I have always wanted to explore more of Whitefish Montana, Kalispell Montana, and Columbia Falls Montana. The first time I ever went to Glacier National Park, we stayed at an Airbnb in Polson, which is almost an hour and a half away from Glacier’s West Entrance. Getting up super early to beat the crowds was not fun with that kind of commute, and felt dangerous in the early mornings and late at night!
That’s why I was thrilled to stay at The Cabins at Urban Woods in Columbia Falls Montana, a collection of boutique cabins close to everything your heart could desire or enough things to keep you occupied if you want to stay in and be cozy.
If you’re someone that wants to do more than just visit Glacier National Park, or if the weather has prevented you from visiting, this post is for you! While I will briefly include a couple of Glacier recommendations I incorporated into this trip, this blog post is most suitable for folks who want to know Columbia Falls Montana Things to Do, Whitefish Montana Things to Do, and Kalispell Montana Things to Do.
Note: this blog post was sponsored by The Cabins at Urban Woods, which is bookable via their direct website or through Airbnb. The exact cabin style we slept in is here and I toured this one as well. I received a three-night hosted stay in exchange for content creation.
All opinions are my own. You can find additional pictures and videos related to this post on our Instagram pages. To keep discovering the best of Montana, follow me and follow Urban Woods on Instagram!
This post also includes a paid partnership link with Capital One Shopping. I was compensated to include a link to their website, which helps you find deals on brands I already talk about and love. I accepted this opportunity to help offset the cost of this trip and to give you the chance to find savings too.
Read my Affiliate Disclosure and Marketing Philosophy statement here.
Columbia Falls Montana Things to do: Restaurants, Shops, and Activities
The Cabins at Urban Woods: Close to Everything You Desire!
The Cabins at Urban Woods are a great option if you want to be close to Glacier National Park in the summer or skiing in Whitefish Montana during the winter (plus all the other things to do year round!). The Cabins at Urban Woods are a collection of boutique cabins in a convenient part of Columbia Falls, Montana, and you can either rent one or book the entire property (which is perfect for a family reunion, a bachelor/bachelorette weekend, or even a work retreat!).
Each cabin has a loft with a bed, a comfy bed on the main floor, and a really nice shower. There is a smart TV where you can watch live TV or log into your streaming accounts. There’s also a mini-fridge, hot plate, a couple of pans, a microwave, and a bistro table in each of the cabins.
One of the best parts? Every cabin in the Cabin at Urban Woods has its own private patio with a charcoal grill, a picnic table, and two Adirondack chairs. It’s a great spot to unwind in the evenings or to enjoy some coffee in the morning!
When you stay at the Cabins at Urban Woods, you also get access to some fun extras:
- Bicycles you can borrow.
- A shared fire pit.
- Yard games.
- A game room with a golf simulator, a retro arcade machine (hello, Pac-Man), a two-player basketball hoop game, and a ping pong table.
- A sauna.
Although the sauna wasn’t finished when I stayed, it’s going to be a great bonus and yet another reason to stay at this property!
The location is excellent. The Cabins at Urban Woods are located:
- 20 minutes from Glacier National Park.
- 14 minutes from Whitefish, Montana.
- 25 minutes from Kalispell, Montana.
- 13 minutes from Glacier International Airport.
- 5 minutes from a 24/7 grocery store.
The cabins are located near the highway (like a lot of other rentals in the area), so the host includes a white noise machine and a pair of ear plugs just in case. If you live somewhere super quiet or have trouble sleeping, this might be an adjustment, but I believe the perks of staying here and the prime location will be worth the adjustment for most individuals, especially those who already live in cities.
The host also leaves a few little welcome gifts on the bed, which is a nice touch.
Columbia Falls Montana Restaurants
Part of the charm of the Cabins at Urban Woods was its close proximity to several great coffee shops and restaurants. This section will cover restaurants and the next section will cover coffee joints.
Backslope Brewing (rated 4.4 on Google Reviews) is a restaurant and brewery. The menu was very much Mediterranean-focused. This was one of my husband’s top two favorite meals during our trip. I ordered a flight of beer, which I enjoyed, and a gyro pita, which was really fresh and flavorful (albeit difficult to eat without making a mess–so not stingy on the amount of food filling the pita!). My husband basically had a custom plate and subbed out the carbs by buying extra protein, which raised the cost of the meal but left him satisfied.
