There’s still time this season to stretch your hiking legs and venture out from the Whitefish Mountain Resort Village on the Danny On Trail.
Dedicated to the memory of Danny On, a U.S. Forest Service silviculturist who died at the age of 55 in a skiing accident on Big Mountain, the well-maintained trail pays out big with splendid views of the valley and the mountains from various points along the hike.
Choose from four different loops and routes on the trail to best suit your ability or time limit with the longest route 5.6 miles from the base to the summit and the most direct route at 3.8 miles. There may still be a few huckleberries to pick but with the smaller crop this year a little more effort is necessary to harvest the berries.
With numerous other trails for mountain biking, the Danny On Trail is reserved for hikers. Dogs are permitted on the trail although they must be on a leash. No animals are permitted on the chairlift. Once the hike to the summit is complete, relax with a chairlift or gondola ride back down. The last lift is at 5:45 p.m.
A 2009-2010 winter pass, a 2010 summer pass or a $5 one-way lift ticket is needed to ride the lift.
How to Get There: From downtown Whitefish take Baker Avenue over the train tracks. Baker Avenue becomes Wisconsin Avenue. Continue on Wisconsin. Turning right, take Big Mountain Road up the mountain. At the top of the mountain, access to the Danny On trail is at the end of the Village parking lot.