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Columbia Falls offers a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, to provide a fun-filled day for the entire family.

Family Recreation
Hiking
River Trips
Snowmobiling
Skiing
Camping
Glacier National Park
Golfing

Family Recreation

The City of Columbia Falls maintains approximately 28 acres of park land. Developed parks include baseball and soccer fields, picnic areas and playgrounds and a waterfall and bandshell. The City operates the Pinewood Family Aquatic Center, a 25 meter competitive swimming pool and a leisure pool with several fixed play features.

Bring the family and enjoy Montana's biggest and best Water Theme Park – Big Sky Waterpark. Ten exciting slides, huge whirl pool, picnic grounds, beach volley ball, krazy kars and much more.
406-892-5025
www.bigskywaterpark.com

Amazing Ventures, Inc. is a wonderful family recreation park. Challenge the mind with a world class wooden maze. Bumper water boats, bank shot basketball, miniature golf and race car track. Fun for everyone.
406-387-5902

House Of Mystery is Montana's only natural vortex, producing unusual gravitational energies and mystifying phenomena. A popular family-oriented attraction.
406-892-1210.

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Hiking

Columbia Falls is known as the "Gateway to Glacier National Park". With 700 miles of maintained trails in the Park, there are endless opportunities to hike in this beautiful area of Montana.

Jewel Basin
As a designated hiking area, the Jewel is a true hiker's paradise. Thirty-five miles of trail provide options for hikes of all lengths. While some prefer the day hikes many choose to camp by one of the area's 25 lakes and enjoy a few hours of fishing. LOCATION: 17 miles east of Kalispell and 18 miles southeast of Columbia Falls.

Columbia Mountain
Columbia Mountain is overlooking Columbia Falls. This provides a wonderful family opportunity to go hiking. This trail head in approximately four miles form Columbia Falls. The first two and a half miles are moderate and offer a wonderful view of the valley. The last five and a half miles to the top is a challenge.

Big Mountain Ski And Summer Resort
Offering some of the best views of Glacier National Park, the Big Mountain has dramatic views, an Environmental Education Center and the Danny On Trail.

Glacier National Park
With more than 700 miles of trails, the Crown of the Continent offers a trail for everyone's ability. HIDDEN LAKE OVERLOOK is a must for everyone. The trail begins at the Logan Pass Visitor Center Area. The boardwalk protects the fragile alpine fields of wildflowers as the trail gains about 500 feet along the l.5 mile route to the overlook.

Hungry Horse Dam And Reservoir offers excellent recreation opportunities. Each year thousands of tourists come to this area to take part in fishing, boating, camping, water skiing, snowmobiling and hunting. Hidden in the rugged Rocky Mountain Range, the project is located on the South Fork of the Flathead River, 10 miles east of Columbia Falls. Tours of the dam are given during the summer season. Montana is "Big Sky" country where water is the state's greatest resource. There are many hiking trails into hidden mountain lakes around the 50 miles of rugged road to Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Check the ranger station at Spotted Bear or Hungry Horse Ranger Station.

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River Trips

Columbia Falls is the gateway to the Flathead Rivers. The three forks of the Flathead River are part of the Nation's Wild and Scenic River System. If you are looking for Fly Fishing, Whitewater or a Scenic Float with over 225 miles of river to choose from there is something for everyone.

The South Fork of the Flathead River starts deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and flows north until meeting the 45 mile long Hungry Horse Reservoir. After the Hungry Horse Dam there is a short section of river before the confluence with the Middle Fork. The section above and below the Hungry Horse Reservoir can be accessed from the South Fork road. The wilderness section must be accessed by hiking or horseback. The fishing above the reservoir is well known as a great cutthroat fishery.

The North Fork of the Flathead River flows out of Canada and makes up the western border of Glacier National Park. It has very little white water but offers great fishing and spectacular mountain views into the Glacier National Park. It offers about 60 miles of floating to the confluence of the Middle Fork.

The Middle Fork of the Flathead River starts in the Bob Marshall Wilderness then flows through The Great Bear Wilderness before meeting with Highway 2. There is about 30 miles of floatable river in the wilderness then another 55 miles to the confluence of the South Fork. The upper wilderness section offers one of the nations premier wilderness float trips with outstanding mountain views, narrow canyons, class IV whitewater, and incredible fishing. This section of river must be accessed by small plane, horseback, or hiking. After leaving the wilderness it parallels Highway 2 and is the southern border of Glacier National Park. It offers great fishing and several whitewater sections, with the most popular being the 8 miles above West Glacier.

