Glacier National Park Close - Spoon Lake Waterfront Retreat

WELCOME TO SPOON LAKE
If you're dreaming of a WATERFRONT cozy get away w/ Glacier National Park at your 'back door' this is your place. You will rent the lower floor of our 3-story cabin featuring beautiful, handcrafted log details throughout. The Lower Floor VRBO apt is approx. 952 sf. & is a fully contained, separate lock-off part of the cabin & opens to a SPLENDID VIEW of Spoon Lake. YOUR ACCESS is down the left side of the house to the door facing the lake. You have NO ACCESS at the front door at the garage level next to the green bench or at the inside stairs.

RESERVATION OPTIONS
At this time, we are only offering the Lower Floor apt as a VRBO. The top 2 floors are for owners only & we may or may not be present during your stay.

ACCESS & PARKING - When you park on the driveway at garage level, it looks like a 2-story house, but around the left side of the house there is a 3rd lower level & private access to the VRBO apt below. The entry door to the rental unit is facing the lake. Please DO NOT drive down the side or park below. You DON'T need to park in the public access on the garage side of the property but please park in driveway just off the asphalt near the fence & wagon wheels so as not to block the garage or owner parking in front of the cabin.

LOWER FLOOR VRBO APT: The inside stairway to the main house above is completely locked for your privacy. The apt unit includes a cozy sitting area around gas rock fireplace w/ a Queen sleeper sofa & recliner, full kitchen w/ a breakfast counter, full laundry, steam shower bathroom, 1 bedroom w/ Queen bed. A folding 'Moose' can be used as a table for dining or games inside & a patio table w/ 4 chairs + a BBQ w/ propane is provided outside. Relax in the red Adirondack chairs or soothe away the days' hike in a 2-person heart-shaped Nordic Hot Tub outside your bedroom window while enjoying the birds & lake view. You will have exclusive use of the hot tub during your rental period, so enjoy 'Suits Optional' as desired. Bathrobes are provided for your use in the bedroom closet.

MIDDLE FLOOR: (OWNERS ONLY!) This is at garage level. Your access code will NOT work at this front door. Your entry door is down & around on the left side of the cabin. Parking immediately outside the front door is for owners only please.

TOP FLOOR: (OWNERS ONLY!)

SPOON LAKE
On the beach, there are 2 kayaks or a canoe for your use. Life jackets are hanging on the rock wall near the BBQ. PLEASE NO DIVING off the dock because it's too shallow!!! The barge w/ the trolling motor is for the OWNERS ONLY.

Spoon Lake features glacier-fed, underground springs gurgling up in the far, left end of the lake, easily explored w/ the kayaks or canoe. Listen for loons singing their eerie tune on this quiet, serene mountain-surrounded lake. Most summers, we love watching rare mating pairs of loons that nest on the far side of the lake. If they are nesting Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks set out white buoys along the far shore that asks you not to go within the space. There are only about 80 mating pairs in the entire state of Montana, so it is a treat to hear them. Bald Eagles & Osprey often battle each other in the skies over the lake. Seeing them dive or swoop down into the water for a fish is an exhilarating thrill. Loon calls are mostlydue to Bald Eagle threats. Bird lovers may also hear Pileated Woodpeckers, Stellar Jays, Northern Flickers, Robins, Nuthatches, Mallard Ducks, Mergansers. Canada Geese, & sometimes Trumpeter Swans on occasion in the spring or fall. Enjoy hummingbirds. We have seen muskrats, a few beaver sightings & once a moose cow & her calf strolled the shore to the right & swam from point to point and then the far side brushy area to the left.

If timing is right in July, huckleberries may be found on the property or nearby woods. If you're lucky. Jo may provide you w/ some fresh huckleberry muffins or the like. When berry harvests are low, Flathead Cherry muffins might be available. Enjoy the BBQ & outdoor eating options overlooking the lake. If you prefer, please enjoy eating at the picnic table & play badminton if the net is up in the 'meadow'. Enjoy a refreshing swim off the private floating dock. AGAIN, NO DIVING!!!