Uptown Hearth (rated 4.8 on Google Reviews) was a really wonderful breakfast establishment. They have a busy but cozy coffee house with drinks, baked goods, and food. I enjoyed one of their breakfast buns, which was reminiscent of a sugared donut. My husband had their breakfast burrito. I had their beef and blue sandwich, which is made with flank steak, a horseradish beet spread, arugula, shallots, and blue cheese mayo on a house-made bun. I substituted the side salad for their lemon miso home fries. I’ll admit, I was doubtful about how good the fries would be, but they were actually phenomenal.
Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant (rated 4.4. on Google Reviews) was a recommendation from my Instagram montana.michie.adventures. My husband had some enchiladas and I had a combination plate. We enjoyed the food as well as the fun decor.
Nite Owl & Back Room Restaurants (rated 4.3 on Google Reviews). We went to Nite Owl for lunch. I got their French Dip and Daniel got their Grilled Pork Chops. I’ll be honest–I wasn’t wildly impressed with the food but the place is very popular with locals and as we ate, I heard at least a few folks are regulars there.
In addition, they have a robot that sometimes serves the food (the second one I’ve seen in Montana!) and they were the cheapest meal we had during the trip. So if you want an affordable meal, this is a good option. We met a couple staying at the Cabin at Urban Woods and they had enjoyed a breakfast at the restaurant, and were planning to go back again the next day.
Farm to Table Ice Cream, which has a 4.7 rating on Google Reviews, has delicious ice cream and waffle cones. I highly recommend the Flathead Cherry ice cream!
Columbia Falls Montana Coffee Shops
These are the coffee shops we were able to try during our trip!
Uptown Hearth (rated 4.8 on Google Reviews) had my favorite latte of the entire trip. It not only was pretty but the best-tasking of all the lattes I had the entire trip.
Cowgirl Coffee (rated 4.7 on Google Reviews) is 0.2 miles away from the Cabins at Urban Woods, so you can easily walk or drive to get your morning caffeine fix. This was my next favorite place to get coffee and it was my husband’s favorite place. My husband enjoyed getting iced coffees with sugar-free syrups and almond milk. I, as usual, got hot lattes. They also appear to have some super cute merch, which would make a nice and unique souvenir. Since they were open early (6am week days, 7pm weekends), it was super convenient to grab a coffee before we went to Glacier National Park to catch a sunrise.
Montana coffee traders (rated 4.6 on Google Reviews) – I had a good latte from them. The breakfast items looked super tempting, but we opted for snacks we bought for the hike instead, as we were trying to get to Glacier for a hike and my Going to the Sun Road Reservation. I’m also a fan of their bagged roasts, which make great gifts for friends and family outside of Montana.
Friske beans (rated 4.8 on Google Reviews) – This coffee stand was recommended to me by my Instagram friend. It won Best Coffee in 2022 and 2023 per Hungry Horse News. To be transparent, it was my least favorite latte BUT given the great ratings and awards, I’m assuming it was just a fluke and not the norm!!
Columbia Falls Montana Winery and Distillery
If you are 21 years old or older, these are two locations that should definitely be worked into your trip!
- White Raven Winery and Vineyard, which has a 5.0 rating on Google Reviews, is located 4 minutes (2 miles) away from the Cabins at Urban Woods, and I believe is the true gem of Columbia Falls Montana Things to Do. I’m shocked I hadn’t heard of the winery before. They serve charcuterie and wine. While we didn’t try the charcuterie, we did have premium wine tasting flights. I had the Firewine Marquette (a sexy red that incorporates some huckleberry whiskey from Glacier Distilling Company), the Latigo Blend, the Kokanee Blend, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2021 Syrah. They were all great red wines.
- The White Raven has a vineyard 5 miles away and they buy grapes from 5 other local Montana orchards. In addition, they also buy grapes from Washington, California, and Oregon.
- It is a family-owned winery with a tight-knit group of employees. They do all the crushing and destemming onsite, and most of the local picking is done by their employees. The employees truly help with the process from start to finish, including assisting with bottling, corking, and labeling the wine!
