When Stephanie Brown explores the Flathead Valley, she sees limitless potential for educational programs, camps, and outdoor opportunities to help connect kids and families with healthy activities and lifestyles. As recreation superintendent at Kalispell Parks and Recreation, Brown’s job is to bring those opportunities to life by making them interesting and accessible to local families.
“More than anything, we’re excited about adding new energy to our programs this summer so that families get the most enjoyment and educational value out of them,” Brown said. “But we’ve also made some important changes we hope give families more opportunities to take advantage of our programs. More than anything, we want kids to get outside and move their bodies. There’s so many ways to improve our quality of life by going outside to play in the Flathead Valley, it’s easy to take for granted.”
The Flathead Valley is home to a trove of educational outdoor activities. From multi-week overnight options to day-long field trips to the local fishing pond, as well as picnics and pool-time in the park, your family won’t want to miss out on the adventure with these opportunities to get your kids outside.
As a reminder, registration for all of Kalispell Parks and Recreation’s summer camps and programs opens the week of March 24.
Picnic in the Park
Every Wednesday at noon from July 9 through Aug. 20, Depot Park, Kalispell
Picnic in the Park was started by Kalispell Parks and Recreation in 1992 by then Recreation Superintendent Jennifer Young and has since grown into a staple of summertime community activities in Kalispell. New this year, the lunchtime concert series for kids will coincide with Food Truck Wednesdays at Depot Park, while the evening concert series will also occur on Wednesdays.
Through a partnership with Glacier Grins Pediatric Dentistry, Brown said the revisions include healthy meal options from local farms and food trucks, as well as a schedule she hopes will better align with families’ schedules.
The midday musicians will perform kid-oriented music and a host of activities will be available.
“Our target audience for the afternoon concert series is kids, or families with kids, while the evening concerts are for everybody,” Brown said. “The focus is on healthy communities and healthy choices, and that includes choosing healthier foods and getting outside for exercise.”
Camp Woodland
Woodland Park, Kalispell, June 10 through Aug. 16
This nature-based, outdoor-oriented day camp offers something for every kind of kid, from field trips and crafts to fun games and fitness. Kids can sign up for a single day or come for the entire summer.
This summer’s edition of the program will take advantage of improvements to Kalispell’s Woodland Park, including its water park, and includes lunch through Kalispell Public Schools Food Service.
The camp runs Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., costs $41 per day and is a great option for working parents.
Harry Potter Camp
Depot Park, Kalispell, two five-day camps with summertime dates TBD
What began as a two-day camp has evolved into a five-day simulation of a semester at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where magic is mandatory and muggles need not apply
“We transform Depot Park into a mini Hogwarts,” Brown said. “One day we might focus on magic, another day on potions. It’s a lot of fun and it’s very popular.”
Other Kalispell Camps and Activities
Kalispell Skate Camp, Woodland Water Park (including new and improved amenities with later hours), Dance Camps, Summer Cheer Camp, Outdoor Adventure Camp, Coding Groovy Unicorns, and more.
Visit the Kalispell Parks and Recreation website for additional programming details.
Glacier Institute
Longtime students of the outdoors already understand why the Flathead Valley ranks so high in the geographic canon of Mother Nature’s most influential works, but teachers on a mission to reach a whole new freshman class are celebrating the strides the Glacier Institute has taken in recent years to spread the gospel of nature-based learning.
Founded in 1983, the Glacier Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Columbia Falls and is the official education partner of Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest, with a mission to strengthen connections to the natural world through outdoor education. Since its inception, more than 32,000 youth have taken part in programs, including educational guided day hikes, field courses, camps, and field trips.
Most recently, its “Restoration Big Creek” campaign has been gaining steam to secure the future of the organization and its programs by renovating the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center, a historic forest ranger station that is the home base for the institute’s camps and courses for youth and local schools.
Each year, over 1,500 children participate in the Glacier Institute’s courses, ranging from animal tracking and orienteering to fly fishing and snow science. Most of these youth programs take place at the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center, located up the North Fork of the Flathead River.
This summer, the organization is offering a slate of youth summer camps in and around Glacier National Park, as well as guided hikes, private tours and programs for the entire family. For detailed programming information and pricing, as well as to learn more about the Youth Scholarship Application, visit glacierinstitute.org.
Whitefish Legacy Partners
The Whitefish Trail serves as a portal to bring people outdoors and provide the community a connection to the natural lands surrounding Whitefish. The nonprofit Whitefish Legacy Partners that facilitates development of the trail system offers a variety of natural interpretive programs and outdoor recreation activities for kids, including free youth programs, guided hikes, an online learning library, all of which is geared toward bringing students and nature together while increasing awareness of the natural world.
“The importance of children spending time in nature cannot be over-emphasized — not only does it lead to positive impacts on health and well-being, it also greatly increases the development of lifelong environmental awareness,” according to WLP’s programs director.
Organized programs reach locals, visitors, and youth through school field trips, winter and summer guided hikes, youth-specific activities, an adult speaker series and trail fitness programs. Programs based on the Whitefish Trail will provide a way for the community to learn about and explore the open lands surrounding Whitefish, and be a part of a conservation and recreation legacy for years to come.
For a calendar of events and program details, as well as opportunities to support the organization, visit whitefishlegacy.org/education-programs.
Go Fish
Area ponds provide a great place to introduce children to fishing. A few great kid-friendly spots in the Flathead are the Pine Grove Pond off Rose Crossing, Shady Lane Pond near the Old Steel Bridge in Kalispell, and the Dry Bridge Slough south of the Conrad Mansion, which is stocked with rainbow trout. You can also take them to the Creston Fish Hatchery to learn about fish and conservation where they can observe fish in different life stages in the large tanks. There is also an interactive nature trail on site that is open to the public.
Learn more about kids’ fishing opportunities at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) website at https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/kids.
FWP’s Region 1 headquarters in Kalispell also offers fishing rods and life jackets for families who need to borrow gear for free. Families can inquire by calling the FWP office at (406) 752-5501.
Parks and Places
The valley’s three main communities all have parks and recreation departments, so check their websites for details about summer programing. Head up to Whitefish Mountain Resort on Big Mountain and visit the U.S. Forest Service’s Summit Nature Center. Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell frequently hosts children’s activities and interpretive programs, and Wild Horse Island State Park offers visitors a chance to enjoy world-class wildlife viewing opportunities (although they’ll need a boat to access the island). And Glacier National Park is full of interpretive destinations for the entire family.
Other family friendly state parks or FWP sites include Somers Beach State Park, which is perfect for a walk on the beach, while expert fishers call Pine Grove Pond the best family fishing spot in the state. Les Mason State Park on the outskirts of Whitefish is a watery oasis on hot summer’s days, while River’s Edge Park in Columbia Falls is a city park that FWP stocks with westslope cutthroat trout.
Learn more about family friendly education programs and events at the visitor center or on the trails: https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/lone-pine.