🏕️ ECHO LAKE MONTANA

Warmest lake in Montana, trick boats, spectacular fireworks show and a game called "washers" make Echo Lake a special place.

Home to osprey, deer, bass and gorgeous views, we were lucky enough to visit for the 4th of July to partake in all of its splendor.

Getting There

Can I just say that getting off the plane and walking into the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport was like everything you'd expect Montana to be - rustic, clean, mountainous views out of the large windows and super chill. Oh yeah, and it's fancy! One of the nicest airports I've seen. This option is fairly new as Southwest just opened the route in May of 2021.

Tip: Plan your trip to spend at least one day in Yellowstone National Park. It is so close and makes the most of your travel.

Rental Car $$$$

I was shocked at the exorbitant cost of rental cars. It's a sign of the times with high gas prices and resumed travel after the pandemic travel restrictions. Hopefully in the future prices will come down or just being able to book well in advance will yield more affordability. This was a deal breaker for our trip. Our saving grace was that our family picked us up, however, that is not always an option.

Route

It takes about 4 hours to drive to Echo Lake from Bozeman, which makes for a pretty long day of travel. However, one look out the window at Big Sky Country and the trip goes by at a better clip. When driving, an eagle eye pays off. Amidst the plethora of lakes, mountains, rivers and countryside, we saw numerous deer, no elk this time, but to our surprise, the cutest young black bear crossing the road. Wow!

Getting close to Echo Lake, we went through the cool town of Bigfork. Cafes, breweries, restaurants and more make it a popular spot. If we had more time, I suspect we would have taken a trip back into town to check it out.

Glacier National Park

Located at the border of Montana and Canada, Glacier National Park is only about 30 miles away from Echo Lake. Adding one more day to the trip to visit this special park, would be worth it.

Location, Location, Location

Echo Lake is located in the Flathead Valley, a few miles from the town of Bigfork. Because it is fed mostly by natural springs, it is one of the warmest lakes in Montana. This was very appealing to my husband's brother and sister-in-law to purchase here because it can be enjoyed for a longer period of time.

Big and small. With 700 acres of lake, there is much to be explored, yet not so much that one would get lost (except a geographically challenged person like me).

Tootling around the lake, I admired many homes and took interest in the variety. Multi-million dollar homes to modest abodes, but all enjoying the same view.

On one of our boat outings, we came across an uninhabited natural island where we noticed an osprey in its nest watching us. As we got closer, we saw a momma deer and her baby. Apparently, the deer will swim to a remote location in order to give birth and protect their babies. What a special moment to connect with nature.

Island Life

My husband's brother and sister-in-law bought a cabin on a small island on Echo Lake. This is their piece of paradise where they go every weekend during the summer and more if possible.

Each home has a boat slip at the private boat launch. Arrive, park you car, load up your boat and head to the island. Travel by boat is your mode of transportation for the rest of the trip.

When we arrived, there was a beautiful lakefront home where people were outside playing "Pickleball" on a sports court. "Can I join?" I wanted to say. The next morning, while kayaking, we noticed that they had an exercise class going on at that same spot. Again, I wanted to ask, "Can I join?" What a fun group of people. These would be the same people whom were entertaining us with their trick boat and flyboard skills.

🔵 A Flyboard is like a little jetpack on your back and then a tube where water shoots you up into the air.

With only 13 homes on the island, they have a close-knit community who give each other space, but also come together socially especially on the 4th of July for the big "Washer" Tournament.

Watersports Galore

A well-equipped home on the lake comes with:

🔵 Pontoon Boat - good for sunset cruises and general transport

🔵 Surf Boat - yes, I said, "surf" boat because apparently nobody

waterskis anymore ;) ... just surfing and tubing

🔵 Jet Skis - fun, fun, fun!

🔵 Kayaks - slower pace and manual labor

🔵 Water Trampoline - the kids love it

Camping

Welcoming friends and family, it is common to pitch a tent on property to accommodate everyone. My sweet nephew and his friends didn't mind one bit.

Fishing

With an abundance of bass in Echo Lake, some of our crew took the boat out to fish. There were many people fishing at various spots around the lake at any given time of the day.

Washer Tournament

Ever heard of the game "Washers"? Neither had I. However, on the island at Echo Lake, it is a 4th of July tradition. One family has two washer courts and invites everyone to participate in the tournament.

Similar to the game of "Horseshoes", players toss a washer into a box and depending on where it lands, can earn more or less points.

All levels are welcome and teams are randomly created pairing a more skilled player with a less skilled player, but you never know who may have a natural "knack" for the game or perhaps "beginner's luck".

With 25 teams, the tournament lasted for almost an entire day. As the brackets dwindled down to the best of the best, the competition was fierce. Cheering on our friends and family, it came down to one of our teams in the final round. They took second place, but left with smiles on their faces and money in their pockets.

Fireworks!

As the sun began to set (around 10pm in Montana), the fireworks show began. It first started at the picnic area across the lake from our cabin. What appeared to be kids preparing to light sparklers, turned into a full on fireworks SHOW!! Contributions to the homeowner's association purchased the fireworks and pyrotech. And if that wasn't enough, another home put on their own show and then another. It was spectacular! Boats come decked out and playing patriotic music to watch as well. It all adds to the celebration of America's birthday. This is one of the BEST places in the U.S. to watch fireworks!