- Glacier Distilling Company, which has a 4.9 rating on Google Reviews, is located 13 minutes away from the Cabins at Urban Woods, Glacier Distilling Company is technically located in Coram, which is near Glacier National Park. This was a really fun distillery that brews artisanal small-batch liquor. They have indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a great option whether you’re looking for huckleberry infused whiskey or a good cocktail.
- We both tried a flight of their liquor, and then each had one of their delicious cocktails. Montana law prohibits distilleries from serving more than 2 ounces of liquor a day to customers. So flights are quarter ounce pours, and cocktails have one ounce of liquor.
- What’s neat is they bottle some very niche and unusual liquors, including absinthe. Make sure to check out their impressive collection!
Columbia Falls Montana Shops
Columbia Falls has several cute boutique shops. I checked out several shops near the Cabins at Urban Woods, and some of the shops a bit further away. Here is a list of the shops I recommend when looking for Columbia Falls Montana things to do.
Wild Wanderer – I almost skipped this store because it is 2.6 miles away from the main drag, thus 6 minutes out of the way. However, I’m so happy I still went! This is such a charming gift shop full of vintage and vintage-inspired goods. It was such a cozy place on the rainy morning I dropped in. They market themselves as “eclectic finds for the wild at heart.” I saw so many things I wanted to buy, but ended up getting a couple of Christmas gifts and a few vinyl records.
Monaco Furniture – This boutique store has great home decor, furniture, and art, along with some clothing and vinyl records. I loved the wide open space and the variety of available items.
Coyote – This boutique store had a nice curated selection of vintage clothing, along with local art, jewelry, lighting, and candles. The owner was very nice and has made a really cozy shop with many things to tempt even the most discerning shopper.
Persimmon Gallery – This shop contains art and goods created by Montana artists, including items like mugs, candles, jewelry, pottery, art, and kitchen items. It is a small shop filled with beguiling wares. In particular, there were a few gorgeous oil paintings of nature by Karen Minton that I would have bought if I could have afforded them.
Scout + Gather Mercantile – Located along the highway, this gift shop brands itself as “a Modern, Vintage, Home and Lifestyle Store.” From hats and clothing to cute gifts and cookbooks, as well as children’s toys, this mercantile has a nice selection of items.
Super 1 Foods – This is a grocery store BUT it is open 24/7! I was so shocked that Columbia Falls had a store open 24/7. It’s a 5 minute drive away from the Cabins at Urban Woods, making it the PERFECT stop for anything you might need during your stay.
Columbia Falls Montana Things I Missed
The following are things I wasn’t able to do this trip because there are so many Columbia Falls Montana things to do, but I recommend looking into if they are your thing and your dates are flexible.
- My biggest heartbreak of the trip is that Columbia Falls has a used bookstore with bookstore cats called Bad Rock Books LLC….and it was closed when we were visiting! 😭 The hours keep changing recently, I believe due to personal matters. They currently have limited/changing hours, so if you are also a book addict hopelessly in love with visiting bookstores and petting kitties, then make sure to time your trip correctly to visit Bad Rock Books LLC! Like other small Montana towns, the challenge when looking for Columbia Falls Montana thing to do is working around irregular schedules.
- Scout + Gather Mercantile’s property also has a mini golf, Mini Mountain at Camp Scout + Gather. I really wanted to play mini-golf with Daniel but, alas, it was rainy the day we could have played. Next time!
Whitefish Montana Day Trip
Whitefish is only fourteen minutes from Columbia Falls, so calling it a “day trip” almost feels dishonest. If you are just driving over for lunch, it hardly qualifies as a day trip. If you are determined to wander around, shop, eat, and take your time, then you can call it a day trip.
Whitefish is busy year round, with summer tourists and winter skiers flooding in. It is definitely on the pricier side, but that comes with a perk some of Montana’s other towns don’t enjoy. You can find everything from classic local spots to exciting new offerings to elegant restaurants worthy of an anniversary dinner or end-of-trip celebration.
Whitefish Montana Restaurants
This trip, we decided to try to do what we could to be more budget-friendly, so we didn’t eat at any of Whitefish’s notable fancy restaurants. However, we tried a couple of good restaurants.
