The Whitefish Trail Reviews

So glad we found this trail outside Whitefish. Small enough to easily climb to the summit, with great views, and back in a couple of hours. Met very friendly people. You'll see runners and mountain bikers, the latter of which were pretty courteous the day we were out there. It was mid-June and rather cold and windy, so bring layers.

Something that should be preserved. There are not too many areas to go to anymore that offer the peace and serenity like this.

Close to downtown Whitefish is this trail system. The maintained trails meander through a lightly forested thicket. Known for mountain biking, it is a place to also walk and ride horses. Remember Horses always have the Right of Way.

We hiked a couple of trails off the The Whitefish Trail and were super impressed with the lay-out, the signage, the parking- everything!

A easy place to find with many trails to get a work out in with out hardly leaving town . What a nice addition for our town , we are so lucky to have such a nice place .

This extensive network of trails is good for mountain biking, walking your dog or hiking. You can take an easy loop or an extensive trip with a shuttle needed

This trail is located about a half-mile off the 93 pass the golf course. Well groomed and well-maintained. There are mileage markers and maps very obviously displayed. Great views from some parts of the trail. It shouldn't take you more than a couple hours. Super easy hike something nice to do you want to Sunday afternoon. Great hike for dogs too!

I chose this hike because of the reviews that I read on All Trails. The trail was well maintained & actually made a loop. We ventured beyond the loop & found the trail still in great condition & very easy to walk. The trail has hikers...equestrians..& mountain bike riders so you have to stay aware of your surroundings. Lots of trees & bushes too 😊

We spent this winter exploring the Whitefish trail system on snowshoes! It's taken us all winter to explore the many varied trails- I had no idea they were so extensive. From Spencer Lake trails to the Beaver Lake, Lion Lake and Smith Lake- they are all wonderful and different with beautiful views and many branches for a varied experience each time we've gone. I think they're just as beautiful in the winter as in the summer and a great way to spend the day exploring if you're not on the mountain skiing!

Its a nice walk, not too busy when we were there. Nothing stands out particularly. Pine forest, stream overlook, easy trail. Takes about 30 minutes.

What a nice and easily accessible trail system. The trails are very well maintained. Can find a good length walk, we walked to Smith lake. Road was easy to get there, at the north end of Whitefish Lake. Hike was not too strenuous.

This was a pleasant surprise to find in Whitefish. It is located on the northern edge of town, not far from the highway, and has good parking and toilets. They have a short loop ideal for families with little ones or people with restricted mobility. Not too far up the trail is a viewpoint with gorgeous views south. Good signage helps people find their way. The forest itself is not as wild as other areas, as they are removing fallen trees to help reduce the fire risk, which is a good idea.

Good trail system, lots of mtn bikers, nice flow. Beautiful views. Lodge pole pines are spectacular in October.

This is a great tail system that is adding much to the outdoor adventures we enjoy. Whether hiking or biking, you can't go wrong. Dogs are welcome, but of course, must be properly managed. Suggest packing bear spray as I've seen a few bears despite people about.

I loved it but if you hate your life say screw it and go by your self. I got chased by mountain lions

Very well maintained trail system close to town. Great variety of length/difficulty options for hikers/bikers.
A fair amount of usage so keep your eyes open and dog's on leash or under perfect voice control. Bring bear spray and put a bear bell on the pooch.

Great for hiking, running or biking and dog friendly. The trail system offers many different options all of which are close to Whitefish.

I parked my car at Lion loop right past the city of whitefish. Had a hard time finding the trail as it is just to the right and behind the maps. The walk was about 2 miles maybe three. Just right. Plenty of signs to keep you from getting lost.

We had snowshoes assuming we would need them to find the trail very well packed down and others not using them. Decided to go without, which ended up being totally fine. Gorgeous views and very tranquil hike

As locals, we love these trails, especially the further out ones, with fewer people. (And I'm sure hikers with dogs appreciate seeing fewer bikers as well) But, I implore you...folks with dogs....pick up after them!

Pretty easy with lots of options. Heavily forested but some good lake views. Just keep in mind it is Bear country

We did the Lion Mountain section of the Whitefish trail. It is a very nice hike and not that difficult. This is a loop trail and enjoyable in that way. The trail a about 3 miles and there is one viewpoint.

Rented a bike just around the town. It was meant to be an easy beginner trail.
but my heart pumped so hard, got me really sick at beginning of the trail as it was on ascending mode at most of times but towards the end, it was really nice. Highlight of my trip.

We did this hike with our four kids ages 9 and under. All of them were able to hike this trail without a problem. We took our dog and kept her on a leash but no one else did. Lots of dogs running free. I’m fine with unleashed dogs as long as they are friendly but some of them growled and tried to bite my dog. Very annoying.

