Wild Horse Island is surrounded by
Flathead Lake, the largest body of fresh water in the West. This 2165-acre island has been a landmark in the Flathead Valley since long before white men arrived. The island was formed as a huge glacier scooped out what is now
Flathead Lake and slid up and over the more resistant rock which now makes up Wild Horse Island.
There is no undisputed evidence of how the island got its name. Legends say Indians kept their horses on the island to protect them from other tribes' raids. Several homesteads were established on the island shortly after the turn of the century and there were several later attempts to establish permanent resorts there. The island became a state park in 1977.
