Whitefish State Park to improve bicycle camping spots

The bicycle camping areas at Whitefish Lake and Wayfarers state parks are getting upgrades, Montana State Parks announced Tuesday.

New bike-in campsites also will be constructed at Placid Lake and Salmon Lake.

State parks spokeswoman Betsy Kirkeby said the agency is still working on getting an acceptable bid for the work, but hopes construction could begin as early as this spring.

At Whitefish Lake and Wayfarers, improvements to existing campsites include electrical outlets, shelters with picnic tables, bike racks, additional bearproof storage, potable water and a bicycle maintenance stand at each park.

The two new sites near Seeley Lake will accommodate up to 10 tent spaces and include a fire ring and the same upgrades as those at the other two parks.

“The Office of Tourism has seen an increase in the number of bicycle tourists that have come through, so we’re trying to accommodate that increase in tourism,” Kirkeby said Wednesday.

Regarding the two existing bike-in campsites, she said they are relatively new but currently in a more primitive status.

“This is going to develop them a little further, with some of those amenities that bicycle tourists are looking for,” she said.

A news release from the agency stated that 70 comments were submitted during the public comment period, all expressing support for the project.

The work will be funded with $200,000 from the Montana Department of Commerce.

Camping fees at the sites, which do not include vehicle parking, will be lower than regular campsites. They will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.