Echo Lake Café
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect brunch spot in the south valley, look no further than Echo Lake Café in Bigfork. The family-owned and operated restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch throughout the day, with breakfast touting savory crepes and three kinds of benedicts with homemade hollandaise, among other options. Lunch is a variety of salads, burgers and sandwiches, and both menus flaunt items such as homemade chorizo sausage, salsa, and baked pastries.
Though the dishes are mouthwatering, the true charm of the place lies in the feel, intention centered around family and “acts of kindness.” Its doors opened in 1960, and it passed through ownership until landing in the hands of Bob and Christi Young in 1996. They’ve since retired, handing over the ropes to their daughter Amy, who had worked in the shop as a 12-year-old, and her husband Mark in 2022. Meanwhile, the majority of the restaurant’s advertising budget, the restaurant’s website explains, has gone to spreading “random acts of kindness” throughout the community.
Though you might find a line if you visit during popular weekend brunch hours, the joint is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Hot Springs
Once upon a time, the town of Hot Springs located on the Flathead Indian Reservation was the place to be. Aptly named, medicinal soakers from around the country found their way to the town, as hotels, rental cottages and pools popped up, each offering access to the city’s lucrative resource. As the treatment fell from popularity for Americans in the 1980s, the town saw a dramatic decline from the once-bustling healing epicenter. Today, however, several of these operations still run their facilities to those who know where to look. The 1930s-era Symes Hotel offers hotel rooms, a bar and restaurant, and access to four varied-temperature community pools. Alameda Hot Springs boasts in-room tubs to access the hot waters, along with private rentable hot tubs outside and a sauna. Wild Horse Hot Springs services patrons with six communal, outdoor pools that each has a valve to adjust the water’s temperature. Wherever you land, the waters of this town are sure to offer some respite and healing.
Brash Rodeo
If you’re rifling through for something a little more “Wild West,” the family owned and operated Brash Rodeo provides weekly entertainment at the Blue Moon Arena. The rodeo showcases all the classics, including bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer riding, breakaway roping, barrel racing, and team roping. Contestants range from professional to beginner, and tickets are only $16 for adults and $8 for children – unless you’re looking for the immersive, behind-the-chutes experience, in which case you’ll need $99. Either way, it’s suggested you purchase tickets online prior to the event, as tickets are limited. Parking is free, and full concessions are available at the Blue Moon Nite Club just across the parking lot.
Kalispell Community Thrift
There are many thrift shops in the valley, but few with as fascinating of a history as Kalispell Community Thrift. The shop was born in the shell of an historic 1890s Scandinavian Methodist church, a Norwegian-speaking “language church” until 1939 when it changed its name to the Westside Methodist Church and began offering services in English. The Salvation Army purchased the church in 1957, and in 1989 Kalispell Community Thrift took over. Since then, the thrift shop has been a community staple, recently taken over in 2023 by a local with a desire to revitalize the old, historic building and keep the thrift doors open. The Kalispell shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Herron Park
Herron Park is the valley’s only public horse park but also serves as a nearby space in Kalispell for dog walkers, mountain bikers, and nature lovers alike. The mixture of activities cultivates a unique, shared outdoor space, simultaneously obliging users to practice respectful trail habits, including calm behavior and yielding around horses, and good trail stewardship. The Foys to Blacktail trail system also offers a non-equestrian use, connecting Foys Lake to the Blacktail Ski Area over a 13.5-mile route. There are picnic tables dispersed throughout the park. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash at all times.