ABC acres

STOPS:

• 1Wild Rose Emu Ranch
• 2Lakeland Feed & Supply
• 3ABC Acres Permaculture Farm
• 4Teller Wildlife Refuge
• 5Swanson’s Mountain View Orchard
• 6Hidden Legend Winery
• 7Lifeline Farm

Begin your day in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley with a visit to the Wild Rose Emu Ranch just south of Hamilton. The ranch is home to approximately 120 emus, a prehistoric bird that originated about 80 million years ago in Australia. Emus cannot fly, but they can run 35–40 mph for short distances. The emu provides remarkable oils for the skin, supple leather, silky and bristly feathers, dark green eggs and healthy red meat.

Plan a stop at Lakeland Feed & Supply in the heart of Hamilton to experience a fascinating look at how feed for horses, cattle, sheep, chickens and many other animals is made. Contact the mill to schedule a tour to see their milling equipment from the 1930s, which is still in use today.

In Hamilton, plan a visit or overnight at ABC acres, a permaculture farm showcasing sustainable food production, healthy living systems and ecological design. The cattle, chickens and pigs are out on open pasture, eating, resting and living the way nature intended.

Continue north from Hamilton on the Eastside Highway into the town of Corvallis, home to the Teller Wildlife Refuge. Sitting along the Bitterroot River, Teller encompasses 1,200 acres of habitat ideal for many types of wildlife, such as beavers, deer, moose, red foxes and coyotes. After visiting Teller, stop by Swanson’s Mountain View Orchard, a family-run farm offering fresh apples and views of the Bitterroot Mountains. Depending on the season, you can pick your own fruit, explore the orchard and enjoy freshly pressed cider.

Traveling north on Highway 93, you’ll find the Hidden Legend Winery in Victor. Stop in and taste the sweetness of mead, a wine made from fermented honey. On a tour of the winery, you’ll be able to see mead made from start to finish with 100 percent local Montana honey and berries. The tasting room is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while private tours of the winery are available upon request.

Also located in Victor is Lifeline Farm. Lifeline Farm creates small-batch, handcrafted cheeses made using milk exclusively from their 400 pasture-fed Brown Swiss cows. Along with producing rich milk, their organic beef has no chemical fertilizers or herbicides, no antibiotics and no animal byproducts in their feed, which makes for delicious beef that is sold throughout Montana.

Round out your tour in Victor with a stop at the Victor Heritage Museum. Located in an old railroad depot, the museum houses railroad memorabilia, mining remnants and American Indian exhibits.

CSKT Bison Range | Credit Christian Sawicki

STOPS:

• 8Dixon Melons Farm Stand
• 9CSKT Bison Range
• 10E/6 Miniature Hereford Ranch
• 11Flathead Lake Cheese

Start your day with a stop at the Dixon Melons farm stand in Sčilíp for a taste of these famously sweet melons—an iconic local treat. Then make your way to one not-to-be-missed attraction in the Mission Valley: the CSKT Bison Range. Encompassing 18,500 acres, the range is home to over 300 head of bison, along with elk, deer, antelope and a host of other animals. Take in the views and see wildlife on a self-drive tour. After driving through the range, stop in at The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana, which gives a glimpse back in time at the Flathead Indian Reservation and early settlements of Montana. Located next to the museum is Ninepipes Lodge and Allentown Restaurant. With 25 guest rooms, a bar and dining room, Ninepipes Lodge has some of the best guest room and dining room views of the Mission Mountains.

As you head farther north on Highway 93 you’ll pass E/6 Miniature Herefords Ranch in Ronan, a family-owned regenerative ranch where you’ll find grass-fed, grain-finished, hormone free Montana beef. Further north, you will be stunned by the views of Flathead Lake—the largest freshwater lake in the West. Sitting on the southern tip of the lake is the community of Polson, with its antique shops, art galleries and live theater.

While in Polson, stop in for a visit at Flathead Lake Cheese. This small creamery creates artisan cheeses by hand in small batches from locally sourced fresh milk that’s pasteurized with solar thermal heat. Taste their creations with names like Joe’s Hawaiian Shirt Feta, Ray’s Pop Curds and Hoppin’ Mad Gouda. If you’re visiting in July, don’t miss Polson’s Flathead Cherry Festival.

