Whitefish Outfitters to add one-stop adventure shop for visitors

For many visitors to Whitefish and the Glacier area, Whitefish Outfitters and Tours is one of the first places to call to book tours and rentals for outdoor adventures year-round. 

This summer, the business, which already serves about 10,000 clients a year, looks to grow by offering a visitor planning service called Glacier Adventure Center. 

“It’s a booking center where we can help book everything, not just here at Whitefish Outfitters and Tours, but at other vendors around the valley,” said Kurt Schram, business owner. “We can do a custom itinerary with things like rafting with Glacier Guides or horseback riding with at Bar W Guest Ranch, as well as lodging and dinner plans.” 

The Outfitters plan to open an additional Glacier Adventure Center shopfront on Spokane Avenue located directly across the street from its current shop.  

Schram said the Adventure Center is a good alternative to online, non-local trip advisors that take huge commissions, which take away wide margins from hardworking, small tour operators.  

“We’re going to do it for a smaller piece of the pie. And we’re going to do a good job,” he said.  

The Glacier Adventure Center isn’t the only growth the Outfitters will see this year.  

The business already operates kayak and paddleboard rentals at City Beach but will now be picking up the upstairs concessions shop, which was formally operated by Sweet Peaks.  

Newly purchased tandem clear kayaks will be available to rent at City Beach, allowing floaters to see straight through to the water.  

The Outfitters will be also offering Camp Hellroaring for the second year this summer and hope to expand the capacity and age group range for the camp. The summer camp takes advantage of the Outfitter’s permits with Glacier National Park, the Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.  

The result is that kids, most of whom are local, get to go on a different adventure every day at the “big bucks” places visitors take tours at, Schram said.  

Additional expansions for the Outfitters this year include more capacity for CSKT Bison Range tours and photography tours.  

From summer camp to photography, the growth in services takes advantage of well-rounded employees who have a variety of backgrounds.  

“We’re trying to create opportunities and find niches in the outdoor world so we can bring on more people like [our employees] who love working outdoors and want to live in Whitefish and the surrounding area,” Schram said.  

They are in the process of hiring several new employees, growing from a staff of about 60 to 70. 

Several employees are part-time guides who work full-time jobs elsewhere, while some are teenagers working their first job at City Beach.  

Stefan Beattie, operations manager, said they’ve had more applications than normal this spring. He said he’s had several outdoor-oriented people apply who have been unsure of their federal employment with agencies such as the Forest Service. 

For the business side of things, Schram said reservation numbers are looking good through the fall.