McDonald Creek.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Spring to fall (when free of snow)
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
Family fun · 33 min north
Whitefish Mountain Resort summer
In summer the ski hill runs scenic lift rides, alpine slides, zip lines, an aerial adventure park, a kids climbing tower and lift-served mountain biking.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Summer (check dates)
- Admission
Lake · 40 min northeast
Lake McDonald and Apgar Village
The park's biggest lake, with Apgar Village at its foot offering a beach, boat launch, boat and bike rentals and a visitor center.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (rentals and shops summer)
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
1 to 2 hours from Kalispell 13 spots
National park · 1 hr 14 min northeast
Glacier National Park
A million-acre park of glacier-carved peaks, alpine meadows and clear lakes, with more than 700 miles of trails and historic lodges.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round (most roads and services summer)
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 52 min south
Bison Range
A tribally managed range near Moiese with bison, elk, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, seen from the Red Sleep and Prairie scenic drives.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (Red Sleep Drive about May to October)
- Admission (per vehicle day pass)
Scenic drive · 1 hr 2 min northeast
Going-to-the-Sun Road
The famous 50-mile road across the park, climbing to the Continental Divide at Logan Pass between West Glacier and St. Mary.
- Half day · Easy
- Late June to mid-October for the full road; lower ends year-round
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
Museum · 1 hr 34 min northeast
Museum of the Plains Indian
A museum in Browning showing the arts and history of the Northern Plains tribes, near the east side of Glacier.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (Tuesday to Friday only)
- Admission (June to September; free October to May)
State park · 1 hr 35 min southeast
Salmon Lake State Park
A lakeside park in the Blackfoot-Clearwater valley south of Seeley Lake, good for a swim, picnic or paddle.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- May to November (day use)
- Montana State Parks day-use fee (nonresident vehicles; free for Montana residents)
Trail · 1 hr 1 min northeast
Trail of the Cedars
A short boardwalk loop through old cedar and hemlock forest beside the rushing water of Avalanche Gorge.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Late spring to fall
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
Waterfall · 1 hr 18 min southeast
Holland Lake and Holland Falls
A mountain lake in the Swan Valley with gravel beaches and a 1.6-mile trail along the shore to a waterfall.
- Half day · Moderate
- Mid-May to late September
- Day-use fee (per vehicle)
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 18 min south
Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge
Wetlands below the Mission Mountains full of geese, herons, eagles and ospreys, with a short trail at the viewing site off Highway 93.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (sunrise to sunset)
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Kalispell 24 spots
Ghost town · 2 hr 28 min southeast
Garnet Ghost Town
One of Montana's best-preserved ghost towns, a high gold camp of the 1890s with many buildings still standing, east of Missoula.
- Half day · Easy
- Late spring to fall by car; winter by snowmobile or skis only
- Admission (per person 16 and older; America the Beautiful pass accepted)
Trail · 2 hr 52 min southwest
Route of the Hiawatha
A mostly downhill bike ride of about 15 miles on an old rail line through 10 tunnels and over high trestles, including the 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass Tunnel.
- Half day · Easy
- About late May to mid-September
- Admission
Town · 2 hr 55 min southwest
Wallace
An old silver-mining town in a narrow canyon, with a brick downtown on the National Register, a mining museum and a railroad depot museum.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Wildlife · 2 hr 28 min west
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge
Wetlands and fields in the Kootenai River valley near Bonners Ferry for waterfowl, eagles, moose and deer, with a gravel loop road and short trails.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, sunrise to sunset
- Free
Hot spring · 2 hr 39 min south
Lolo Hot Springs
A hot springs resort up Lolo Creek with an outdoor warm pool and an indoor hot pool.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Family fun · 2 hr 5 min south
A Carousel for Missoula
A hand-carved carousel in downtown Caras Park next to the Dragon Hollow play area.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (open 7 days)
- Admission (per ride)
Waterfall · 2 hr 5 min northwest
Moyie Falls
A two-step falls in a deep gorge below the 464-foot-high US 2 bridge at Moyie Springs, one of the tallest bridges in Idaho.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Best April to June for flow
- Free (check)
Bike trail · 2 hr 45 min southwest
Route of the Olympian
A rail trail of about 30 miles on old railroad grades between Taft and St. Regis, following the St. Regis River.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer to fall (check)
- Free
Get a day trip idea every Friday
Three ideas for the weekend, one each for Washington, Oregon and Arizona, with a link to plan the day. Free. Unsubscribe any time.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 59901 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.