Big Arm Viewpoint

The Big Arm Viewpoint trail climbs to the highest accessible terrain on Wild Horse Island, gaining 600 feet to reach an exposed rocky summit that delivers what many Montana hikers describe as among the finest lake and mountain views in the entire state. From the viewpoint, Flathead Lake spreads in every direction, its blue expanse interrupted by smaller islands and framed to the east by the soaring peaks and permanent glaciers of the Mission Mountains Wilderness.

The Mission Mountains rise abruptly from the east shore of Flathead Lake to elevations exceeding 9,000 feet, their dramatic relief compressed into a relatively short horizontal distance that creates one of the most visually striking mountain-lake interfaces in the American West. The viewpoint also surveys the Big Arm Bay to the west, named for the peninsula that defines the water taxi departure community, and the Flathead valley extending northward toward Kalispell. Wild horses are frequently encountered near the summit area, apparently attracted to the same high viewpoints that draw human visitors. The ponderosa pine and bunchgrass ecosystem at this elevation supports the full range of island wildlife, and the combination of lake, mountain, forest, wildlife, and sky creates a sensory experience that justifies the logistical effort of reaching this boat-access-only state park in western Montana.