It can be. The railway runs beside the campground, and FWP notes that trains regularly pass and stop next to it.

CC BY-SA 3.0 • Photo by John David Stutts via Wikimedia Commons

Whitefish Lake State Park

Q: Do I need to get my kayak or paddleboard inspected?

Yes. Inspection is mandatory for all motorised and non-motorised watercraft before launching on Whitefish Lake, and high-risk boats must also be decontaminated.

Q: How much does it cost to visit?

Montana residents who paid the state parks fee with their vehicle registration enter free; nonresidents pay $8 per vehicle or $4 walking or cycling in. Campsites cost $4 to $34 a night.

Q: Is the campground open in winter?

Partly. The lower loop (sites 12 to 24), day-use area and boat launch stay open all year, but the upper loop, water and showers close in early October until late April or May.

Q: Can I bring a big RV?

RVs and trailers up to 40 feet fit. There is also a hike-and-bike site for cyclists on the Great Divide route; call the park manager for details.

Small lakeside campground and boat launch on Whitefish Lake, with trains rolling past

Admission: Montana residents free with the state parks fee on vehicle registration; Nonresidents $8 per vehicle, $4 walk-in or bike. Camping $4 to $34 per night
Hours: Open all year (day use, boat launch and lower campground loop); upper loop, water and show...
Where: Whitefish, Glacier National Park & the Flathead Valley
Directions: Directions

Whitefish Lake State Park is a 10-acre park on the south-west shore of Whitefish Lake, a few minutes' drive from downtown Whitefish. It is the town's main public boat launch and a small, busy campground, with a sheltered swimming cove, a picnic shelter and views up the lake toward the Whitefish Range. It is not a wilderness park: the BNSF main line runs right alongside it, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks warns that trains regularly pass and stop next to the campground.

The lake itself is about 5.8 miles long and up to 1.4 miles wide, covers about 5.2 square miles and reaches 233 feet at its deepest, at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. It was named in the 1850s for the mountain whitefish that were abundant there; its Salish name means roughly "has whitefish". People come to the park to swim, paddle, fish, water-ski and launch boats, and in summer a concession rents paddleboards, kayaks and pedal boats from mid-June to Labor Day.

The campground has 25 sites for tents and RVs up to 40 feet, flush toilets, showers, bear-resistant food lockers and a hike-and-bike site for cyclists on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Sites can be reserved through the state parks reservation line. The park stays open all year. The day-use area, boat launch and the lower loop of campsites (12 to 24) remain open through winter, while the upper loop, water and showers close in early October and reopen in late April or May.

Boaters need to plan ahead. Every watercraft, motorised or not, must be inspected for aquatic invasive species before launching on Whitefish Lake, and high-risk boats must also be decontaminated under city code. Montana residents pay no day-use fee if they paid the state parks fee with their vehicle registration; nonresidents pay $8 per vehicle or $4 on foot or by bike. Camping fees range from $4 to $34 a night depending on season and amenities.

Practical tip: for a quieter swim, City Beach at the lake's south end and Les Mason State Park, a day-use area on the east shore, are the other public options. If you camp here, bring earplugs: the trains run through the night.

Hours & Fees

Open: Open all year (day use, boat launch and lower campground loop); upper loop, water and showers close in early October and reopen late April or May.
Admission: Montana residents free with the state parks fee on vehicle registration; nonresidents $8 per vehicle, $4 walk-in or bike. Camping $4 to $34 per night.

Hours and prices change, especially out of season. Check with the venue before you go.