Eat & Drink
119 places
Diners, cafés, bars and bakeries, from lake-view patios to the truck-stop burger.
Browse all 119 →
Series One · The Mission Range
A Field Guide for Curious Travelers
No. 001
Visit Mission Valley Montana
Between the lake and the MissionsA western Montana valley between glacial lakes and the mountain range that named it. Pull off the highway. Stay a while. The Mission Valley keeps better the slower you go.
7
Places to Stop
all worth the time
all worth the time
28
Miles Long
Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake
9k
Foot Peaks
in the Missions
in the Missions
200
Bird Species
at Ninepipe
at Ninepipe
Where to eat, what's on, and who to call.
From Polson to Arlee, free for anyone who needs it.
Look up a place to eat, a trail, a mechanic, or what's on this weekend, anywhere from Polson to Arlee. It's free to use, and the only sponsors are businesses here in the valley.
The directory
Four ways in.
Start with what you're after, then narrow it down by town.
Stay
38 places to stay
Lakeside resorts, cabins, RV parks, B&Bs and a few small motels.
Browse all 38 →Explore
84 places
Trails, lake access, fishing guides, museums, golf and the Bison Range.
Browse all 84 →Shop
172 shops
Hardware stores, Main Street boutiques, galleries, farm stands and farmers markets.
Browse all 172 →For people who live here
Local services.
Mechanics, contractors, dentists, lawyers and more, sorted by what you need.
Or browse by type
Worth the stop
Editor's picks.
A few places worth the stop, from Polson to Arlee.
St. Ignatius
Folkshop at St. Ignatius
Nonprofit thrift store employing adults with disabilities
See the listing →
Ronan
Lavender Lori
Lavender farm at the foot of the National Bison Range
See the listing →
St. Ignatius
Lady Bird Sky Riders
Helicopter scenic tours over the Mission Valley
See the listing →
Charlo
Ninepipes Lodge
Mission Valley lodge with rooms, a spa, and a restaurant under one roof
See the listing →Mark the Calendar
What's coming up in the valley.
A few picks from the next couple of weeks.
Sep
30
'26
Community
2nd Indigenous Led Public Health Summit
Joseph McDonald Health & Education Center-Gymnasium2 · 6:00 AM
Sep
30
'26
Oct
02
'26
Oct
21
'26
Evergreen · 5 min read
The Quiet Months: Visiting the Valley November Through April
The Mission Valley in winter is a different valley. Fewer cars on 93, lake views without the boat noise, snow on the Missions, the cold-stretched daylight of late northern winter. A guide to coming in the months everyone else skips.
Evergreen · 5 min read
Eat Where the Valley Eats
The Mission Valley doesn't have a celebrated dining scene. It has restaurants. Bakeries, bar grills, diner counters, a steakhouse, a few cafes you would drive an hour for if you knew. A working guide to eating in the Mission Valley.
Practical · 3 min read
Twelve Hours in St. Ignatius
St. Ignatius is the kind of town that fits a day. Small enough to walk most of it, dense enough with mission-era history and mountain-front trails that twelve hours go somewhere. This is one way to spend them.
Find your way
The valley on a map.
Flathead Lake at the top, the Mission Mountains down the east side, and Highway 93 running through the towns in between.
Open the full map →
The newsletter
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For Valley Businesses
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Where you are
This valley is the Flathead Indian Reservation.
The whole Mission Valley lies within the Flathead Reservation, homeland of the Séliš, Q̓lispé, and Ksanka peoples. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes govern from Pablo, run the college, the power utility, and the Bison Range, and put on the biggest events of the valley's year. The Three Chiefs Culture Center in Pablo is the place to go deeper.