Where in the west is Scout the Good Pup?

I don’t think that there will ever be a computer game about his travels, nor will he let me put a big red hat on him like Carmen Sandiego, but he has certainly been along miles and miles of road throughout western Montana in the last three weeks. While I’ve been balancing work and adventures, Scout’s been eager to jump in the car for our next destination or race across the open land near our cabin. Sometimes these are spur of the moment trips, and other times, we set our alarm clock very early to beat the crowds or catch an epic sunrise!

Some of the places we’ve ventured to inclue:

• Glacier National Park (& more visits coming up!)
  • From Bigfork, it’s approximately 45 minutes to the entrance in West Glacier and, due to COVID, the east side of the park has been closed this season. If you do travel down Going-to-the-Sun road, at the Rising Sun campground on Saint Mary Lake, you’ll have to turn around and go back up through Logan Pass. The few times that we’ve visited, we arrived in the morning, just after sunrise. This time of day makes it feel like there is a magic spell cast over all the peaks and there is no one else making a sound for miles.
  • We did discover on an early trip that the smoke in mid-September caused a number of people to delay their trips. We’ve found it can be tricky to balance the crowds during the day as everyone tries to visit before the winter weather makes it perilous.
  • Pets aren’t allowed on most of the hiking trails, but there is plenty to explore along the roads, turnouts, lakes, and campgrounds.

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• National Bison Range 
  • This park is south of Flathead Lake, next to a wildlife preserve. It’s mainly a self-tour with lots of bison minding their own business, grazing along the hills and roadsides. It’s very easy to see the bison herds and the deer, including pronghorn, muledeer, and whitetail.

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• Kalispell, MT
  • The largest town near Bigfork is Kalispell, about 25 miles north, where we go for grocery shopping, Target, etc. We’ve met friends at a great brewery and found some tasty spots to eat. It also has some beautiful parks and hiking within the city limits. Our favorites are Lone Pine State Park, from where we can see for miles across the Flathead Valley and get a serious workout in! Foy’s Lake Park is at the base of Lone Pine and has perfect, clear water to swim in after the climb.

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• Polebridge, MT
  • Polebridge is only 60 miles away, but roughly 15 of those are on dirt and gravel roads. These treacherous alternatives to pavement begin in Glacier Park and travel through winding hills lined by ranches hidden in the trees. It feels like you’ll never reach this minuscule town, but just a few moments after the final right turn, the red mercantile pops out of nowhere. When you park, you’ve reached what feels like the end of the universe, or at least the end of Montana. At least the end of the universe has the tastiest baked goods, including their famous huckleberry bear claws.

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• Whitefish, MT
  • We ventured up to Whitefish which has a number of parks as well. Beautiful trails wind along the river and there were socially distant birthday parties happening around some of the picnic tables. The downtown is very touristy and you can see the ski resort above the town.

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• Eureka, MT & the Canadian Border
  • About 50 minutes north of Whitefish is Eureka. There is one road to get there and it’s a gorgeous drive. Very few cars travel along it and massive evergreens line the entire trip with hidden lakes that shimmer continuously. Eureka is pretty active, but as you head out of town toward the border which is only a few miles away, it starts to feel like this eerie ghost town. The border looks abandoned and there was not one car or truck in line to cross.

• Circumference of Flathead Lake
  • Waking up to drive 45 minutes around to the western side of the lake and watch the sunrise is a beautiful and quiet way to start the day. The complete the loop, it takes another 50 minute back up the east side.