Buffalo Cafe, which is rated 4.7 on Google Reviews, is a very popular restaurant. I had been hearing about it for years, including hearing it called a good breakfast place. Well, we finally got the chance to try it! I had a breakfast burrito and a pancake on the side. Both were very good. My husband enjoyed one of their omelets and subbed out the toast and hash browns for a couple of sausages.
Jersey Boys Pizzeria, which is rated 4.6 stars on Google Reviews, had great pizza. The best part? You don’t have to commit! You can buy individual slices of pizza custom-made, so I tried 4 different types of pizza: The Garbage Can (10 different toppings), Caprese, Hawaiian, and White Spinach & Garlic! Sadly, my husband was disappointed by the baked wings he got, but he LOVED his antipasto salad, which was a generous-sized salad.
Whitefish Montana Galleries
One of the fun things I did on this trip was exploring some of Whitefish’s nine art galleries. Pick up a handy pamphlet (the Whitefish Art Gallery Guide) and reference it to hit up all of Whitefish’s galleries, or check out a map of the galleries on the Whitefish Gallery Nights website. While I didn’t get to explore all of them, I did enjoy browsing 3 galleries.
Cawdrey Gallery was the first gallery I wandered into. I loved the open space and the various paintings, prints, and sculptures. From horse sculptures made out of Wild Sagebrush and/or Willow to gorgeous painted fall scenes, there were many attractive pieces that made me wish I had the money and the home needed to acquire some of the pieces. One thing I really appreciated about the gallery was that I had postcards, white marble coasters, prints, and other items that were in the $1-$100 range, which makes this a great stop if you want to buy something pretty. You can buy online if you can’t make it in person.
Going to the Sun Gallery contained artwork, fine jewelry, and bronze sculptures. I especially enjoyed all the Montana paintings and the animal paintings, like a couple of wolf and fox paintings I would have bought (again, if I had the money and the right home to do them justice). I also loved that there were some special pieces of art by Jason Bishop, which are created on Gampi Paper, a very thin type of Japanese paper.
FoR Fine Art Gallery had a big space containing artwork both traditional and contemporary. They also had some items like jewelry that I didn’t closely examine. I didn’t spend as much time in here as I should have, but was arrested by a piece of ledger art that really caught my eye (I think this is the one, which is by John Isaiah Pepion, a Piikani Artist based here in Montana). Looking at the gallery’s website and Instagram, they pride themselves on “exceptional fine art” and also offer framing. I regret not spending a few more minutes in the gallery, but I was running short on time.
Whitefish Montana Shops
Whitefish has charming, personality-filled gift shops…some that I was thrilled to revisit, and others that I had fun discovering for the first time. Here are the shops I checked out (with stars next to stores I visited before):
Voyageur Booksellers and Copperleaf Chocolat* – This used and vintage bookstore is still a great little bookshop and also contains some clothing, purses, and scarves. In addition, they have a large selection of chocolate via Copperleaf Chocolat. I decided to indulge in a small chocolate caramel and it was delicious. Whether you opt for a handmade chocolate or spring for packaged American and European chocolate, this is a little chocolate-lover’s paradise.
Whitefish Gift & Gear – Although a little touristy, this is a really great gift shop that would have something suitable for everyone on your list, plus a variety of souvenirs like shot glasses, mugs, shirts, kitchen items, signs, and ornaments. I had to fight the severe temptation to buy a mug and coasters that all said “Montana is Calling and I Must Go” but I did break down and buy the shot glass with that design. They also have some regular non-Montana gifts (for example, I bought my friend who was cat-sitting some cute socks with a cat print).
Out West Trading Co.* – This store carries a variety of shirts, signs, and other gift items. There was one sign I was very tempted to buy, which showed a couple in a canoe, with the words “Discover the Romance Whitefish Lake Montana.” Due to its big showroom, you can very easily browse their offerings without having to dig through rack upon rack of clothing.
The Montana Scene* – This is one of my favorite small Montana gift shop chains. I have some drinkware from them that I’m fond of as well as some shirts. They have several types of souvenirs from hats and clothing to functional gifts. My favorite mug from them says, “Montana is my happy place.” You’ll find me recommending this store whether it’s the location in Whitefish or one of the ones in another town, like Missoula.
