5 Reasons to Visit Whitefish Mountain Resort In Summer

Going to a ski resort in summer may not be first on your list for a family vacation. However, we discovered lots of fun summer activities at Whitefish Mountain Resort during our road trip through Montana. Our kids love to be outside, burn energy and play together as a family. Many of these Whitefish Mountain Resort activities accomplish all of these things and then some. These 5 reasons to visit Whitefish Mountain Resort in summer are great ways to make memories with your kids and enjoy the outdoors.

Treat Kids to a Family Fun Day

Whitefish Mountain Resort has something for everyone, even in the summer. Our kids were eager to experience a family fun day doing lots of active things on the mountain. Once you arrive at the resort, you can purchase wristbands and tickets for each of the attractions. Some of the tickets allow for a specific number of rides or uses, while other activities allow for full day use.

Strider Bike Park

Our 3-year-old and 5-year-old kids especially enjoyed riding around the Strider Bike Park. We have Strider balance bikes at home and we’ve experienced firsthand how much these bikes help kids practice their balance and gain skills needed to ride a bike. Once kids get their wristbands, which allow for full day use, they can pick out a bike and helmet and hit the course. The Whitefish Mountain Resort Strider Bike Park has several gently rolling trails kids can easily navigate on their balance bikes. Kids can ride the course at their own pace, take a break and come back to it later. My son loved being independent on the course and doing his favorite thing, riding his bike and choosing his own path.

Related Post: Essential Gear for Your Family Road Trip »

Spider Monkey Mountain

Next to the Strider Bike Park, kids can also climb up Spider Monkey Mountain. This climbing structure is harder than it looks. Each section of the tower has a floor made from stretchy bands, which kids can grab onto and climb into the heights. This activity offers a unique climbing experience, which can be harder for younger kids. Our 7-year-old successfully got to the top twice with a lot of effort and perseverance. Once at the top of Spider Monkey Mountain, kids can slide down the tall inflatable slide.

Speed Down the Mountain

Whitefish Mountain Resort offers engaging summer activities that allow visitors to enjoy the mountain terrain, just like they would through skiing or snowboarding in winter. The Apline Slide and Summer Tubing run reproduce the fun of speeding down the mountain, without any snow.

Alpine Slide

The Alpine Slide was by far one of our favorite activities at Whitefish Mountain Resort. We had never experienced riding an Alpine Slide before and didn’t know what to expect. Kids can ride in their own cars if they’re taller than 48″ or ride with an adult. We picked up our cars at the top of the track and waited for our turn. Once on the slide, the car’s pull lever allows you to speed up by releasing the brake or slow down by applying the brake. Gravity pulls the car down the luge-like track that’s built into the mountain slope.

I rode with my 5-year-old daughter who’s not yet tall enough to go alone. We sped down the mountain at a comfortable speed and went through tunnels and beneath the high ropes course. My 7-year-old enjoyed doing the slide by herself. Overall, the Alpine Slide at Whitefish Mountain Resort is a fun activity for kids of all ages as well as adults too!

Summer Tubing

Another family favorite, the Summer Tubing run is a slippery slide designed to resemble tubing on the snow. Our tickets for this activity allowed for a limited number of rides. We picked up tubes at the entrance and stepped onto the moving walkway. At the slide platform, we got into our tubes and pushed off down the side ramp. Friction strips at the end of the slide gently slow your tube to a stop. We discovered that the amount of weight in the tube can effect how fast you go on the Summer Tubing run and how far. My kids had a blast going down this slide by themselves as well as in tandem tubes with me or my husband.

Relax & Enjoy a Scenic Ride

There’s lots to do on the mountain in summer and some of the Whitefish Mountain Resort activities aren’t very close together. To get around, we took the Gondola down the slope to the Strider Bike Park and the Summer Tubing run. Then we took it back up to the top of the Alpine Slide. We also enjoyed the scenic lift ride to the summit of the mountain. You can purchase single ride tickets or a season pass to ride the Gondola scenic lift ride. From the heights, you can see views of Whitefish Lake, the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. The scenic lift ride was a great chance for the kids to relax, enjoy the mountain scenery and wind down a little bit before lunch.

At the top of the mountain, we got lunch at the Summit House cafeteria-style restaurant. Our family ordered hamburgers, chicken strips and huckleberry shakes.

Related Post: Things to Do with Kids in Northwest Montana »

Experience Adventure in Nature

Other summer activities at Whitefish Mountain Resort include numerous downhill mountain bike trails and the Aerial Adventure Park. From the gondola, we saw many people riding down the meandering trails. Mountain biking will be a fun activity to experience when our kids are older. Whitefish prides itself on the flow of its mountain bike trails which are carved into a mountain in harmony with its contours for a smooth ride.

The Aerial Adventure Park is another way to experience adventure in nature for kids ages 7+, teenagers and adults. The suspension bridges, rope ladders and walkways are tucked into the trees. Whitefish Mountain Resort offers five high ropes courses of various ability levels, each featuring different elements for getting from tree to tree.

Soar High Above the Slopes

Finally, if you enjoy heights and gorgeous views, you will appreciate the Whitefish Mountain Resort Zip Line Tour. We will have to try this outdoor experience on a future visit. The Zip Line Tour includes more than a mile of flying on six separate lines stretching as long as 1,900 ft. across and up to 300 ft. above the forest floor. I hope our kids continue to grow their love for adventure so they can do activities like this.

We spent a memorable day in the outdoors during our visit to Whitefish Mountain Resort. It was definitely a highlight of our trip to Montana. We easily filled a full day there and had plenty of things to do for our family with young kids. Our kids enjoyed spending time with each other and trying some new challenges.

Would your family enjoy the Alpine Slide, Summer Tubing or the Aerial Adventure Park the most? Next time you’re in the area, it’s worth taking your family to enjoy some of the Whitefish Mountain Resort activities.

Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 3 kids in beautiful Coeur d’Alane, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, DIY projects, photography, homeschooling my kids, traveling, and serving people. I’ve previously worked as a graphic designer, web designer, journalist and barista. I started Create. Play. Travel. to share some of our creative projects and family adventures.  I hope you enjoy the highlights of our creative family life!