Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
CSKT Bison Range, Charlo, MT

Photo: PD-USGov-Interior-FWS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

CSKT Bison Range

58355 Bison Range Rd · Charlo, MT

Why you should go…

The Bison Range covers more than 18,000 acres at the center of the Flathead Indian Reservation and is home to about 350 bison. It was founded in 1908 as the National Bison Range, and since 2022 it has been fully owned and managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Red Sleep Drive and the lower Prairie Drive form a 19-mile loop that takes about two hours. You may also spot elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep, and there is a visitor center at the entrance.

  • #wildlife drive
  • #bison
  • #scenic drive
  • #tribal lands

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to CSKT Bison Range, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Polson Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center

    Free

    The visitor information office for Polson, the gateway town at the south end of Flathead Lake.

    25 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Handmade Montana

    Free

    A Montana retail shop and market organizer selling handcrafted goods from local and regional artisans.

    25 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Swan Mountain Outfitters

    $50+

    Montana's largest horseback outfitter, guiding trail rides and wilderness pack trips in Glacier National Park and the Swan Valley.

    46 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Flathead Lake Alpine Coaster

    Under $25

    Montana's only alpine coaster, a mile-long mountain track near Flathead Lake with mini golf and gem mining on site.

    48 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Flathead Lake Charters

    $50+

    Guided half-day and full-day fishing charters for trophy lake trout on Montana's Flathead Lake.

    50 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Flathead Lake Monster Charters

    $50+

    Guided fishing charters on Flathead Lake aboard a private boat out of Woods Bay.

    51 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours