The next day, about 45 minutes from Kalispell, we visited Hungry Horse Dam and Flathead National Forest. The area is named Hungry Horse after two horses that wandered away in the early 1900s and were found a month later “skinny as lodgepole pines.”
Hungry Horse Dam
2019 Price: Free
Hungry Horse Dam
Hungry Horse Dam sits on the South Fork of Montana’s Flathead River and was completed in 1953. The dam is one of the largest concrete arch dams in the US at over 550 feet high.
Flathead National Forest
The dam leads to the entrance of Flathead National Forest. The first section of road is paved and then turns into gravel.
Flathead National Forest
2019 Price: Free
Blue and turquoise waters and plush forests surround the lane providing gorgeous views.
There were a couple of osprey nests. I also saw a bald eagle in the wild for the first time! I admit I took way too many photos.
If you put Flathead National Forest into Google Maps, it will take you into the forest but will drop you in the middle of a side road as its end point. There was nowhere to turn around and the skinny road was along a cliffside. I had to do a sketchy multi-point turn in order to get back. Use the GPS to get into the forest but then stay on the main road.
Mules and Horses
As we drove down the road, a couple of mules and horses crossed in front of us. We pulled over and watched them walk into the small airfield located in the forest. The mules led the group and stood guard for the most part.
As long as we kept our distance, the mules and horses were calm and wandered on their own time. We later saw a sign indicating that they might have come from a ranch in the forest and are given open range to roam.
There were tons of flowers and insects throughout the area as well.
Rainbow
On our way back home, we were lucky enough to glimpse a rainbow through the trees. It only lasted a few moments but we were excited enough to stop a couple of times to try to snap a good shot.
Kalispell
That night Blaine Creek Grill was our dinner destination. We saw it on the way in that morning and decided to give it a shot. It’s a popular place – we had to wait a while for a table.
That night we stayed at the Travelodge again.
Travelodge by Wyndham Kalispell
2019 Price: $842 for five nights
After seeing the pictures of Flathead National Forrest I know Montana is a destination I look forward to.
This is our second time to Glacier NP. We stumbled upon Hungry Horse Dam on the second trip. This is not an area tourists should skip when visiting West Glacier, especially in early October. The scenery is equally as photographic as some of the spots inside Glacier NP. Also, if you have 4-wheel drive, also don’t miss the Pole bridge area, Bowman and Kintla lakes. Kintla is just stunning but very hard to get to (part of the fun/adventure). I do not recommend driving a newer vehicle on those roads.
Thanks Meg! That’s great advice about Bowman and Kintla! I didn’t have a chance to visit last time but if I’m ever in the area again, I’ll have to explore those 🙂