Flathead Lake

Flathead Lake, in northwestern Montana, is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Stretching for 28 miles along the base of the scenic Mission Range, it is one of the few lakes in the Rocky Mountains that is warm enough for swimming.

One problem with swimming in the lake is the “swimmer’s itch” parasite found in the shallow water. Make sure you wipe off with a towel or shower right after you come out of the water.

The state park has six separate sections scattered around the lake, each of them with a campground, picnic area, boat ramp, and swimming beach. Two units are on the west shore, three on the east shore, and one on While Horse Island..

We had a long day of driving planned—about 8 hours—so we needed to find something fun along the way. Flathead Lake along our route through Montana was just what we needed. The lake was beautiful, set along the base of the very scenic Mission Mountain Range.

After a nice picnic lunch in the state park along the western shore of the lake, the kids ran down the boat ramp and jumped into the lake. The water was surprisingly warm considering it was in the Rocky Mountains. The kids had a great time. I’m kind of glad that we only read later about the “swimmer’s itch” parasite that is found in the lake or the kids never would have gone in. Fortunately, none of them encountered it..