Big Sky Antiques – This was a fun shop to explore, with antique items sure to catch your eye. This probably isn’t the most practical shop if you’re traveling from afar, but worth hitting up if you love antique stores!
Montana Shirt Co* – Want some nice Montana shirts or hoodies to commemorate your trip? This is a great place for that! I own one of their shirts and enjoy showing my Montana pride on the road. An example of a shirt available when I visited was the state of Montana with the word “Love.”
S.M. Bradford Co. – It was fun to poke around this shop, which carries apparel, boots, jewelry, and home items. Another tourist favorite, some shoppers were eagerly trying on cowboy hats. Although the items are a bit costly, it’s still fun to admire the items contained in this store. There were some throw pillows that were definitely calling my name!
You could easily spend a few hours happily shopping and enjoying art galleries in Whitefish. Whether you’re looking for unique gifts for loved ones or trying to find the perfect item to commemorate your stay in Columbia Falls and Whitefish, it’s easy to walk away with some memorable (and fun!) items.
Whitefish Montana Shops
As shared previously in my Northwest Montana: 5 Can’t-Miss Experiences for One of the Best Places in Montana for a Vacation blog post, I also recommend a visit to Whitefish Lake State Park and City Beach, even if it’s only to look at them and take pictures.
Tired from a long day of shopping and exploring? Get some ice cream in Whitefish at Sweet Peaks Ice Cream!
Whitefish Montana Things I Missed
Here are a few spots I didn’t make it to during my visit, but they’re definitely on my radar for next time:
- Slowburn Records – I’m a sucker for vinyl, and wish I had had time to hunt for some gems here. I did find other places selling vinyl during my trip, but this was a gift shop dedicated to vinyl. For now, I’ll just drool over their website and dream of the day I can breeze through their doors.
- Clydesdale Creamery – I’ve been wanting to try this ice cream shop forever because they make wild, decadent milkshakes. Unfortunately, the timing never worked out, and other times I wasn’t quite ready to put my poor pancreas through that much sugar. Thus I shall save this experience for a future treat.
- Stumptown Ice Den – As per my MO, I try squeezing too much into my trips, and I wanted to go ice skating. Thankfully, Daniel gently dissuaded me, or else we probably would have gotten home at midnight instead of 10pm! If you’re like me and grew up somewhere without snow or ice skating, then you might want to look up the rink’s hours and go ice skating during your Columbia Falls and Whitefish adventures!
Kalispell Montana Day Trip
Kalispell is 25 minutes away from Columbia Falls, so it definitely feels like more of a trek, but is still relatively close. I focused most of my attention on Whitefish and Columbia Falls during this trip, but I have been to Kalispell in passing a couple of times.
During this trip, we stopped in Kalispell on the way home and earlier in the trip I went for a spa treatment.
Kalispell Montana Spa & Self-Care
Earlier in the summer, I had won a giveaway from The Source Spa, an amazing new spa in Kalispell. My prize included a massage with foot exfoliation and a private sauna.
The Source Spa offers massages, saunas, cold showers, red light therapy availability, and an attractive dressing room with lockers.
I absolutely loved the spa. The entire space is curated to look intimate, elegant, and modern. I especially loved that they have a beautiful communal sauna with a star-lit ceiling, and one of their private saunas has salt lamp panels.
My private sauna room had a refreshing cold bucket waterfall shower, a small sauna, and a panel for red light therapy. It was a great way to have more self-care after my relaxing massage.
Kalispell Montana Restaurants & Coffee Shops
While stopping in Kalispell on the way home, I got to try one restaurant and one coffee shop.
Hungry Hun Restaurant – Rated 4.8 on Google Reviews, this is a Kazakhstani Restaurant in Kalispell’s mall. I never would have expected to find this hidden gem in Kalispell of all places! Daniel and I enjoyed this meal before the long drive home. The food was good and the portions were extremely generous. I especially recommend their steamed dumplings!
Copper Mountain Coffee Co – I enjoyed a hot coffee from this local coffee chain, which had multiple locations in Kalispell. My husband enjoyed a special iced latte. This was one of his top two favorite places to get coffee during this trip. Note that they also had a couple of locations in Columbia Falls, so definitely add them to your list of Columbia Falls options!
