7 Things to Do in Whitefish, MT This Winter

Hello and welcome to my article on great  activities there are to do around Whitefish, Montana in the winter time. I tried to get a good variety of different activities on the list so that way there is hopefully something that appeals to everybody on here. And for each of these activities I will give you a brief summary of what they are all about, a review from another customer, and also a link to their website so that way you can learn more about them if one piques your interest. And anytime one of these great winter activities in Whitefish accepts our convenient digital GiftYa gift cards, I will throw you a link!

For those who aren’t familiar yet, a GiftYa is a gift card that is completely digital. The digital format means that you can buy a GiftYa in just seconds from your computer or phone in just seconds anytime you need one, are planning a trip, or giving a gift. And the nice thing about the digital format is that you never have to worry about leaving them behind. As long as you have your phone, you will have all your gift cards with you. And your phone even does the math for you and keeps track of the balance.

‍

But enough about how convenient GiftYas are, let’s get to that list of fantastic things to do in Whitefish in the winter!

1 - Whitefish Mountain Resort

A Beautiful Resort With Some of the Besk Slopes In the Country

3889 Big Mountain Rd | Whitefish | skiwhitefish.com

Whitefish Mountain Resort is at the top of my list of great things to do around Whitefish in the winter for a couple of reasons.  First of all, they have been hosting skiing in the winter since 1947. That means that for over 75 years they have successfully been running a ski resort. And listen, I know that skiing and snowboarding doesn’t make for the cheapest way to spend an afternoon, but if you are a fan of either you really owe it to yourself to stop in and carve up the mountain. 

In fact, Whitefish Mountain Resort was voted #1 In Value of SKI Magazine. And it’s not hard to see why. Not only can you ski nearly 3,000 acres of uncrowded terrain and slopes, they also feature a lightning fast chairlift to take you up the mountain. And a quick chair lift means that you’ll spend more time sliding down the mountain, than you will waiting to ride back up to the top. And that means that you’ll be doing more skiing per minute than you would at many other ski resorts.

So if you enjoy skiing or snowboarding you owe it to yourself to check out this pristine and historic ski resort first hand. Many people consider it to be one of Montana’s hidden gems, and if you take a look at their website it’s easy to see why. Not only are the slopes beautiful and covered in powder, the view you get from the top of the mountain is absolutely stunning.

“Great place to ski, snowboard, and relax. They have a bunch of runs and slopes open. The staff is super nice and helpful! The lodges have really good food and a lot of beer and drinks to choose from. The hot apple cider is really good and soothing. Awesome place to go!” - Yelp Review 

2 - Glacier National Park

One of Our Country’s Most Beautiful National Parks

64 Grinnell Dr | West Glacier | explorewhitefish.com

I’ll be honest, the national parks are beautiful in the summer, but they are so obnoxiously busy that it’s kind of hard to enjoy. You have an idea in your head that you’ll be able to spend this amazing day out in the sun and the fresh air and you’ll have time to decompress and reconnect with nature, but in reality you end up crowded everywhere but on the most difficult hiking trails.

But, if you go visit a national park in the winter, you are going to get an experience much closer to the idealized version of a day at the national park. Now obviously it’s going to be cold, but as long as you prepare appropriately for the weather, you should be able to spend a nice peaceful day exploring the beauty of the Glacier National Park with much more seclusion and serenity. 

You’ll really be able to get lost in the natural beauty when you see the frozen lakes and snow covered trails. In fact, they don’t even allow any sort of motorized traffic off the actual roads in the winter. So you don’t even have to worry about the sounds of engines and motors breaking your suspension in the tranquility and peace of the glacier carved peaks and valleys.

“Beautiful park, wish I could stay for a year and see more of it, but did a half day trip with the family and it was amazing.   Winter visit and we had the park almost all to ourselves!” - Yelp Review 

3 - Spotted Bear Spirits

The Best Spot Around Whitefish for Drinks and Cocktails

503 Railway St | Whitefish | spottedbearspirits.com

Spotted Bear Spirits is a distillery located in Whitefish that distills liquors and spirits that are inspired by, and even contain fresh ingredients, from the local natural beauty of Montana. They have a tasting room open from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM nightly (last call is at 7:40!) where you can try a selection of their homemade spirits and crafted cocktails. Unfortunately there is a two drink limit per person. So if you are looking for a wild night out on the town, that’s not exactly what you are going to get. 

