Montana's Flathead Lake Region

by Phil Rowe

There are several great places to camp in Montana's delightful Flathead Lake region. We have tried two of them and each has very special features. The KOA campground just north of Polson sits high atop a hill, presenting a fabulous view of the whole region. It's a full service facility with all one could need or want in a campground. And nothing beats the view.

The second place is a smaller and very pleasant shoreline facility near Elmo, a little under 20 miles north of Polson on US-93 at the head of a western arm of the lake. It's called Arrowhead Resort. There is a dock and some support for boaters. Our chosen site was in a grassy area overlooking the water.

We have camped in the Flathead Lake area a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed it. Most especially I like paddling my trusty sea kayak there. One day I covered 25 miles and had a terrific time. That trip included a circuit of Wild Horse Island, a state park and nature preserve accessible only by boat.

As I approached the southeastern tip of the large island, whilst still a mile or so away, I observed something moving in the water ahead of me. I thought at first that it might be a beaver or an otter. But when I got just a few boat lengths away, about the time it was nearing the rocky shore, I discovered it was something else entirely. It was a coyote making a steady course from the mainland to the island. He must have swum more than two miles and he seemed pretty tired as he scrambled up the gravel beach, eyeing me suspiciously. He paused only to shake of water, dog fashion, and then disappeared into the bushes.

I continued northward around the eastern shore of the island and saw a pair of deer on a grassy knoll above a rocky promontory. They were only 50 yards away from my shoreline approach and didn't appear to be nervous or much concerned by the approaching kayak.

I found a derelict section of a dock or swimming float beached on a rocky spit of land. It was a perfect spot to put ashore and take my mid-day lunch break. After paddling for several hours I was anxious to get out and stretch my legs. I was hungry too.

My day on the water was about six hours in duration. I made good time because the winds remained light until late afternoon. But, as my luck usually has it, headwinds from the west began as I paddled the last three miles back to the campground dock. What began as glassy smooth waters turned into whitecaps with foot-high waves before I landed.

I was pleasantly tired and thoroughly satisfied with my day on wonderful Flathead Lake. That evening my wife and I enjoyed a magnificent moonrise over the waters. It was the crowning touch to a memorable vacation waystop.