BEWARE
We are adjacent to Glacier National Park & surrounded by the Flathead National Forest. Always be vigilant for other wild animals like bear, mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, moose & deer at all times. We recommend you hike w/ Bear Spray. We DO NOT guarantee any of the leftover cannisters you may find in the bathroom top shelf, if any. It can be rented at Apgar inside the park or at the airport and other outlets. They are not allowed on airplanes.

EXPLORING GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
When you are ready to explore the vast million-acre Glacier National Park you are only 20 minutes from the West Glacier gate. Take the short cut about 1.5 mi past Lake Drive across Blankenship Bridge where the legendary North Fork & Middle Fork of the Flathead River meet. Search some of Montana's finest fishing holes & whitewater rivers, or hike Glacier Park's magnificent peaks, waterfalls & glacial valleys in 'God's Country'. Historic Polebridge is 29 miles up the North Fork Road (Hwy 486) past Lake Drive which is also the gateway to the North Fork GNP entry. Halfway up to Polebridge, you can also access GNP at the Camas Road entry which is a backdoor entrance to Apgar. The full spring opening & fall closing of the Going to the Sun Road (GTTSR) varies every year depending on the park service maintenance crews snow clearing efforts.

Some kind of park pass is required to enter any part of GNP. Ever since 2020 GNP has modified additional vehicle reservation system every year. As of 2026, no additional reservation was required for park entrance times. Please review this VERY IMPORTANT information before you visit for the most up to date information to access the park & view road conditions.

FLATHEAD VALLEY
We are 8.5 miles north of casual, laid-back Columbia Falls featuring the Three Forks Grille, the Gunsight Bar & Grill w/ outdoor picnic style seating & frequent live music, usually nightly throughout the summer months. Other dining options include the Nite Owl & Back Room Diner, Up Town Hearth, Columbia Cafe, Teriyaki, Vaqueros, Outlaw Diner, or Montana Coffee Traders. Numerous food trucks provide a wide variety of eats, especially throughout the summer at the Community Market every Thursday, next to St Richards Catholic Church on Hwy 2. Many coffee huts also dot the area. We especially like the baristas at Friske Bean next to the Columbia Nursery on Hwy 2. You can find Smith's Grocery store on Nucleus in the original downtown of Columbia Falls, closest to us & Super 1 out on Hwy 2. The Perfect Cuts butcher shop also has a great selection of meats to BBQ.

Many other exciting opportunities await you throughout the Flathead Valley. WEST GLACIER is a tourist haven just outside GNP w/ many rafting companies, mini golf, shopping options & the Glacier View Golf Course is a wonderful course hugging the Middle Fork Flathead River. CORAM & HUNGRY HORSE have many worthy stops including the Huckleberry Patch. The Hungry Horse Reservoir is a splendid recreational gem. WHITEFISH is a trendy mix of boutiques & restaurants. The Whitefish Lake Lodge Resort Marina has watercraft rentals of all kinds PLUS the lakefront Tiki Bar & Grill. The Whitefish Resort at Big Mountain offers summer gondola rides & mountain biking w/ spectacular 360-degree views as your reward. BIGFORK art galleries, summer playhouse or Flathead Lake activities are only 30 minutes south. Some of our guests have hired fishing guides on Flathead Lake w/ great success & it's a beautiful drive around Flathead Lake especially during cherry picking season in July. LAKESIDE is home to the Far West boat tours of Flathead Lake, Harbor Grill and the Alpine Coaster. KALISPELL is the area's largest city w/ most anything you might want.

When your day of exploring magnificent NW Montana is done, our guests always say chilling at Spoon Lake is the perfect way to relax & reflect on your adventures. Enjoy a steam shower or an *outdoor hot tub au natural. (*subject to unexpected equipment repairs)

We hope you will make wonderful memories at Spoon Lake. There have been a number of repeat visitors, especially honeymooners. One of our guest couples have been back 6 years in a row.