What you will get is a pristine environment to sample their artisan creations. The environment is so nice that they even welcome children as long as they don’t sit at the bar. My advice would be to go here with your significant other or maybe a small group. That way you can try a wider variety of what they have to offer. There may be a two drink per person limit, but with two people you can get four different drinks and just let each other try them. 

And once you have tried them and have found your favorite one, you can pick up a bottle to take home with you. That way you can bring back a little piece of Montana from your vacation that you can share with others in the future. And hey if you find something that you really love, they recently started offering online ordering as well so you will be able to get another bottle without driving all the way to Montana.   

“Best place to get cocktails! We came here at least 3 times during our 4 day trip. We were so impressed. It's a bummer you can only get 2 cocktails a day here but it's definitely worth going. Cute spot too” - Yelp Review 

4 - Alpine Theatre Project

Broadway Veterans Bring Award Winning Productions to Whitefish

6475 Hwy 93 | Whitefish | atpwhitefish.org

If you are looking to soak up some arts and culture while you are in Whitefish this winter, then you really can’t go wrong with the Alpine Theater Project. This theater project was founded in 2004 by three Broadway veterans. And in the time since they have been open, they have delivered over 190 Broadway projects. And they must be doing a really good job with them because they have won four Tony Awards, four Golden Globes, Awards. An Academy Award, and four Emmys. Be sure to check out their website ahead of time to see which productions they will be performing during your visit. 

“We are lucky to have this level of Equity theatre available in Northwest Montana. I've been to many productions and, although the ticket prices are high considering we are in Montana, the productions are wonderful. ” - Yelp Review 

5 - Whitefish Depot

A Historic Amtrak Location With A Small Museum You Can Explore

500 Depot St | Whitefish | crownofthecontinent.net

If you are hoping to soak up some of the history of Whitefish the next time you are visiting, then you’ll want to be sure to check out this historic, and still functioning Amtrak station. The museum itself is pretty small, so you aren’t going to be able to spend a whole day here, but if you are looking for a nice peaceful afternoon this can be a great spot.

“Interesting place. Clean and neat. They were in the process of painting the building. Nice little museum inside with a friendly staff member” - Tripadvisor Review 

6 - Whitefish Pottery

The Best Place In Whitefish to Pick Up Gifts and Souvenirs

Street Address | Whitefish Mt | whitefishpottery.com

Whitefish Pottery is a great place to pick up gifts or souvenirs to remember your visit to Whitefish and Glacier National Park. You can get a wide assortment of different pottery and gifts. And the interesting thing is that they recently changed up the business model a little bit. 

Over the last 25 years the owner has led a team of different artists and potters to create all the items for sale in the store. But they recently moved locations and lead artist Tom Gilfillan is working on his personal art pieces. So whereas before there was a wide supply of fairly unique items for purchase, now the store will feature more personal and unique art pieces created by the lead artist. So you’ll be sure to find something interesting if you stop in at Whitefish Pottery

“There was a nice assortment of colorful pottery, wall art, photography, and other unique gift items. Most of the items are made in the area.” - Tripadvisor Review 

7 - Signature Stadium 14

A Cinemark Movie Theater Playing All the Latest Releases and Blockbusters

Grab a Signature Stadium 14 gift card by following the link!

185 Hutton Ranch Rd | Kalispell 

Signature Stadium 14 is a Cinemark movie theater located near Whitefish in nearby Kalispell. Kalispell is only about 15 miles away so it should only be a twenty minute drive or so. 

The seats are comfortable, the screen is big, and the speakers are loud. And if you are in Whitefish during the winter and you are low on fun things to do, be sure to check out their website and see what they are currently playing, and what movies they will be playing soon. I can’t promise the movie will be good, but the theater will be a nice place to watch it.  

“Nice theater and quite clean. Only complaint is that popcorn cost almost as much as a ticket to the theater. Seats are very comfortable.” - Yelp Review 

You can get a convenient Cinemark digital gift card that you can use at this, or any other, Cinemark Theater location by following the link!

And there you have it, that is my list of great winter activities that you can do around Whitefish, Montana in the winter. I tried to get a good variety of different options on the list. So everything from a movie theater to an art gallery made the list today. If you enjoy your time around Whitefish be sure to check out our other articles on great things to do near Glacier National Park as well as one on great restaurants around the area!