Lake Missoula
Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago. This is one of the sights of Wye. The first to add nearby is Montana Snowbowl, at 8.7 mi.
A lake inside Wye
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°, with about 43" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Wye
Lake Missoula is inside Wye, which has 8 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun and Sep
June and September are the mild months, with highs of 74–75°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
Missoula Montana (MSO) has airline service, about 3 miles from Lake Missoula.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Plan a visit to Lake Missoula around the weather below.
Lake Missoula
Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago. The lake measured about 3,000 square miles (7,770 km2) and contained about 500 cubic miles (2,100 km3) of water, half the volume of Lake Michigan.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 3,000 square miles
- Listed
- National Natural Landmark
- Wikipedia readers
- 33K a year
Nights near Lake Missoula
The closest lodging is in Wye (8) and Missoula (64).
- 1Montana Snowbowl
- 2CSKT Bison Range
- 3Wilma Theater
- 4Missoula Art Museum
- 5Montana Museum of Art & Culture
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Missoula | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wye | in town | — | 8 4 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 RV parks | 1,055 | $569K | — |
| Missoula | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 64 48 hotels · 8 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 1 campground | 78,903 | $473K | D |
| Lolo | 12 mi south | 20 min | 7 2 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 4,314 | $432K | — |
| East Missoula | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 2 1 motel · 1 campground | 2,099 | $359K | — |
| Huson | 11 mi northwest | 15 min | 2 2 hotels | 136 | $232K | — |
| Bonner-West Riverside | 13 mi east | 20 min | 1 1 lodge or cabins | 1,563 | $211K | — |
| Twin Creeks | 20 mi east | 30 min | 2 2 lodges & cabins | 361 | $357K | — |
| Arlee | 16 mi north | 25 min | 1 1 campground | 812 | $261K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
These well-known places are within 67 miles.
67 mi LakeFlathead Lake19 mi Ski areaMontana Snowbowl64 runs · 2,538 ft vertical
227 mi Park & preserveCSKT Bison Range65 mi CaveTears of the Turtle Cave
39 mi TheatreWilma Theater63 mi Ski areaDiscovery Ski Area50 runs · 2,443 ft vertical48 mi MuseumMissoula Art Museum
59 mi MuseumMontana Museum of Art & CulturePhoto credits
Flathead Lake: The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · CSKT Bison Range: Paul Frederickson, CC BY 2.5 · Wilma Theater: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montana Museum of Art & Culture: DocFreeman24, CC BY-SA 4.0
Good to know about Lake Missoula
Is Lake Missoula in Wye?
Yes. It’s inside Wye, MT.
When is the best time to visit Lake Missoula?
June and September, with highs of 74–75°.
What is the closest airport to Lake Missoula?
Missoula Montana (MSO), about 3 miles away. The nearest big hub is Spokane (GEG), about 166 miles.
Where should I stay near Lake Missoula?
Missoula (7 mi, 64 places to stay), Wye (in town, 8 places to stay) and Lolo (12 mi, 7 places to stay).
Advice from Wye
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Wye’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.