Kalispell and Lake McDonald

Monday-Tuesday, July 25-16, 2016

Our trip from Missoula on Highway 93 was beautiful especially as the road traversed Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in the continental U.S. west of the Mississippi River.   The Lake is 30 miles long covering 200 square miles, 185 miles of shoreline and beautiful views of the Mission Mountains.  We traveled through several little mountain lake resort towns with a good part of the time traveling right next to the Lake.  There are numerous islands on the lake and lots of homes, resorts, etc.  Pictures are from inside the RV so not as clear as from outdoors.

One of the many islands on Flathead Lake

Our campground is located in Kalispell (a Salish word meaning “flat land above the lake”) and the town was founded by Charles Conrad in 1891,  The town is located about 30 miles south and west of West Glacier, the west side entrance to Glacier National Park.  Our RV Park is away from a busy highway and sits among the trees with a small spring fed creek used as the swimming hole.  For most of the day, the Park is very quiet though busy with RV’s and people coming and going but nights are very still.  Campgrounds this summer are very full due to low gas prices. 

We are going to take the vintage 1930 Red Jammer Bus Tour on Saturday taking us on all day trip from the west side to the east and back on the Going to the Sun Road so are spending our time until then sightseeing in other areas nearby. 

The Red Jammer Bus for Going to the Sun Tour

On Tuesday we drive up the Going to the Sun Road as far as Lake MacDonald.  Lake MacDonald is the largest lake in Glacier National park, approximately 10 miles long, over one mile wide, 472 feet deep and on the west side of the Continental Divide.  It was formed by a combination of erosion and glacial activity.  There are numerous pullovers where you can take pictures or even take a dip in the lake as well as several campgrounds geared to tenters and small RV’s and trailers.  Only one campground in the Park can handle RV’s up to 40 feet. 

Lake McDonald Lodge constructed in 1913-14 and done in Swiss chalet hunting lodge architecture, is located on the lake with a lovely lobby, restaurant, lounge and numerous outlying cabins and what they call a camp store with groceries and souvenirs all set along the Lake and among the trees.  Very pretty and a lovely view of the Lake.   Here you can also take  a boat tour of the Lake.  The weather today in the Park is overcast so our pictures are not the best.  We will drive up another day when the sun is shining. 

Chandeliers in McDonald Lodge lobby

 More tomorrow about Kalispell.