For the Geeks: Isle of Misfits
During this trip, I discovered a geeky shop I absolutely loved in the Mall: Isle of Misfits. As a lifelong fan of many fun things like Sailor Moon, Pokémon, and now Netflix’s Frieren, this shop was a dream since it was filled with figurines, stickers, wall scrolls, stuffed animals, and more from all your favorite stores. I had to resist the temptation to buy a bunch of new Pokémon stuffed animals! We were also pleasantly surprised with how affordable it was.
Kalispell Oldies but Goodies
Having been to Kalispell before, there are a few recommendations I can’t resist passing along.
Sacred Waters Brewing – Another Montana brewery, this place has a lovely location and good beer. I actually never added this to my blog by accident since I visited it during a crazy day trip that blurred together in my mind. Thus, I’m remedying my omission by adding it here!
As shared previously in my Northwest Montana… blog post, the following are some of my Kalispell Recommendations that I didn’t get to hit up during this trip but still recommend:
- Lone Pine Tree State Park – This State Park is a lovely walk with a great overlook of the city. To this day, it is still one of the state parks I often look back fondly upon.
- Mercantile Steak (rated 4.7 on Google Reviews) – My husband and I have eaten here twice in the past. With a historic and atmospheric dining room and good food, it’s one of the Montana restaurants I’m very fond of.
- Bias Brewing and SunRift Beer Company – These are two of Montana’s many breweries. You really can’t go wrong with a brewery in Montana….the breweries in Montana that I haven’t enjoyed are few and far between!
Kalispell Montana Things I Missed
- Conrad Mansion – This historic museum looks so lovely, and I’m sad I wasn’t able to squeeze in a visit during this trip. Hopefully next time!
Glacier National Park Day Trip from Columbia Falls Montana
You can dedicate whole books and blogs to Glacier alone, so I’m not going to try to share all that you can do in Glacier. However, I’ll share the 2-3 things we did and give you some ideas. You can also see my post on 8 Amazing Things to Do in West Glacier for more inspo, although I do need to update that post.
Lake McDonald Sunrise
The amazing benefit of staying at the Cabins at Urban Woods is we were able to drive early in the morning to see the sunrise at Lake McDonald. There was a crispness to the air as tourists and photographers gathered to watch the sunrise and take pictures on the wooden boat docks. We even saw a beaver for the first time swimming around!
This was such a magical experience, and you could easily drive to Glacier for sunrises and sunsets to your heart’s content.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
While we sadly didn’t have time to drive the full Going-to-the-Sun Road, I have done it before and it’s always one of my top recommendations for tourists visiting Montana. As I mentioned earlier in this post, we stayed in Polson and went to Glacier in the past, which was brutal.
Here at the Cabins, you can get to Glacier much quicker, which is convenient given you need tickets to drive Going to the Sun Road, OR you need the ability to go either after the reservation windows end or before the park opens.
We really lucked out and were able to get a ticket during our trip, because getting a ticket was easier in September because tourism starts to die down after Labor Day. During the summer, getting a ticket for the road is very competitive. Thus I can’t overemphasize how great The Cabin at Urban Woods’ location is if you don’t want to stay in the park or don’t want to book a tour in the park to help bypass the need for a reservation to drive Going to the Sun Road.
Avalanche Lake Hike
Given our cabin was so near the park and had a shower, and since we got a ticket for driving Going-to-the-Sun Road, Daniel and I repeated one of our favorite hikes, which is the hike to Avalanche Lake.
At about 6 miles roundtrip with a 757 foot elevation gain, this hike is a moderate hike. But it is definitely one of the most gorgeous hikes we’ve done in Montana and is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier.
It was wonderful doing the hike again and the lake at the end, with its waterfalls in the distance, was as picturesque as ever. The lighting was a little weird, so it affected some of our photos, but this visit was definitely more enjoyable since it wasn’t as freezing cold as the last time we visited, on a rainy day during Labor Day weekend when Glacier was hit with inclement weather much earlier.
This trip we really lucked out with such nice weather in mid-September. Weather in Montana, especially in Glacier, is wildly unpredictable during the fall.
When to Visit Columbia Falls Montana and Whitefish Montana
Whitefish and Columbia Falls have two shoulder seasons, from mid-April to early June and from mid-September to late October. These quieter periods offer fewer crowds, lower prices, and unpredictable weather.
