Kalispell, a small city located in northwest Montana, is a wonderful place for someone with an active lifestyle. Whether you’re the sporting type, or the kind of person who takes pleasure from the simpler things in life such as a walk in the park, Kalispell has a little something for everyone. From the hiking trails of Lone Pine State Park, which lead to the cliffs that rest atop the mountains at the southwest edge of town, to the paved walking paths meandering their way through the gardens of Woodland Park, you’ll be guaranteed to have a great time.
Below I have compiled a list of free and cheap things to do in Kalispell Montana. While there are many more things to do, I have limited this list to what I believe to be the most worthwhile.
Downtown
Make sure to take a stroll through historic downtown, where the buildings and storefronts are reminiscent of a time that has long since passed. Detour a few blocks from Main Street in either direction, and you will find yourself passing through neighborhoods filled with Victorian-era homes, many of which are recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. And of course no tour of the town would be complete without a visit to Conrad Mansion, the home of Charles Conrad, founder of the city. The house and grounds — which take up an entire block — have been preserved in their original condition as a museum, and a walk through the place feels as though you are stepping through time. Indoors, you will get a first hand look at what life was like at the turn of the 20th century. Outdoors, the property is surrounded by a stone wall, a throwback to the fences used in England. Contained within those walls you will find an almost park-like lawn, complete with shade and fruit trees, walkways, hedges and a gazebo, as well as gardens filled with a menagerie of flowers. Admittance to the grounds is free, but a tour through the house costs $10 for adults, and $3 for children.
Woodland Park, once the city’s only wooded area, is a great place to take the family for a day of fun in the sun. It has a large lagoon, surrounded by paved paths for walking or riding bicycles. During the summer months the water attracts lots of ducks, geese and other migratory waterfowl, that are by no means timid. There is a store across the street from the park which sells feed for the ducks. Other residents of the park include turtles, squirrels and various other species of birds. Surrounding the pond are wooded areas, and many acres of lawn that can be great for playing frisbee, football or soccer. If Baseball is more your sport, there is a baseball field (which also has a basketball court) just up the street. If you follow the paths in the park, they will take you through two beautiful gardens which can be rented for weddings or other outdoor events. There are a couple pavillions which can be rented as well, that are perfect for barbecues or family gatherings. On either side of the larger pavillion there are children’s playgrounds. Also on the grounds is a small skate park with free access, and a swimming pool with a waterslide which you can gain access to for a small fee. During the winter months, the pond can be used for ice skating. If you prefer a more maintained body of ice, there is also an ice skating rink on the premesis. As with the swimming pool, a small fee applies.
Rails-to-Trails
If you’re the type that loves to ride bicycles, or you enjoy taking long — and I mean LOOOOONG — walks, there is always Rails-to-Trails. Rails-to-Trails is a project that took old decomissioned railroad tracks and turned them into bicycle paths. The trailhead is on South Meridian, and takes you through a neat little underpass beneath the tracks, winds around a little bit and comes to a fork. The right trail takes you through another underpass where the highway goes over Ashley Creek, and then continues several miles along the creek, out to Kila. Along the way it will take you through farmland where you can see plenty of gophers, and get some great views of the surrounding hills and mountains. This part of the valley reminds me a lot of the hobbits’ home town in The Lord of the Rings. This path also has several benches along the way, where you can rest and take in the scenery. If you take the left path It will follow the highway for another several miles all the way to Somers. Along the way there will be another fork where the trail splits off to the right and goes under the highway. This path will take you to Lone Pine State Park — more on that later. If you continue on your way past this you will come to a wall that follows the path for a mile or two. This can be a great relief to cyclists during the later part of the day, as it provides much needed shade. While this stretch isn’t as impressive as the other main fork in the trail — as it mostly just follows the highway — it does offer some great views of the mountain range across the valley, and it’s also easier riding, as there aren’t as many uphill stretches.
Lone Pine State Park is a 186 acre park at the southwest edge of Kalispell. It stretches from the valley floor all the way to the mountain top. There are seven and a half miles of hiking trails that take you to different lookout points in the park. The trailhead starts in a rural neighborhood down in the valley, and takes you all the way to the summit. From the lookout at the summit you can get spectacular views of the entire valley, from Flathead Lake to Big Mountain, and even up into Glacier National Park. The park also has a visitor center, as well as a picnic area. Not in the mood for a long hike? That’s alright. There is a road on the way to Foy Lake that will take you directly to the visitor center and picnic area.
Swimming
If you’re in the mood to splash and get wet, Foy Lake is only minutes from town. Just to the southwest of Lone Pine State Park, Foy Lake Park has a small public beach, complete with shade trees, picnic tables, a horseshoe dock, boat access and restrooms. The water in the lake is so shallow and blue, you would swear you were at a tropical beach.
Don’t want to venture too far from town? Don’t worry. There is a boat access on Flathead River, down by the old steel bridge. This location has plenty of parking. The water near the shore is shallow and slow moving, and is a great place to cool off on a hot day.
If you feel like venturing out of town, you can visit the ancient Native American cliff paintings west of Kalispell. Beginning just west of Kila and continuing for a couple of miles, many of these paintings can be spotted on the rocks and cliffs from the highway. Unfortunately, many of the paintings have been defaced over the years by vandals with spray paint. However, there is one area that is protected by a fence, and these paintings have remained untouched.
