The Estes Lake trail is 1.5 miles long. It begins at the junction with Road #498 and ends at Estes Lake.
The trail starts out climbing slightly, goes over a knoll, and then descends, winding through the topography and between small wetlands; there is a small cedar grove near the lake. Estes Lake is a tannic lake bordered by lily pads and scattered with blue dragon flies (depending on the time of year).
The trail is open for Off Highway Vehicles (OHV) less than or equal to 50 inches wide, 2 wheeled vehicles, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking.
Estes Lake trail directions, from Bigfork, go south on Highway 35 for 0.7 miles, turning left onto Hwy 209. Stay on 209 for 3 miles, turning right at the light onto South Ferndale Rd. After 2 miles, merge right.
Mike has been up and down this trail many times. It is a favorite for out of area friends and guests. If you want to make it interesting you can begin the trail down and it breaks off to many different points. The beauty is it is really hard to get lost. If you Hike down you end at Flathead Lake, or Crane Mountain. In either case civilization is just around the corner.
If you are hiking somewhere other then around Montana’s Flathead Lake be sure to check out the Top 100 Hiking Blogs from Feed Spot.
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