Rolling along country roads or peaceful trails on a bicycle allows you to enjoy the beauty of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park at your own pace, stopping to admire the scenery, picnic or take photos wherever you like. Whether you ride for an hour or stretch your trip into an all-day tour, you’ll find it easy to design a bike trip just right for you and your family.
Start by visiting the Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana web site at www.railstotrailsofnwmt.com. Here you can download maps of the paved bicycle-pedestrian trails around the Flathead Valley, including close-up trail maps of Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Bigfork.
Of course, many more excellent bike routes beckon in the Flathead Valley. Any local bike shop will be able to tell you about trips they recommend for people of any ability and skill level. They will know about the best scenic routes, where the good road surfaces and shoulders are, and how to avoid traffic and safety hazards.
Here are three suggested road-based routes from Kalispell cyclist and former racer Joe Arnone:
1) Foothill Loop – Start at Cayuse Prairie School, about 10 miles east of Kalispell on Lake Blaine Road, east of Hwy. 35. (Highway 35 itself has a good shoulder for cycling, however, traffic tends to be heavy between Kalispell and the Flathead River bridge.) Follow Lake Blaine Road east from the school until it becomes Foothill Road. Continue on Foothill Road alongside scenic Echo Lake, at the foot of the Swan Range.
After Echo Lake, turn right on McCaffery Road, following it west to Hwy 35. Go left on Hwy. 35, then right at Riverside Road, following Riverside back to Hwy. 35. Turn right onto Creston Hatchery Road and head back to Lake Blaine Road and Cayuse Prairie School, where you started. This easy ride lasts about two to three hours.
2) Somers Loop – Along Kalispell’s east side, take Woodland Avenue south and east to Willow Glen Drive and turn right. Just before Willow Glen Drive meets Hwy. 93, turn left onto Lower Valley Road, which eventually becomes North Somers Road. Cross Hwy. 82 and continue south on Somers Road into Somers, where you’ll find some good eateries. Just before Tiebucker’s Restaurant is a paved bike path that takes you toward Kalispell, parallel to Hwy. 93. When you reach Rocky Cliff Drive on this path, cross Hwy. 93 and proceed west to a T-junction. Take a left onto Airport Road, go right on Foy’s Canyon Road, then follow Foy’s Lake Road around the lake and back into Kalispell. Plan up to four hours for this intermediate ride.
3) Glacier Park rides – Snow and weather conditions make bicycling in Glacier National Park best in July through September, but the views make it worth planning ahead for these unique experiences. For a world-class, 85-mile, one-way tour, start at West Glacier, just outside the park’s west entrance. Follow the Going-to-the-Sun Road along Lake McDonald and continue past forests, waterfalls and scenic turnouts to Logan Pass. Stop here for a drink of fresh mountain water and maybe a stroll up the trail to the Hidden Lake Overlook.
Continue east for a long, refreshing downhill glide into St. Mary. Turn right onto Hwy. 89 at St. Mary, then right again on Hwy 49, which crosses Looking Glass Pass. Follow Hwy. 49 into East Glacier. To make a complete, 137-mile loop back to West Glacier, proceed west on Hwy. 2 for 55 miles.
Note: The Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed to bicycles between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., so plan accordingly. Wear a helmet, sunglasses and sunscreen, and carry warm clothes and rain gear for surprise weather changes. Watch for wildlife on the road.
Biking is just one of many recreational and cultural opportunities in Montana’s Flathead Valley. For more information or to order a FREE Vacation Travel Guide, please visit www.montanasflatheadvalley.com.
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