Study spotlights trail's economic impact

The Whitefish Trail is a well-known conduit for Flathead hikers, bikers and cyclists. But recreationists from Florida to British Columbia have also discovered the 42-mile trail network around Whitefish Lake.

That’s one of the findings in a new study by the trail’s sponsor, Whitefish Legacy Partners, the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Headwaters Economics, a Bozeman-based research nonprofit.

Conducting surveys at trailheads and in downtown Whitefish, researchers found that 45 percent of Whitefish Trail users come from its namesake town, and 59 percent are from Flathead County.

Outside Montana, Alberta claims the largest share of visitors, 12 percent. States and provinces from coast to coast have sent smaller contingents.

With these and other data points, Whitefish Legacy Partners aims to better understand recreation’s impact on the town’s economy and character.

The group will present the study’s findings on Monday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m., at the town’s Firebrand Hotel, 650 East Third Street in Whitefish. For more information, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org.