Cold winters make Whitefish a ski town, and it is also a lake town of about 9,400 in northwest Montana, about 25 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park. It started as a railroad town, and downtown still has that feel, now with breweries, restaurants and outdoor shops. Whitefish Lake sits right next to town. Whitefish Mountain Resort runs the winters, and summers center on the lake, the Whitefish Trail, mountain biking and trips into Glacier. Locals gather for the Winter Carnival in February and Huckleberry Days in August. It is friendly and active, and violent crime is very low.
The price of admission is high. Housing is very expensive, driven by second-home buyers, and many workers live in Kalispell, about 15 miles south, which backs up with traffic in summer. Winters are snowy and icy, wildfire smoke often arrives from July to September, and bears are common around trails.
