Wild Horse Island State Park
Located on Flathead Lake, Wild Horse Island is the largest island in a freshwater lake west of Minnesota.
Accessible only by boat, Wild Horse Island has six boat landing sites, but visitors are welcome to pull their boats to shore on any of the public beach sites.
While most of the island is a state park, be aware as there is still private shoreline, therefore visitors are prohibited from using the boat docks.
Looking to hike?
Due to the variety of wildlife, Wild Horse Island does not allow camping, pets or bikes as they may spook the animals. Fires and smoking are prohibited anywhere on the island.
What can you do at Wild Horse Island? The question is, what can’t you do?! You can:
Take a hike! The island has four miles of interconnected hiking trails, but visitors are free to explore off-trail as well.
- Try and catch your dinner! Fishing is allowed with tribal & state fishing licenses.
- Check out the wildlife including bighorn sheep, mule deer, songbirds, waterfowl, bald eagles, falcons and wild horses.
- Warm day? Take a dip in Flathead Lake!
- Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy while you enjoy the views.
Wild Horse Island is said to have been used by the Salish-Kootenai Indians who would pasture their horses on the island to prevent them from being stolen by other tribes!
Wild Horse Island used to be farmed and in the 30s even hosted a lodge. Visitors can still find apple and pear orchards, so if you’re feeling peckish, grab a snack! Besides the great views and interesting wildlife, you can also find rare, endangered plant life on Wild Horse Island. The island even has a Palouse Prairie ecosystem, one of only three of these biomes in Montana!
Curious what other visitors have had to say about the park?
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Park
Open Year Round
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Restrictions/Closures
Fires & Smoking Prohibited
Groups 15 and over must have a special permit. -
Location
Flathead Lake
Latitude/Longitude:
(47.84715/-114.23458)
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