Bowman Lake & Polebridge Mercantile

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA

Today is Mom and Dad's last day in Montana with me. Because they've already driven the Going to the Sun Road through Glacier National Park and also checked out some sites in Kalispell, I suggested we take a drive up to Bowman Lake. It's a place I had read about, but hadn't planned to visit because it's definitely out of the way, but turned out to be oh-so-worth it!

Bowman Lake is just 22 miles south of the Canadian border, and just 40 miles north of our Airbnb in Columbia Falls. However, the drive takes a solid 1.5 hours because of the roads. The last seven miles alone took a half-hour to traverse because the road was so curvy and bumpy. And even though it's out of the way and is tricky to get to, it was one of my favorite experiences in Glacier National Park.

Polebridge Mercantile

I had read online about this place called Polebridge Mercantile - a little general store and bakery located in the middle of nowhere on your way to Bowman Lake. Also, the woman who managed my Airbnb highly recommended we stop there as well.

Polebridge is an unincorporated community in northern Montana that has NO ELECTRICITY! For years, it was powered by noisy diesel generators and a small solar energy system with 24 panels. Recently, 87 new solar panels were added, making solar the primary energy source, plus propane to operate the ovens that bake the bear claws, but more about that in a moment. Needless to say, there is no wifi or cell service.

In the summer, the population is just under 100, dropping to single digits in the winter. The area is home to a few houses, a café/saloon, a hostel/campground, and a small general store called Polebridge Mercantile.

How cute is this place?? Here's a shot of Dad and me.

And here is Mom and me.

Polebridge Mercantile has been in operation since 1914 and is open seasonally from May through October. It serves as a general store with basic pantry essentials, souvenirs and its bakery which is responsible for serving to-die-for huckleberry bear claws.

According to Wikipedia, huckleberries grow wild in the northwest US and western Canada and are the state fruit of Idaho. They are like a blueberry, but a bit more tart. And, when used to flavor these bear claws, huckleberries transform into nectar of the gods.

Dad and I each had a bear claw and a cup of coffee. (Mom doesn't drink coffee or eat sugar - not even on vacation, so her loss.) It was SO GOOD!

Here's a pic of my half-eaten bear claw with the rustic campground in the background.

As we sat there, savoring our freshly made treats, I suddenly recalled hiking Spencer Trail Lookout in northern Arizona a few months ago - actually, on Easter Sunday. On that trail, I ran into a man who was originally from Montana. I told him I wanted to visit Glacier National Park at some point and did he have any must-see recommendations for me? He did. He said the area is known for huckleberries and that I needed to check out a place in some remote location with huckleberry bear claws.

I didn't pay much attention at the time because I would rather seek out things to do than things to eat. (Trust me, I can find something to eat no matter where I go; that is never an issue.)

But sitting at that picnic table at Polebridge Mercantile, savoring that bear claw ... at that very moment, I instantly knew this is the place that guy was talking about. And he was right .. the bear claws are SO GOOD!

Bowman Lake

From there, we spent the next half hour dodging potholes as we drove the final seven miles to Bowman Lake. And oh, HOW PRETTY!

It was a perfect day - no wind, bright blue sky, big fluffy clouds, and a 1 mile by 8 mile lake mirror to reflect the mountains around it. It doesn't even look real!

And how cute are these two? The more people I meet and the more years that go by, the more I realize just how lucky I am to have Greg and Machelle as my parents. ❤️

And if you know anything about my family at all, you know we can't do anything without making it into a *little* bit of a contest. Granted, Dad didn't face much competition from me or Mom, but he still won - as usual!

One final picture of the lake because I seriously cannot get enough of it ...

As we were leaving the lake, Dad realized he was missing his glasses. We couldn't find them at the lake so we thought maybe he left them at the Polebridge Mercantile. We made the trip back down that bumpy road in record time to make sure we got to The Merc before it closed.

Luckily, they had his glasses. And luckily, we had good reason to buy another round of bear claws. Two in one day? Yep. Not even a little bit ashamed to admit it. :)