Whitefish: Places: The Summit at Whitefish Mountain Resort

For any outdoor enthusiast, the vistas from the summit at Whitefish Mountain Resort are world class.

Load your mountain bike on the Big Mountain Express/Chair 1 and enjoy the ride up, or lace up your hiking boots and explore the Danny On Trail, a 3.8-mile hike from base to summit. Any age or ability is welcome to take Chair 1 with the options of a regular chairlift or gondola.

At the summit, enjoy a hot panini at the Summit House – the highest restaurant in northwest Montana – and take in the unparalleled views of Glacier National Park, Hungry Horse Reservoir and the Great Bear Wilderness.

Descending the mountain, take advantage of the more than 20 miles of mountain biking trails that weave their way through patches of blooming bear grass. From beginner to expert, all levels of biker can find their own challenging trails.

Those riding up the Summit Trail should be cautious of the number of people riding down, and those cruising down the single-track trail need to be considerate of those riding up.

For kids, age 8-17, check out the Mountain Bike Academy, and for competitive riders the Thursday Night Race League runs mid-July through late August.

How to Get There: From downtown Whitefish take Baker Avenue north over the train tracks. Baker Avenue becomes Wisconsin Avenue. Continue on Wisconsin. Turning right, take Big Mountain Road up the mountain. At the top of the mountain, Chair 1 and the Danny On trailhead are located at the end of the Village parking lot.