What’s Wild Horse Island?

Wild Horse Island is the largest island west of the Mississippi River, located on Flathead Lake, Montana.

Established as a state park in 1977, the island features pristine beaches, grassland hillsides, an endangered prairie ecosystem, and a variety of wildlife, including bears, bighorn sheep, eagles, and a small herd of wild horses.

Its six summits offer splendid views of the surrounding countryside, and wildlife viewing opportunities abound. With great access to outdoor recreation, Wild Hores Island makes for the perfect afternoon adventure for anyone visiting Flathead Lake.

Read on to find out how to get to Wild Horse Island, discover its unique visitor rules, and find out the best things to see and do there.

Video summary of this blog (2:31):

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(*I haven’t captured my own footage of Wild Horse Island yet, so unfortunately the footage in this video is not of Wild Horse Island. As soon as I get it, I’ll update the video.)

Complete guide to Wildhorse Island

Table of contents:

• Quick facts about Wild Horse Island
• History of Wild Horse Island, Montana
• Geography and wildlife of Wild Horse Island (wild horses)
• Things to do on Wild Horse Island
• How to get to Wild Horse Island
• Who lives on Wild Horse Island?

History of Wild Horse Island, Montana

Prehistoric Wild Horse Island

Wild Horse Island is the result of Cordilleran Glacier movements through Flathead Valley roughly 17,000 years ago. The glacial shifts gave the island its diverse topography, including six small peaks with jagged rock outcroppings on their southern side that serve as excellent viewpoints for hikers.

Before European colonization of this region, the island was used by the Salish-Kootenai tribes to pasture their horses and prevent them from being stolen by rival tribes.

Wild Horse Island in the 20th century

Throughout the early 20th century, homesteaders on the island downed many of the local trees and introduced nonnative grasslands to the local ecosystem which, over time, overpowered the native short grass prairie.

Attempts to develop agriculture on the island ultimately were unsuccessful. Today, fragments of old buildings and an orchard remain from this era.

Wild Horse Island remained a part of the Flathead Indian Reservation from the time the reservation was created in 1872 up to 1904 when the government divided the island into individual land plots.

Throughout the 20th century, various businesses came and went on the island, including a dude ranch and a cabin rental outfit. However, much of the island was spared from development throughout this time, and in 1977, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, & Parks (FWP) gained control over the island, establishing it as a state park.

Wild Horse Island today

Today, Wild Horse Island is home to an abundance of Montana’s quintessential wildlife, including mule deer, falcons, bald eagles, wild horses, and the occasional bear.

Several bighorn sheep were first introduced to the island in 1939. Since then, their population has reached roughly 130.

The FWP has implemented regulations on local wildlife populations and land use to prevent overgrazing of the native grass, one of the last remaining of its kind in Montana. The island is accessible only by boat and is open for day use only.

Geography and wildlife on Wild Horse Island (wild horses)

Geography

Golden meadows stretch across Wild Horse Island’s west and southern slopes, while the east side of the island is blanketed in grasslands. The north side of the island features forests of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir.

The island features six small summits at its center, the highest of which sits at 3,749 feet (1,143 m) above sea level, or 853 feet (260 m) above Flathead Lake. Small rock cliffs lay along their southern slopes.

The summits offer hikers breathtaking views of the surrounding waters, shores, and countryside of Flathead Lake.

Wildlife

Local wildlife populations on Wild Horse Island include:

• Bighorn sheep
• Mule deer
• Waterfowl
• Songbirds
• Falcons
• Bald eagles
• Wild horses (roughly 5 – 6 wild horses live on the island, mostly mares)

Did you know? Some of the largest bighorn sheep in the world have come from Wild Horse Island. Three of the Boone and Crockett Club’s top five sheep from 2015 to 2018 originated from the Wild Horse Island herd.

Beware of bears. There are no food-storage lockers on Wild Horse Island. To avoid encounters with bears, visitors should store their food properly in their boat or keep it with them, and carry bear bells and bear spray for protection.

How the wild horses got to Wild Horse Island

One of the most intriguing features of Wild Horse Island is its wild horses.

Many business ventures that were established on the island throughout the 20th century, such as a dude ranch and a stud farm, brought horses to Wild Horse Island. However, these horses were eventually rounded up or died off.

After the Montana FWP gained control of the island and established it as a state park in 1977, they transferred wild horses to it from Utah.

Horses were first introduced to Wild Horse Island by the local Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille tribes as a place to house, pasture, and protect their horses from rival tribes.

In 1935, Reverend Robert Edington established a dude ranch on the island, which closed in 1941. Dr. J.C. Burnett later established a saddle horse farm which ran until 1959. When these businesses ultimately closed, the horses were left to run wild across the island. However, according to Montana Public Radio, they most likely eventually died off.

Decades later, the Montana FWP gained control over the island, establishing it as a state park in 1977, and transferred mustangs to it from wild herds in Utah.

Things to do on Wild Horse Island

Visitors to the island enjoy beautiful views, an intriguing ecosystem, and numerous outdoor activities, such as:

• Bird Watching
• Hiking
• Photography
• Picnicking
• Swimming
• Boating
• Kayaking
• Fishing
• Sailing
• Wildlife Viewing

Keep in mind that Wild Horse Island is for day use only and has a pack-it-in/pack-it-out policy. Visitors cannot camp or stay the night (unless they own property on the island).

How do you get to Wild Horse Island MT?

Wild Horse Island is only accessible by boat. While the state park service does not provide boat rides to the island, visitors can travel there via private boat, local tour operator, or rented boat, jet ski, canoe, kayak, or paddleboard.

Can you drive to Wild Horse Island?

No, you cannot drive to Wild Horse Island. Wild Horse Island is only accessible by boat.

Who lives on Wild Horse Island?

Wild Horse Island was divided into individual plots in 1904. Most of the island was spared from development throughout the 20th century, and it is now a state park. However, some private properties remain.

Today, a handful of houses of varying sizes with private docks, most of which are vacation homes, dot the shores of Wild Horse Island.

Is Wild Horse Island worth it?

Yes, Wild Horse Island is definitely worth a visit. Its pristine beaches, abundant wildlife, captivating history, and outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, boating, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing, make it a worthwhile afternoon excursion for anyone visiting Flathead Lake.

This mysterious island offers visitors the unique opportunity of stepping back in time to the homesteading days of Flathead Lake while exploring the natural beauty of a rare ecosystem.

header image: Aneil Lutchman, CC BY-SA 2.0