There is more to Polson, MT than just Flathead Lake

Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake West of the Mississippi River and is renowned for being one of the cleanest lakes. What does that mean? Every year hundreds of tourists flock to the lake to cool off in the crystal clear waters, rent jet skis for an adrenaline rush or spend hours standing in the shallow sand bars drinking beers. Flathead really is a dream summer vacation destination. On the southern end of the lake lies a hidden gem of a town that should be the star of the show. Polson, Montana is often overlooked and treated as a passthrough when travelling between the larger cities of Missoula and Kalispell. But the outdoor recreation opportunities and endless miles of lake shoreline are unmatched.

Even more overlooked than the town itself? The bike trails. In addition to paved trail sections of varying lengths that go through town, the main multi-use trail connects Polson to the nearby town of Ronan and totals 13 miles each way. I don’t think this trail has an official name (or if it does I don’t know it). Unfortunately, I think that’s why it gets missed by visiting bikers. The trail doesn’t even show up on Google Maps, so you’re in for an exclusive review!

I started my ride at the Polson Bay Golf Course parking lot and crossed the highway at the light marking the junction of Highways 93 and 35. A 2-mile uphill climb welcomes you to the trail. Once you reach the stoplight across from Wal-Mart, you have made it up the steepest part of the climb. But don’t get too excited…the climb continues! Once the road starts to flatten out, reward yourself with a water break and turn around to admire the views of Flathead Lake from above. It really is worth the climb.

Luckily there is a slight downhill grade for most of the way to the final destination of Ronan. Enjoy the easy pedal and smooth path as you follow the stunning Mission Mountains. The trail does stay close to the highway for the entirety of the ride. But I didn’t think the car noise took away from the beauty of the ride. There is usually a guard rail or larger grass divider between the cars and the path.

The trail does cross the highway three times. Once by tunnel, once over a large bridge in Pablo and once by crosswalk just outside of Ronan. The crosswalk was just installed and was not functioning when I rode. I’m not sure how it will be crossing a highway when traffic is busy, but I went in the morning and did not have any issues.

There is one slightly confusing section where the trail does a U-turn and follows the frontage road instead of the highway for one mile. It isn’t marked but just follow the sidewalk briefly and you’ll see the paved path. Just don’t panic if you lose sight of the trail momentarily. This happens at Courville Trail and then you switch back to the highway at Clairmont Road. Otherwise the trail is very easy to follow, no navigation needed.

This path only used to go 11 miles. Just in the last few months during construction on the highway the last 2 miles were added completing the connection between Polson and Ronan. So enjoy the extra smoothness of the fresh, barely used stretch at the end! And the best part? The trail ends right across the street from a Dairy Queen. I think it might be impossible to not reward yourself with a Blizzard before turning around.

Although the ride back north towards Polson is slightly grittier thanks to the mild uphill grade. Don’t forget, you get to coast down the giant hill for the last 2 miles! And even better you get to do so while admiring the stunning lake. This is an easy cycle for any age and a great way to warm-up before taking a dip in the lake.

• The population of Polson is 5500
• McDonald Peak is the highest point of the Mission Mountains at 9868 feet
• Flathead Lake is 27 miles long, 15 miles wide and its max depth is 371 feet
• Wildhorse Island is the largest island on the lake and yes it does actually have wild horses
• Polson is on the Flathead Indian Reservation as part of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
• Because of its size, Flathead Lake has not completely frozen since 1990