Bigfork, Montana

Flowing from the Mission Mountains, the 95-mile-long Swan River empties into Flathead Lake at Bigfork.You can land at either Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) or Kalispell City Airport (S27), both in nearby Kalispell, and drive around the lake to get to Bigfork. There’s a 3,500-foot-long turf runway at state-owned Ferndale Airpark (53U) just three miles from town. The town feels like you’ve stepped back into the Old West with its false front wood architecture and saloon-style bars and restaurants. There are a lot of dining options to choose from in this small mountain town; diners line up on the porch for a hearty breakfast at the Pocketstone Café or perch lakeside at The Sitting Duck. There is an eclectic array of shops on Electric Avenue, named because electric lines were on this street as early as 1902 from one of the first power plants in Montana. At Electric Avenue Gifts you’ll find the largest selection of Flathead Lake cherry products, the local cherries famous for their intense sweetness. Cherry harvest takes place in mid-summer, usually in July. Flowing from the Mission Mountains, the 95-mile-long Swan River empties into Flathead Lake at Bigfork. The town is famous for its Fourth of July parade.

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