Montana

Headwaters Classic hosts Montana's largest youth lacrosse tournament

Published

1 year ago

April 28, 2025

Headwaters Classic hosts Montana's largest youth lacrosse tournament

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Lacrosse athletes from all over the upper Rocky Mountains flocked to Bozeman for the weekend for the Headwaters Classic.

“We try and host a tournament in Bozeman every year, unfortunately, with schedules it doesn’t happen every single year,” Headwaters Lacrosse president Mike Bonville said. “This is the first time we’ve had a tournament this size though.”

The Headwaters Classic was put together primarily by Headwaters Lacrosse and Treasure State Lacrosse , with help from Bozeman Lacrosse and Montana State University.

The tournament brought in over 800 athletes from Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to compete on the campus of MSU. There were over 70 youth teams from 11 different club programs for both boys and girls, ranging from kindergarten through high school.

“This is the biggest spring tournament in the state’s history I believe, which is super cool, and we’re happy to be a part of it,” Treasure State Lacrosse event coordinator Hailey Blachly said.

But the Headwaters Classic wasn’t the only tournament that MSU was hosting that weekend.

Montana State’s club lacrosse competed with seven other colleges in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Championship on the Bobcats’ field. The college club conference championship along with the Headwaters Classic gives kid an inspiration for their future lacrosse careers.

“You can see yourself in their shoes and I think that’s really cool for kids out here to be able to see that there’s a path outside of high school lacrosse. They can go to college, and they can continue to play the sport they love,” Blachly said.

“The thing that’s very special is they get to see the path progression of the game,” Bonville said. “They’re working hard as kids and if they stick with it, there’s an opportunity to play at a pretty high level for the Bobcats or maybe somebody else.”

But the tournament of this size not only helps with the level of competition for the youth, it also invites more athletes to grab a stick and help grow the sport in Montana.

“Having these types of events where we have teams coming from out of state, playing all of the talent in state is really important just to keeping the momentum going with the sport,” Bonville said. “It’s a very fun sport, lots of action, and kids are busy out there on the field, and once they get the taste of lacrosse, it’s tough to beat it as a spring sport.”

It is unknown at the time whether or not the Headwaters Classic will return in 2026 to fit other club schedules. However, this tournament set the new standard for what lacrosse can be in the Treasure State.

“Having all of these teams come to Bozeman is great sign that Bozeman’s a great place for people to come, bring their kids, and play lacrosse,” Bonville said. “Our goal is to make this something that people plan on every year and it’s on the calendar, and it doesn’t matter if you live in Bozeman, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, or beyond, you’re circling this weekend that you’re going to be playing in Bozeman at the Headwaters Classic.

“Sometimes its hard to get everyone from different areas of the state together in one spot, because there’s tons of different challenges,” Blachly said. “Headwaters, Bozeman, Treasure State, and MSU all being on the same page to support an event like this is awesome, and I think that bodes well for other places in the state in the future to say, ‘Hey, we can bring the youth, high school, and college together to have one event. We can work together,’ and that’s going to create awesome growth going forward.”

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Montana

Montana’s Underrated Beach State Park Has Sandy Shorelines, Swimming, And Birding – Islands

Published

4 hours ago

May 3, 2026

Press Room

Montana’s Underrated Beach State Park Has Sandy Shorelines, Swimming, And Birding – Islands

Imagine a long expanse of pristine sand slipping into calm, lapping, crystal-clear waters. The occasional chunk of driftwood juts out as mountains cut an elegant outline in the distance. Forced to guess which state you’re in, you might draw a blank — the mountains are a bit of an anomaly. Yet such a place exists in Montana. It’s called Somers Beach State Park, an underrated gem sitting on the northwest shore of Flathead Lake. Its sandy shorelines and wide-open space provide plenty of room for swimming, birding, and a few trails.

The 106-acre beach rests along Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the U.S. The 200-square-mile blue gem has been lauded by visitors and sites like Lake.com as being the 10th-cleanest lake in the country, earning a spot on the list of U.S. lakes that are unbelievably clean and clear. The surroundings aren’t that bad either. Visitors who hit the beach often relish its view of the Swan Mountains stretching across the horizon. The park is still evolving: Montana acquired the property in 2021, opened the beach a year later, and has been building up its facilities and amenities ever since.

The key to visiting Somers Beach State Park is timing. Because its size changes with Flathead Lake’s water levels, many visitors have come away confused, underwhelmed, or plain old angry to find a rocky, windy stretch of shoreline. Fair enough, since Somers Beach’s sandy shores have a knack for disappearing in the summer. Instead, they emerge when Flathead Lake’s water dips between fall and spring, only to rise up with the temperatures.

Swim, hike, bird, and scope out the surroundings

For those looking to take a dip in Somers Beach’s waters, there comes a compromise. You can have warm waters — or you can have a sandy shore. You can’t have both. How much swimming you actually get done while there will depend on when you visit. During the summer, the shallow portion of the beach can stretch for several hundred yards, leaving you wading through waist-deep water for an interminably long time. “It’s fun because the lake isn’t as high and there’s quite a long stretch of beach to play in the water or just bask in the sun,” one local wrote in a Google review. “It’s a beautiful place to see Flathead Lake and the mountains.” Visiting outside the summer carries its own set of issues, as Flathead Lake’s water temperature tends to plummet. Bring hiking boots and binoculars instead.

As a relatively young state park, Somers Beach doesn’t have a formal trail system. All the better, as you then have a chance to just wander about. The nearby town of Somers contains plenty to see to the west, while to the east are wetlands and a grassy area north of the shore. Birders will have plenty to enjoy as well. The Flathead Lake Waterfowl Production Area east of the beach provides habitat for over 200 species of birds. (Authorities close off access to the area during nesting season, between March and July.) If you time your visit right, you can spend a day with sand between your toes. The drop in water level creates a half-mile expanse of sandy shoreline worthy of a peaceful stroll.

The logistics of visiting Somers Beach State Park

Flathead Lake’s proximity to Glacier National Park makes Somers Beach accessible by several modes of transportation. Glacier Park International Airport is only half an hour’s drive away. While the beach alone may not justify a long-haul flight, it pairs well with other destinations around the lake. That includes Yellow Bay State Park, a crowd-free paradise surrounded by cherry orchards. Together, they can fill an entire weekend with adventure.

Unfortunately, you can’t pitch a tent right on the beach; the state park is day-use only. Fortunately, finding a place to sleep nearby isn’t much of a hassle. A ring of accommodations orbits Flathead Lake, including luxury cabins costing several hundred dollars per night. The highly-rated Somers Bay Cabin Lodging is minutes away as well, with log cabins that have lake views, ranging in size from studios to two-bedroom units. Despite the rustic exterior, the interiors still have all the modern conveniences you’d expect, from Wi-Fi to heating.

The beach’s home alongside Flathead Lake makes it adjacent to several must-see areas, chief among them Flathead Valley. The unexpectedly up-and-coming wine region — yes, a wine region in Montana — with its excellent wineries and nearby orchards, provides an ideal bookend for a trip to Somers Beach. If you visit during the warmer months, be sure to bring bug spray to keep the mosquitoes at bay. If you plan on hauling a boatload of supplies with you — inflatables, coolers, or chairs — bring a wagon. The jaunt from the parking area to the beach can be longer than it looks.

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