Whitefish Mountain Resort, United States
Watch this spot We email you when Whitefish Mountain Resort is worth the trip.
About Whitefish Mountain Resort
Village 1,454 m. Facts: verified.
A ski resort with its village at 1,454 m and its top at 2,063 m. It has 84 km of runs and 16 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The runs drop 699 m, from 2,063 m to 1,364 m. For beginners and families: 72% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate). For experts: 23 km of advanced, expert and freeride runs. It is usually in season from December to April. The snow is usually deepest in March, about 1.0 m at the top (2,063 m). For skiers the best month is usually February, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Whitefish.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort on Big Mountain in northwestern Montana. It is west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest, four miles (6 km) from the town of Whitefish, sixteen miles (26 km) west of Columbia Falls, and 21 miles (34 km) north of Kalispell.
From the Wikipedia article Whitefish Mountain Resort, shortened. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
The ski area
Runs from 1,364 m to 2,063 m: 699 m of vertical. 84 km of runs and 16 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap for Whitefish Mountain Resort.
| Easy | 16 km |
|---|---|
| Intermediate | 45 km |
| Advanced | 21 km |
| Expert | 2.4 km |
| Chairlifts | 12 |
|---|---|
| Drag lifts | 2 |
| Magic carpets | 2 |
Measured along each mapped run, so it can differ from the resort's own figure. Ski area data © OpenSkiMap.org and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
For families
72% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate).
No public pool, ice rink, leisure centre, ski school or childcare is mapped within 5 km of the village. That may mean nobody has mapped them yet.
The Family filter counts these. Check opening times before you go.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 6 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to FCA, direct.
See flights ORD → FCA · Skyscanner from about £185 returnAdGetting there. 50 min from the airport to Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Accommodation.
Stay in WhitefishAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Whitefish (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Whitefish 16 min by car · rooms from £80 a night · where Whitefish Mountain Resort stays
Places to stay in Whitefish · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire, lessons and lift passes.
Ski lessons in Whitefish · GetYourGuideAdSki and board hire · SkisetAdLift passes · Resort website
Where it is
Whitefish Mountain Resort on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Lifts closed for the season. They usually open about 25 November.
Forecast
The score, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor
| Day | Score | Fresh72 h | Depthtop, mid, base | Coldestat top | Windat top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 0°C | wind, 4 knots |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 2°C | wind, 6 knots |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 3°C | wind, 4 knots |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 4°C | wind, 3 knots |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 5°C | wind, 4 knots |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 0°C | wind, 9 knots |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, poor | 5 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -6°C | wind, 7 knots |
| Sun 25Oct | 0, poor | 9 cm | 0.1 mmid 0.1 mbase 0 m | -5°C | wind, 8 knots |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to.
Snow by month
| Month | Base1,454 m | Mid1,759 m | Top2,063 m | Coldestat the top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | -8°C |
| Dec | 0.5 m | 0.5 m | 0.5 m | -10°C |
| Jan | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | -11°C |
| Feb | 1.0 m | 0.9 m | 0.9 m | -13°C |
| Mar | 1.1 m | 1.0 m | 1.0 m | -9°C |
| Apr | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | 0.8 m | -6°C |
| May | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | 0°C |
Typical snow on the ground in the village, halfway up and at the top: the middle value over 2016 to 2025, from ERA5-Land reanalysis at the grid cell nearest each height. Not a forecast, and not the groomed pistes: resorts make snow lower down.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to FCA, then 50 min by road. About 6h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Wed 21 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Thu 22 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Fri 23 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sat 24 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to FCA, then 50 min by road. About 6h 15 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,930–£3,035 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FCA, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £185–£385 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Transfer | shared airport transfer, return | £70–£120 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £215–£360 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Lift pass | 5 days | £1,000–£1,350 |
| Ski hire | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £165–£275 |
| Total | £1,930–£3,035 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Airport to resortAd
Transfers · Hoppa (ad)Lift passes
Lift passes · Resort websiteLinks marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.