The boat ramp at West Shore State Park has been extended by 15 feet to improve public access for boaters, Montana State Parks announced today.
“We were hearing from area residents that they were running out of ramp at West Shore which is our most popular site for early season launching on Flathead Lake,” Dave Landstrom, regional manager for State Parks, said in a statement. “So we fast-tracked the project and extended the ramp.”
The extension of the boat ramp cost $15,000 and was funded with Boat-In-Lieu (BIL) dollars, which was initiated by the 1993 Legislature at the request of Montana boaters who asked that a portion of the fees they paid for boat registrations go directly back into boating facility improvements.
West Shore State Park is known for its glacially carved rock that offers spectacular views of Flathead Lake and the Mission and Swan Mountain Ranges. Last summer, West Shore had more than 16,500 visitors, a 4 percent increase over the previous year.