Bigfork

History

Some say the name "Bigfork" is derived from the Salish name for the area. However, Bigfork is a fork where two rivers, the Flathead River and the Swan River, flow in to the Flathead Lake. There are reports of a homestead and orchard immediately north of Bigfork as early as 1885. Everit L. Sliter set out 500 apple, cherry, plum, and pear trees in 1892 on Flathead Lake's east shore. He became the first postmaster in 1901. In 1902, he platted the Bigfork townsite at the mouth of the Swan River. The east shore has since become a major cherry-growing area. Wayfarers State Park lies just south of the community.

Geography

Bigfork is located in south-central Flathead County at the north end of Flathead Lake. The western edge of the CDP is the Flathead River, the primary inflow of the lake. The Swan River flows into Flathead Lake from the east, entering the lake at the center of town. The CDP extends south to the Lake County line; east to Mud Lake, Mud Creek, and the north–south part of the Swan River; and northwards to the roads north of Echo Lake. Kalispell is to the northwest, via Montana Highway 35, Montana Highway 82, and U.S. Route 93. Highway 35 runs through the center of Bigfork and proceeds south along the eastern shore of Flathead Lake, rejoining US 93 at Polson. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Bigfork CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 16.25%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,797
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,723
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,395
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,865
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,687
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,556
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  3,302
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  3,095

Largest nearby schools

• Bigfork Elementary
  Elementary · Bigfork · 461 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Bigfork High School
  High · Bigfork · 354 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Lakeside Elementary School
  Elementary · Lakeside · 302 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Somers Middle School
  Middle · Somers · 253 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Bigfork 7-8
  Middle · Bigfork · 149 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Creston School
  Elementary · Kalispell · 121 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Swan River School
  Elementary · Bigfork · 112 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Swan River 6-8
  Middle · Bigfork · 79 students · 19.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2026-01-19
  13 km ESE of Kicking Horse, Montana
• M 2.5 — 2024-06-23
  24 km E of Swan Lake, Montana
• M 3 — 2024-03-15
  17 km SSE of Swan Lake, Montana
• M 2.6 — 2023-09-17
  4 km NW of Happys Inn, Montana
• M 2.5 — 2023-03-09
  18 km WNW of Dixon, Montana
• M 3.7 — 2022-11-16
  3 km NE of Ravalli, Montana