A name like Hungry Horse is sure to have a legend behind it, and in fact it does. This small Montana town got its name from a pair of prodigal horses that broke loose from a pack string just before the first big snow of the season in early 1900. They lasted through a month of hard winter and were found alive and skinny chest deep in snow drifts. From then on, what is now a small town in the shadow of Columbia Mountain, hemmed in by the Middle Fork and South Fork of the Flathead River, became known as Hungry Horse.
Hungry Horse Dam is on the South Fork of the Flathead River, 15 miles south of the west entrance to Glacier National Park and 20 miles northeast of Kalispell, Montana. The dam was built as part of the Hungry Horse Project to provide hydroelectric power and flood control. At 564 feet, the dam is the 10th highest in the U.S. In addition to static and interactive exhibits that cover local area history and the construction of Hungry Horse Dam, the Visitor Center offers free tours of the dam’s crest. The damsite is in a deep, narrow canyon. Hungry Horse Reservoir is located high in the Rocky Mountains, less than 30 miles from the Continental Divide and is surrounded by more than 25 mountain peaks. The reservoir is about 34 miles long and 23,800 acres and offers excellent opportunities for fishing, boating, water skiing, paddle boarding and swimming. Available fish species are cutthroat trout, bull trout, and whitefish.The surrounding mountains are popular big game hunting areas and several of the small tributaries have their headwaters in nearby alpine lakes. The area is managed by the Flathead National Forest.
Hungry Horse is the current start of the Gateway to Glacier Trail, a paved pedestrian and bike path which heads four miles northeast along Highway 2 towards Glacier Park. Here you will find small mom-and-pop shops, a grocery store, two gas stations, and also some lodging options.
Information Courtesy Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce.
Hungry Horse Visitors Center
(406) 387-5241
Timber Wolf Resort & RV Park
Hungry Horse, MT 59919
(406) 387-0659
Distances:
Bigfork to Hungry Horse – 29 miles via MT-35 and Montana Hwy 206
Kalispell to Hungry Horse – 28 Miles via Montana Hwy 206
Glacier National Park – 10 Miles via US-2