We did the red lion section of this trail. Start at the Whitefish Trailhead which is just off of 93 a couple of miles west of the town of Whitefish. Just follow the signs, it is well marked. The trail is 2.6 mile loop. You start with an easy 1.3 mile climb up to a lookout of Skyles Lake. Very pretty views from there. Once you take a few pictures and catch your breath, you take a 1.3 mile loop back down to the trailhead. From the lookout, you can continue past the lake for a few more miles if you desire. A good forest hike with kids. Saw some deer while there.

Whitefish Trail is extremely well planned and close to town. Great place to take your well behaved pooch out for some exercise and beautiful scenery. Hopefully trailwill continue to expand and include Big Mountain.

The Whitefish trail system ia a mutilple use trail system (hiking, biking and equestrian) with several trail just off Highway 93 in close proximity to the town of Whitefish, Montana. We hiked both the Smith Lake/Swift Creek Trail and the Mountain Lion trails. Both were in excellent condition and with the help of donations, seem to be well maintained. What a great treausure so close to town. Some of the hikes could easily be done with young children. Good maps on their website.

This trail has steadily grown in size and can get you pretty near anywhere you want to walk bike or ride in Whitefish. This day it was along walk enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Perfect.

The multi-use Whitefish Trail system is well designed and offers a number of routes of varying lengths and difficulty. You can pick up the trail at a number of different points. I wish we had brought the mountain bikes, because riding some of these trails would have been a lot of easy-riding fun! The routes are well-sign-marked and allow you to get away from the sounds of the city. Good for a nice afternoon stroll.

I am not a biker. I walked this trail once and I was very irritated because I constantly had to stop and pull off trail for mountain bikers. Can't there be hiker/biker specific trails?? This seems dangerous to me, especially on a busy day. And if you have children running way ahead of you who may not be looking out for bikers flying down the mountain could be even more dangerous.

Much better places to hike around the area.

We were in Whitefish for a week in late June 2019. The weather was cool and wet with a high chance of thunderstorms in Glacier National Park most days we were there. So, instead of driving for hours into the park then not being able to hike due to storms, we opted to hike parts of the Whitefish Trail one day. It was a good decision. The trail is perfectly maintained and the signage is excellent. The views are wonderful though not on a par with those in Glacier, of course. Whitefish itself is fabulous! I highly recommend both Whitefish and the Whitefish Trail. Kudos to the group consolidating various trails into this system!

A group of us hiked on a section of the Whitefish Trails, starting from the Lion Mountain trail head. It was about 1 mile, and 250 feet of elevation to get to the scenic overlook, so not a difficult hike at all. We continued on further, since the trails were pretty nice. There's actually a fairly large network of trails, with several different trail heads in the Whitefish area: you can look at their map if you go to their website. One down side (for hikers at least) is that there were a lot of bikers on the trails. Most of them are very patient and courteous, but there's always a few who will rip right past you, on a steep section of the trail, with little warning, so you definitely need to be aware while hiking here.

This ride takes you along a packed single-track trail. We started at the Skyles Trailhead, just above Skyles Lake, about 7 miles west of Whitefish, MT. The parking area was small but uncrowded. There were two other vehicles there.

The first stretch of the climb has some switchbacks and a pretty constant but relatively gentle climb. After a while there was constant, gentle downhill as we continued along the Beaver Lakes Trailhead. We turned before we got there however and headed back.

The ride was fun, going through beautiful forest.

If you are a mountain biker, the Whitefish area is a Mecca with miles of trails for riders of all abilities.

5-star experience

In the UK we are used to having public footpaths but in the U.S. it is unusual so it is such a joy to be able to wander through the extensive trail system on every side of Whitefish. You can get a very good map of the system online or at the visitor centre. Some are extremely energetic but many others are more gentle and with lots of cut offs if you have had enough. The Swift Creek trailhead is very doable but is mostly just though trees (although we were surprised by a bear cub and hot footed it out!!) Others have more open vistas. Enjoy .

I love these trails, especially if you do not have all day and are not looking for a long challenging hike. The sections are broken up into about 3 mile loops. Not too much up and down and not steep. Each has a view of a lake somewhere along the way. Lion mountain is close to town and no dirt roads. The others may have some dirt road to navigate. This takes some time.
Check the map and decide which section you want to do and just get out and enjoy.
They do allow dogs, so you will be greeted several times along the way by our furry friends. The trails are also shared with mountain bikers. Although they are supposed to yield to hikers, it rarely happens, so keep an eye out for them and be prepared to step off of the trail to let them pass.

This is an easy trail that goes to a lookout about 500 feet above land below. Nice little hike for families with young kids and dogs. We enjoyed the easy hike after spending many days hiking in Glacier. Enjoy the hike.

We were looking for something to do on a day off after spending 5 days in the park and wanted a little different area. We are so glad that we found this trail and proud to see the Whitefish area supporting such a system. Lots of wildflowers on our hike.

A wonderful place to mountan bike or hike with friends or kids Easy access from whitefish, ample parking, and trails are all well marked. Yay!