Flathead cherries | Credit Andy Austin

STOPS:

• 12Flathead Lake
• 13The Orchard at Flathead Lake
• 14Getmans’ Orchard and Vineyard
• 15Longview Lavendar Farm
• 16Downtown Kalispell
• 17Hedstrom Dairy/Kalispell Kreamery
• 18Purple Frog Gardens
• 19Great Northern Llamas

From Polson, travel 35 miles north on Highway 35 as it winds around the east side of Flathead Lake. Be sure to take advantage of the roadside fruit stands along the way and pick up locally grown Flathead cherries and other fruit picked fresh daily before arriving in Bigfork, a charming community that’s been named one of the 100 best small art towns in the nation.

Located just outside of Bigfork on the northeast side of Flathead Lake is The Orchard at Flathead Lake. This certified organic multigenerational family farming enterprise primarily grows cherries, with secondary crops that include apples, peaches, pears and plums, as well as a large vegetable and herb garden. From these fresh fruits they make fruit products such as cherry jam, cherry barbeque sauce, cherry chutney and apple butter. Schedule an appointment to walk the orchard and learn about the family history and their commitment to producing chemical-free fruits. Just 2.5 miles up the road, you’ll find Getmans’ Orchard and Vineyard, with U-pick options for cherries, peaches, plums, pears, apples and berries.

North of Bigfork, just outside Kalispell in Somers, visit Longview Lavender Farm for U-pick lavender and a farm store with all things lavender. Once you’re in Kalispell, if time allows, consider a visit to these downtown Kalispell museums: Conrad Mansion Museum, Glacier Art Museum and the Northwest Montana History Museum.

Make your way to Kalispell’s Hedstrom Dairy, the largest dairy in the Flathead Valley. The antibiotic and hormone-free dairy milks 200 Holstein cattle twice a day. All the cows are on pasture and fed free-choice grass hay. Located 20 feet from the milking production is the Kalispell Kreamery. The Kreamery processes the milk and dairy products from Hedstrom Dairy while actively promoting a farm-to-table, sustainable agricultural product. Schedule a tour to see the milking process from beginning to end.

Those who are looking for the secret to growing a community crop-sharing garden, visit Purple Frog Gardens. Located 15 miles north of Kalispell on Highway 93 in Whitefish, visitors can lend a hand and pull some weeds from the hearty soil that they spend time building and composting. The delicious bounty is available at farmers markets in the Flathead Valley, including Whitefish and Columbia Falls. Not only do they host tours by appointment, but they also host farm-to-table lunches and dinners.

You might also consider a hands-on encounter at Great Northern Llama Company, located just south of Columbia Falls. Choose between a scenic Ranch Trek, where you’ll explore peaceful trails with a llama companion by your side, or a Llama Meet-and-Greet Tour, where you can learn about these gentle animals, feed them a treat and take one for a short walk.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

STOPS:

• 20Goats of Glacier
• 21Glacier National Park

Your trip would not be complete without a visit to one of the region’s most popular attractions, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more scenic drive in the lower continental United States than the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. A wilderness of lakes, towering peaks and remnants of glaciers is readily accessible. On your way to the park, stop by Goats of Glacier in Coram and enjoy a family-friendly working farm experience with goats, alpacas, mini-Highland cows and chickens.

Travel to the hand-hewn, grand Lake McDonald Lodge where you can hop aboard a red bus for a tour of the 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Sun Road (various tour lengths available; reservations required). The historic soft-top tour buses were introduced in the 1930s and have since been restored and outfitted with propane engines as a gift from the Ford Motor Company. Or take a tour with Sun Tours and learn insights and cultural significance and history about what Glacier National Park has meant to the Blackfeet Nation. Since a motorcoach exceeds the road’s size restrictions, the motorcoach can “deadhead” around on Highway 2 to meet the tour in St. Mary on the east side of the park.

Narrated boat tours with Glacier Park Boat Company are offered several times a day on Lake McDonald, St. Mary, Two Medicine, Swiftcurrent lakes and Lake Josephine.

For additional information on touring Western Montana’s Glacier Country, visit touroperators.glaciermt.com