Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
The Whitefish Trail is a great collection of trails in the Whitefish area that affords locals and visitors alike to get out and hike, bike, run and ride horses on a wide variety of terrain that is increasingly being developed.
The flagship of The Whitefish Legacy Project, the Whitefish Trail's goal is to connect all of the trails for a complete loop around Whitefish Lake.
A fun route is to start at the Swift Creek Trailhead (where you can just do a shorter, level loop) and hike up to Smith Lake and the Smith Lake Trailhead. Experience dark forests through cottonwoods and spruce near the creek with a couple overlooks and cruise through fir, larch, and pine forests that open up to sprawling views of the surrounding hillsides, culminating in the quaint, wooded Smith Lake.
This blog is part of a six part series of hikes in and around the Whitefish area in coordination with Explore Whitefish. Check out their website at explorewhitefish.com to find out more ways to explore the area, things to do, places to stay, and how you can recreate responsibly while visiting.
The Whitefish Trail is a great collection of trails in the Whitefish area that affords locals and visitors alike to get out and hike, bike, run and ride horses on a wide variety of terrain that is increasingly being developed.
The flagship of The Whitefish Legacy Project, the Whitefish Trail's goal is to connect all of the trails for a complete loop around Whitefish Lake.
A fun route is to start at the Swift Creek Trailhead (where you can just do a shorter, level loop) and hike up to Smith Lake and the Smith Lake Trailhead. Experience dark forests through cottonwoods and spruce near the creek with a couple overlooks and cruise through fir, larch, and pine forests that open up to sprawling views of the surrounding hillsides, culminating in the quaint, wooded Smith Lake.
This blog is part of a six part series of hikes in and around the Whitefish area in coordination with Explore Whitefish. Check out their website at explorewhitefish.com to find out more ways to explore the area, things to do, places to stay, and how you can recreate responsibly while visiting.
