Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 30 SPENCER MOUNTAIN Just west of Whitefish on Highway 93, Spencer Mountain is home to a freeride-oriented trail system with a little something for every- one. Featuring about fifteen miles of wooded trails, rolling terrain, and man-made obstacles, it's a great place to take a few laps. Experts will love the technical trails and man-made features, while novice riders can find their flow on the more gradual sin- gletrack. Built in conjunction with Whitefish Legacy Partners, the Spencer Mountain trails are less than ten minutes from downtown Whitefish and make an excellent option for anyone looking for a quick afternoon ride. These trails are typically accessible from about mid-April to the middle of November. THE WHITEFISH TRAIL Starting just outside of Whitefish, the Whitefish Trail is a beloved cross-country trail system for local and visiting riders alike. Offering more than thirty miles of riding, lots of convenient loop options, scenic overlooks, and routes suitable for every skill level, the Whitefish Trail is an excellent option for both spring and summer rides. The trail connects Lion Mountain, Skyles Lake, Beaver Lakes, and Spencer Mountain. The newest additions to the Whitefish Trail are the Swift Creek Trail and Woods Lake Loop. Meanwhile, work continues to add more miles of trails and extend the riding area for bikers. Currently, this is a multi-use system. It's open to all non-motorized traffic, so you'll share the trail with horseback riders, hikers, and runners. The trail system is open year-round. RACHEL RUDWALL W H E R E I N T H E S T A T E ? WHITEFISH KNOWN AS A POPULAR DESTINATION FOR ROAD BIKERS, DOWNHILL BIKERS, AND CROSS-COUNTRY RIDERS, WHITEFISH IS A GREAT PLACE TO CONSIDER AS YOU START PLANNING YOUR NEXT BIKE VACATION. PIG FARM Named for its proximity to Farm-to-Market Pork just to the south, the Pig Farm trail system is a favorite among local riders. Offering a network of begin- ner-friendly single track trails ranging from gravel roads to fun downhills, Pig Farm is an excellent place for the whole family to explore. The fact that it's only fifteen minutes from downtown Whitefish makes it a very easy ride for spring or summer recreation. The trail system is open to hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and other non-motorized traffic. Pig Farm is a favorite local trail, so it gets busy during peak hours. If you're planning to ride Pig Farm, you should know that the area's trails ar- en't particularly well-marked. While it's virtually impossible to get genuinely lost at Pig Farm, trails pop out all over the place, so no two rides are ever the same. The trails are open year-round. MONTANA OFFICE OF TOURISM AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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