Glacier Nordic Club selects Big Mountain Trailhead site for groomer barn; lease and construction next steps

Summary

Glacier Nordic Club updated the council that it has agreed on a site for a groomer‑barn and storage area at the Big Mountain Trailhead under an easement with the city. The club said it will pursue a lease and construction agreement and has been advancing the project since 2018; no funding request was made at the June 2 meeting.

Glacier Nordic Club told the Whitefish City Council on June 2 that it has identified a site for a groomer barn and equipment storage area at the Big Mountain Trailhead and will move forward on a lease and construction agreement.

Jenny Bender, executive director of Glacier Nordic Club, briefed the council that the trailhead site is on Flathead County land and is owned by the resort but subject to a public easement with the City of Whitefish. The club said it has placed temporary equipment at the site since 2019, added electrical and gravel in earlier work, and resumed planning this year after leadership transitions.

Bender said the club has undertaken a multi‑year site analysis, worked with Whitefish Legacy Partners and city staff and hopes to finalize the lease and construction agreements soon. She said the project will improve winter trail grooming capacity, benefit youth nordic programs and protect high‑value grooming equipment currently stored outdoors.

City councilors thanked the club for the project update and for the thorough site analysis. No city funding request or formal action was taken at the June 2 meeting; staff said any future lease or construction agreement would return to council for approval.