Recreation

In keeping with its role as a resort village, Bigfork [1] has one of the best golf courses in the West. The 27-hole Eagle Bend Golf Club (406/837-3700; reserve well in advance), just off Holt Drive west of Highway 35, has received high ratings from Golf Digest magazine and from Montana golfers.

Eagle Bend also houses the Montana Athletic Club (850 Holt Dr., 406/837-2582), which includes racquetball, squash, aerobics, an indoor pool, and a weight room.

Boat tours of Flathead Lake [2] leave regularly from Bigfork. Tour the lake and Wild Horse Island [3] with Pointer Scenic Cruises (406/837-5617), a nine-passenger charter boat. To arrange a sailboat tour of Flathead Lake aboard a classy 1920s-era racing sloop, call Flathead Lake Lodge (406/837-5569).

Right in town, the two-mile Swan River Nature Trail offers a bit of peace and quiet to those who’d rather hike or mountain bike while their traveling companions shop in downtown Bigfork. Catch the trail near the corner of Grand and Electric avenues.

Rent a bike from Mountain Mike’s (417 Bridge St., 406/837-2453)—Mike can also tell you where to ride or even take you on a guided bike tour.

Some of the state’s wildest water is found in the mile or so of the Swan River immediately before the Bigfork dam. Kayakers love it, but it’s not for the inexperienced.