The Whitefish Trail System is Just minutes away from Whitefish. It offers a good selection of hikes of various lengths and difficulty. The trails are clearly marked. The sights are amazing. Information is available on line and at most commercial establishments in Whitefish.

We rode on this trail twice and really enjoyed it. The views are gorgeous! Both of the trips we did have a lot of uphill riding which was tough for me having mountain biked only a couple times this season, but heading back downhill was lots of fun! My husband rides once or twice a week and thought it was absolutely perfect.

I love to go to Whitefish Trails for a short walk with the dog or a long hike. The city maintains these trails beautifully and they are all close to town. Snowshoeing here in the winter is great also!

This trail system does not have great views but it is gentle and well marked. It is longer than expected with several junctions. Some water for you dog but not a lot.

This is a great trail. It’s dog friendly and you can either go a small loop or continue to the lake. We let our dogs off leash and they also enjoyed it. Pretty drive along Whitefish Lake to get to the trail too.

The Whitefish Legacy Partners have preserved miles of great bike/hike/run trails, on the edge of Whitefish. There is parking at the trailhead but why use it? It's a 10 minute mountain bike ride from downtown. Don't forget your bear spray.

This is an extremely convenient trail system close to the town of Whitefish MT.

There are several different areas of trails for your enjoyment. Bikes and an occasional horse or two can be found on the trails as well.

Very quiet is the section at the north end of "Whitefish Lake".

Remember, you ARE in BEAR country... Enjoy!

With Glacier just 30 minutes away, who needs miles and miles of trails out the back door? We do! What a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the weather, the scenery, and the fresh air and hardly spend any time in the car getting there. Love this trail system. And it just keeps getting better!

I don't know of another city of any size that has the extent of easy hiking/running/mountain biking trails that Whitefish does through its nonprofit Whitefish Legacy Trail system.

I love the Whitefish Trail. It's great to go trail running and there are enough people on it that you really don't have to worry about seeing bears.....at least, I haven't seen any yet. Anyhoo, good trail system that is maintained.

Enjoyable trail system; great family outing; well-maintained and proper signage. Our dogs enjoy walking on this trail very much.

Lots of bikers on this shared trail, but all but one were good about looking for hikers and communicating how many were in their group. Good view from the top looking back at the lake and town--somewhat blocked by trees. Easier hike.

We were staying at Pine Lodge and the trail was easy to get to
to walk to town so did not have to fine place to park car.

Very nice trail well marked steady climb to top but not difficult path is nice wide
GreT for walkers pet friendly and bikers use also

The Whitefish Trail system starts just on the west side of town and currently also exists on the north side of Whitefish Lake. It is being expanded and connected. It is a great trail system with numerous trailheads, great hiking, biking, running -- the trails are in great shape. There are markers along the trail for location if there's an event.

The WF Trail also offers wonderful education experiences for all ages. Most of the experiences are in the summer months, but extend throughout the year.

Congrats to all that are making this trail system a reality and work!

We took a short drive from downtown Whitefish, and headed north on Highway 93 about 7-miles to Beaver Lake Rd. After turning off 93, not more than 1.5 miles down the road, we arrived at the Beaver Trailhead. Amy read that this trail was an easy and relatively-short hike - about a 3-mile loop.

We began our hike and didn't reach a marker for little over a 1/4 mile. It was a bit confusing: the sign showed both a South Beaver Loop with no posted mileage, and a North Beaver Trailhead with miles posted at 4.1 miles. So, we headed left, thinking that it was the correct direction for the shorter loop.

About a mile on the path, the mosquitos began to attack. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our bug spray. So - NO THANK YOU! - we turned around and got the H.E.L.L.O out of there! According to our Map App, we hiked about 1.4 miles total.

The Highlights: this is a nice, easy trail. It is woodsy and picturesque. At one point on the trail, we stopped and noticed that there was no wind, and not a sound: perfectly quiet! It was sort of an ethereal experience - before getting to . . .

The Lowlights: that would be those mosquitos!

Confusing trail markers and mosquitos aside, the Beaver Trailhead is an enjoyable hike. It's also good for bikers. Just don't forget to bring your bug repellent and water. It would also be a good idea to bring some bear spray. Don't risk becoming the star of a Dateline Special!

Since we really weren't prepared for this hike, we decided to drive up the road to take a look at Beaver Lake. Got to tell you: this is NOT a great ride for anything but a 4-wheel drive, off-road vehicle. The road is a rough one. I'll leave it at that!

So gorgeous and picturesque. A quiet walk in November, we were the only ones there. A couple of spots to take pictures overlooking lakes. Easy hike.

Well marked trail around the lake that included overlooks -- nice walk in the woods! Good parking for access at trailheads.

Enjoyed this informative hike that was lead by a docent that spoke of the information regarding brown and grizzly bears and hiking safely. Hiked some beautiful areas and learned so much on bear behavior. I cannot wait to hike all the trails here!