The Main Flathead River begins at the confluence of the Middle Fork and the South Fork and flows through Columbia Falls. It slowly meanders its way through the Flathead Valley for another 45 miles before flowing into Flathead Lake. It offers good fishing and many other recreational opportunities such as water skiing, jet skiing and duck hunting.

For information on the Flathead Rivers contact the Hungry Horse Ranger Station at (406) 387 3800 or Glacier Anglers Fly Shop in West Glacier (406) 888 5454 or www.glacier-anglers.com. For information on Raft Trips or Fishing Trips call:
Glacier Raft Company (800) 235 6781 www.glacierraftco.com
Great Northern Whitewater (406) 387 5340 www.gnwhitewater.com
Montana Raft Company (406) 387 5656 www.glacierguides.com
Wild River Adventures (406) 387 9453 www.riverwild.com

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Snowmobiling

Montana's Flathead Valley welcomes snowmobilers. The mountains are high and the powder is deep. We are your gateway to a wonderland with approximately 200 miles of groomed trails and nearly 2,000 miles of National Forest Service roads to take you through pristine alpine forests, along ridges with spectacular views and into deep powder bowls.

There are mountain top rides with incredible views...groomed trails...deep powder bowls for play...and pristine alpine forests. Columbia Falls is a center for snowmobiling, with trails leading to the summit of Big Mountain or Mount Marston lookout with an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet.

Canyon Creek
Located on the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage, the Canyon Creek trail accesses more then 100 miles of groomed trail and abundant mountain riding. The trailhead is five miles north of Columbia Falls and leads to the summit of The Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort.

Desert Mountain and Skyland Road are two other areas between Columbia Falls and East Glacier.

Trail maps are available throughout the Valley. Contact J&L RV and Snowmobile Rentals 406-892-7666 www.jandlrvrentals.com for current snow conditions. Flathead Convention & Visitor Bureau 1-800-543-3105 or www.fcvb.org.

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Skiing

For more than 50 years Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort has offered some of the best downhill skiing in the Northwest with 67 runs on 3,000 skiable acres. There is also a snowboard park, snowcat skiing, back country snowmobiling and a Nordic Center.

One of the newest ski areas to the northwest is Blacktail Mountain. It offers a 1440 foot vertical drop on more than 13 miles of groomed runs on one thousand acres. There are no lines, and kids 70 and over or seven and under ski free.

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Camping

Columbia Falls and the surrounding areas offer numerous camping opportunities. Whether you prefer "roughing it" in a tent, or desire all the amenities of your RV, Columbia Falls area will be a terrific area to start your vacation. For more information on camping, visit http://www.montanacampground.com

Hungry Horse Reservoir
There are three campgrounds on the east side and six on the west side of the reservoir. There are four boat launch sites also with many opportunities for fishing and hiking. Water-skiing and swimming are also very popular.

Big Creek Campground
This is located 20 miles north of Columbia Falls on the North Fork of the Flathead River. The river is the Western boundary of the park and has been designated a Wild and Scenic River. There are many recreational sites along this rustic route providing river access.

There are many private campgrounds between Columbia Falls and the West entrance to Glacier Park. There is also camping in Glacier Park.

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Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park, the fourth largest National Park in the U.S. in the lower 48 states, is comprised of 1.4 million acres of breathtaking beauty and is one of the oldest scenic wonders in the United States.

The famous Going-To-The-Sun Road, carved out of solid rock and completed in 1932, is approximately fifty miles long, bisecting the Park east and west. This breathtaking trip to the top of the Continental Divide is one of the most scenic in the world.
www.nps.gov/glac/

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Golfing

Golf Flathead Valley
"Golf Destination of the Northwest"

Ranked among the "50 greatest golf destinations," by Golf Digest, September 2000


Meadow Lake Golf Resort - Columbia Falls
Nestled in its own private setting and protected by the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains lies this beautiful 18-hole championship golf course. MeadowLake's 330 gently rolling acres offer trees, crystal clear lakes and streams, and spectacular mountain views of Glacier Park.
800-321-GOLF, 406-892-8700 or www.meadowlake.com

Glacier View Golf Club - West Glacier
Your biggest challenge is keeping your eye OFF the majestic peaks of Glacier Park and ON the ball! Glacier View Golf Course has always been known as a friendly, relaxing and family oriented course. It is 18 holes of Mountain paradise.
406-888-5471

There are seven other pubic courses within 35-45 minutes of Columbia Falls.

Most courses are open from April through October. The prices range form $20 to $56 around in season. Special packages are available and twilight time prices are offered. You can book tee times on any of the nine Flathead Valley Golf Association courses by calling 800-392-9795.

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Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 312
Columbia Falls, Montana 59912
406-892-2072
info@columbiafallschamber.com

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