Whitefish Mountain Resort Ski Vacation Guide

Go about as far north in Montana as you can without hitting the Canadian border, right in the middle of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, the Flathead National Forest, and the remarkable Glacier International Park, and you'll find Whitefish Mountain Resort—a wintertime paradise for skiers of all ages and experience levels.

Ski Levels

Experts will love skiing on challenging runs like Don's Descent, First Creek, Picture Chutes, Gray Wolf, Bighorn and North Bowl Chute. The Summit House cornice allows the experts to soar. Most of the resort is intermediate rated, so there are a large variety of runs from which to choose. Beginners and children have a great friend at Whitefish Mountain, since the Kids' Center has treats for the younger set. Beginners will want to hang out around Chair 3 and 6. Whitefish Mountain has a great ski school with a huge selection of courses, from bumps and steeps clinics to telemark and teen camp.

Whitefish Mountain offers up an amazing 335 inches of powder, which only very occasionally suffers from Pacific Maritime air mass incursions (which turn it cloggy). It's hard to believe but there are peculiar microclimate areas just an hour's drive away subject to the Chinook (snow eater) wind that report maximum daily temperatures higher than Los Angeles on roughly a quarter of all mid-winter days. You won't have to confront that up on the slopes as the elevation and position keep the slopes fairly Chinook wind proofed. It's a good idea to stick to the North Side, which usually has more powder than the rest of the mountain for the best skiing.

Après Ski

At the top of the slopes the Summit House serves some great family lunch choices (that are light on the wallet). When you're really famished, Ciao Mambo serves portions that no human could possibly finish. The Montana Coffee Traders has the best cup of coffee around. Drop into the Beirstube on a Wednesday night when Ski Patrol awards its 'Clod of the Week' and passes around free beer (while it lasts).

Whitefish Mountain Resort Snowboard Vacation Guide


Rider’s Guide

A winter sport paradise with a total of 13 lifts (three high-speed quads, two quads, five triples, one magic carpet, and two t-bars) to access 98 marked trails on over 3,000 acres of Rocky Mountain powder. Terrain throughout the mountain is rated 15 percent beginner, 35 percent intermediate, 40 percent advanced, and expert skiers will enjoy 10 percent of this fine mountain.

Parks and Pipes

The Fishbowl Terrain Parks is comprised of three parks to try your skills on jumps, rails, boxes, and whatever else the terrain park crew dreams up. The Fishbowl is lit for night riding on Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t miss the Night Rider’s Park Series, where riders compete for prizes and fame.

Out of Bounds

The resort is set amidst the backdrop of Glacier National Park and is a winter sports paradise. Beyond skiing and snowboarding, the Whitefish area offers dog sledding, sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Hangout & Hookup

Hit up Ed & Mully’s Lounge slopeside for a cold beer and nachos or take in a burger at the infamous Bierstube. If you happen to be in Whitefish on Wednesdays, make sure you’re at the ‘Stube for the weekly Frabert Award, where ski patrol awards the biggest goofball and passes out free beer. Take the free Snow Bus into town to hit up all the local restaurants and bars on Central Ave. Try some mexican food at Pescado Blanco, or get classic bar food at the Bulldog. Check out live music at the Great Northern Bar & Grille or the Craggy Range.

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