The downside is that some attractions may have limited hours or be unavailable. For example, if you want to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road, your best bet is during the full summer season, provided you can secure tickets or work around the reservation system.
If you want skiing, winter is the best time to visit. Otherwise, you’re pretty free to visit whenever you’d like, but I highly recommend calling businesses to check on hours during off seasons and holidays to ensure you aren’t disappointed if somewhere you had your heart set on visiting is closed.
Budget for Columbia Falls Montana & Whitefish Montana Adventures
Taking into consideration gas from Helena, gifts, a few small personal purchases, meals, coffees, alcohol, and an annual park pass, while excluding a couple of Christmas gifts I bought, our budget exceeded $900. Here’s a sample breakdown of what I spent my first day (and an example of how much I pack into one day!):
- Coffee: $15.00
- Annual Park Pass: $80.00
- Breakfast: $50.82 (Buffalo Cafe)
- Misc. Purchases at Shops: $19.00
- Lunch: $33.42 (Nite Owl)
- (Free) Massage Tip: $25.00
- Gas Refill: $39.00
- Winery Deluxe Tasting Flights: $38.00
- Dinner: $43.90 (Vaqueros)
- Grocery Store: $24.56 (box of hop water and several sticks of beef jerky)
- Total for Day 1: $368.70
Depending on factors like whether you plan to get cocktails or drinks with meals (we didn’t at our lunches and dinners aside from my flight of beer at the brewery) and the cost of your accommodations each night, I would strongly recommend budgeting $600 a day.
If you skip alcohol, stick to the most budget-friendly restaurants, avoid shopping, or mix camping with boutique accommodations, you could budget less per day. If you only stay at one place as well, that can cut down on things like cleaning fees. If you want to do additional adventures, like equipment rentals, whitewater rafting, ziplining, etc., add additional funds to your budget.
Be Bear Aware
Always research bear safety and be cautious with food and food storage during your adventures. Also buy bear spray if you intend to do any hiking in Glacier or other areas!
Sample Itinerary for Columbia Falls Montana, Whitefish Montana, Kalispell Montana & Glacier National Park
Here is a way you could tie together recommendations from above. I’m not including my exact itinerary since I was maximizing doing as much as possible for my blog post, which is going to be a bit too rigorous for folks who aren’t on a working vacation.
Day 1
- Wake up early and grab coffee from Cowgirl Coffee. Drive to Glacier National Park.
- Watch the sunrise at Lake McDonald and take photos.
- Have brunch or lunch in Whitefish, then explore galleries and shops.
- Enjoy dinner in Whitefish or Columbia Falls.
- Treat yourself to ice cream in either town.
- Pick up snacks, a microwavable breakfast, or a non-perishable lunch from Super 1 Foods.
- Relax by the fire pit or watch TV at the Cabins at Urban Woods.
Day 2
- Wake up early, have breakfast or snacks, and grab coffee. Drive to Glacier National Park.
- Hike to Avalanche Lake.
- Optionally explore more of Glacier if you packed lunch, or head back to Columbia Falls for a shower and lunch.
- Visit a recommended brewery, winery, or distillery.
- Take a nap or relax.
- Have dinner in Whitefish or Columbia Falls.
Day 3
- Have breakfast and coffee.
- Drive to Kalispell for a pre-booked spa session, a perfect way to unwind after a couple of days of hiking and exploring.
- Enjoy lunch.
- Play in the Game Room at the cabins.
- Visit Glacier National Park in the late afternoon or early evening.
- Finish with a brewery, winery, or distillery visit and dinner.
Why Columbia Falls Montana and Surrounding Areas Should Be on Your Montana Bucket List
Overall, this was a fun trip and a great example of a balanced itinerary that goes beyond just Glacier National Park. Don’t sleep on how cool Columbia Falls Montana is! With the small-town vibes of Columbia Falls, the breathtaking beauty of Glacier National Park, and the luxury charm of Whitefish, there’s something to appeal to everyone in your group. You can eat and drink well whether you’re on a budget or whether you’re splurging on fine dining.
Thank you again to The Cabins at Urban Woods for hosting me.
