Yesterday was a beautiful day for exploring the West Shore State Park. The park is located west of Flathead Lake, south of the town of Lakeside, about a half hour from the city of Kalispell.
West Shore State Park is a relatively small park but has plenty of room for swimming, boating, fishing and camping. In season, kayaking rentals are also available. There is a boat dock and boat ramp. In addition, seasonal camping is available. There are 31 campsites, which include 7 for tents.
We wandered by a few of the campsites yesterday. Some of the trailer campsites have electric and some do not. The tent sites, at least the one we checked out, had an enclosed food bin and garbage facilities to help prevent wildlife from being able to steal your food or trash.
There are also a few miles of hiking trails traversing the park. They provide a generally easy walk, with a few somewhat steep climbs. There are several different options to make your hike shorter or longer, but if you're looking for a strenuous or lengthy hike, this is not the park for you.
What any written overview of the park can't share are the sounds or the beautiful views of Flathead Lake and the Swan and Mission Mountains. For those unfamiliar with Flathead Lake, it is the largest lake west of the Mississippi River. It has about 200 square miles of surface area. Yesterday was partly cloudy and a little breezy with a few snow showers passing by. The waves were consistently splashing onto the rock beach. A fisherman was casting his line into the surf. Another couple was out walking their dog. The sun broke free from time to time, allowing us to see the mountains on the eastern part of the lake.
What a beautiful place to spend a few hours. I'd definitely recommend a visit before the summer crowds arrive! The address is 17768 MT Hwy 93, Lakeside, MT.
If you have any questions about the park, Kalispell or the Flathead Valley, feel free to contact me on 406-270-3667 or read more here!
Originally published at thehousekat.com.
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