Planning a Trip

Getting There -- Whitefish is easier to get to than virtually any other Montana vacation town. From Kalispell, it's a quick drive north on U.S. 93. For the local weather forecast, call tel. 406/755-4829.

Glacier Park International Airport (tel. 406/257-5994; www.flyglacier.com) is 10 minutes away between Columbia Falls and Kalispell at 4170 U.S. 2. Alaska/Horizon (tel. 800/547-9308), Allegiant (tel. 702/505-8888), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), and United (tel. 800/864-8331) offer service.

The Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) station on North Central Avenue, with two trains daily -- one eastbound and one westbound -- is shared with Burlington Northern at the edge of downtown in a renovated and charming depot. The bus terminal is also located at the train depot, with daily service to and from Missoula from Rimrock Stages (tel. 406/755-4011).

Visitor Information -- The Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau (tel. 877/862-3548 or 406/862-3501; www.explorewhitefish.com) is located at the chamber downtown at 520 E. 2nd St. Here you'll find just about everything you need in the way of brochures, area maps, and travel information. The chamber is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Getting Around -- Avis (tel. 800/230-4898), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), and National/Alamo (tel. 800/227-7368) maintain counters at Glacier Park International Airport. Other companies renting cars in Whitefish include Dollar (tel. 800/800-3665) and Enterprise (tel. 800/261-7331). Flathead Glacier Transportation can be reached at tel. 406/892-3390.

Special Events -- Whitefish is home to the Winter Carnival (tel. 406/862-3501), a wild and woolly event held annually since 1960. The early February carnival includes a parade, children's events, a dance party, a snow-sculpting competition, and a battle of the bands at local bars. Of special note is the Penguin Plunge, where a group of brave locals take a dip in frigid Whitefish Lake in the name of charity.