The largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, deep-blue Flathead Lake is a magnet for outdoor recreation in western Montana. US-93 winds along the lake’s hilly western shore, passing through a number of state parks and small resort communities that enjoy grand views of the Rocky Mountains to the east and the green foothills of the Flathead National Forest to the west.

  Along US-93 at the north end of the lake, Somers is a neat old timber town with some well-preserved turn-of-the-20th-century buildings, one of which holds Tiebuckers Pub (406/857-3335), a beer bar and good restaurant. From Somers, you can detour east onto Hwy-82 for a trip along the eastern shore of Flathead Lake, where you can enjoy the upscale resort town of Bigfork and the acres of cherry orchards that line the lakeshore.