Page 33 - Flathead Beacon // 7.30.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BUSINESS MONTHLY
JULY 30, 2014 | 33
TOURISM
Continued from page 31
“It’s something that we are more fo- cused on, not only because we have those (cycling) assets but through research we’re finding out they really are folks who are looking to come here and really experience Whitefish,” Boyle said.
Cycling tourism is a major market, according to a December 2013 research report from the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the Univer- sity of Montana.
The study showed that cyclists spend an average of $75 per person, per day, and stay an average of eight days for their trips. Of the more than 700 cyclists in the survey, 92 percent of them were planning future multi-day cycling trips.
Forty-one percent of those surveyed visited Glacier National Park, with many of them saying riding Going-to-the-Sun Road was one of the highlights of their cycling experiences.
Mountain biking is also gathering crowds, with the valley offering top-rated trails at Kalispell’s Lone Pine State Park, the Whitefish Trail and on Big Mountain through Whitefish Mountain Resort.
According to Riley Polumbus of Whitefish Mountain Resort, August is a big month for mountain biking, and the resort saw its largest amount of riders in 2013, with 5,679 on the trails. That’s a 40 percent increase from 2012, Polum- bus noted.
The resort also expanded its bike
A biker nears the top of Logan Pass while ascending Going-to-the-Sun Road earlier this year.
Great Northern Cycling Club members ride up North Fork Road. BEACON FILE PHOTO
Glacier Country Tourism, said cyclists explore Northwest Montana in different ways than many other travelers.
“In addition, the Flathead Valley has so many different routes that cyclists can travel and it’s really a prime region for them to visit,” Tia Troy, PR and com- munication manager for Glacier Country Tourism, said. “From road riding to an extensive trail system, we are poised to welcome more cyclists to this beautiful corner of the state.”
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park last summer, allowing for more staff and an increase in bike rental equipment.
Other businesses have caught on to the increase in mountain biking in the valley. Greg Fortin of Glacier Adven- ture Guides in Columbia Falls said his crew has started leading guided trips on the Whitefish Trail, usually for family groups.
“It’s been going pretty well,” Fortin said. “We’ve had some pretty good inter- est in it, and we’re working closely with
Glacier Cyclery.”
While some mountain biking trails
can be intimidating for beginners, For- tin said the Whitefish Trail has opened up a whole new market because it offers trails for varying skill levels.
“It’s a nice alternative for people,” he said. “The Whitefish Trail is user friend-
ly.”
Other mountain bike guiding busi-
nesses, such as Beyond the Boundaries near Whitefish, are sprouting up as well. Racene Friede, executive director at