Fort Collins or Whitefish?

Neither is a beach destination, but Whitefish is the better place for a summer swim. City Beach on Whitefish Lake is at the edge of town, with a sandy strip and a swimming dock, and the clear water and pebbly shores of Flathead Lake are about forty minutes away.

In Fort Collins, swimming means Horsetooth Reservoir in the foothills, where the swim beach and coves fill with boats and paddleboards, plus a few lakes on the plains. In both places the water is only inviting in July and August.

Fort Collins is the better place to eat and especially to drink. Its long-established breweries offer tours, smaller taprooms with food trucks are spread across the city, and Old Town has more choice, from tacos and gastropubs to a few farm-to-table kitchens.

Whitefish has more local character, with elk and bison burgers, Montana beef, trout and huckleberries in everything from pie to cocktails. But the choice along Central Avenue is narrow, and a week here means going back to the same few places.

Neither town is a sightseeing trip, though Fort Collins gives you a full day's worth. There are Old Town's nineteenth-century brick and sandstone streets, the Museum of Discovery, the Victorian Avery House and the university's art museum. Whitefish has essentially one sight, the timber-framed Great Northern depot with its small railway and logging museum, and a short stroll covers the rest of downtown.

Fort Collins has the livelier evenings, thanks to a large university. Students fill the pubs, sports bars, rooftop patios and taprooms around the Old Town square, and there are a few dance clubs too, though weeknights and summer breaks are quieter.

Going out in Whitefish means saloons and brewery taprooms on Central Avenue, with pool tables, ranchers and ski bums, and an après-ski crowd drifting down from the mountain in winter. There are no clubs, and most nights end well before the small hours.

Both are outdoor towns, but Whitefish has the grander landscape on its doorstep. Glacier National Park, with Lake McDonald, the Highline Trail and the Going-to-the-Sun Road, starts about forty minutes away, grizzlies and mountain goats live in the high country, and Big Mountain is a full ski area above town. The catch is that the high country is reliably open only from July to September.

Fort Collins has outdoor options for more of the year. There are foothills trails at Horsetooth Mountain and Lory State Park, rafting and fly fishing in the Poudre canyon, and paved river paths in town. Rocky Mountain National Park is about an hour and a half away, but downhill skiing means a long drive.

Boulder beneath the Flatirons, Denver with its big museums and galleries, the mountain gateway of Estes Park, mining-era Golden and Cheyenne's capitol and frontier museum are all within an easy drive of Fort Collins. That makes it the better base if you want days out in other towns as well as in the hills.

The towns near Whitefish are smaller outings, such as Kalispell's Victorian Conrad Mansion and the gallery village of Bigfork on Flathead Lake. Most days out from here head into Glacier rather than to other towns.

Both are safe, easy places to bring children, and the difference is in how the days are spent. Fort Collins has more in town, with the Museum of Discovery's dome theatre, the farm at Lee Martinez Park and flat cycle paths, and Denver's zoo and aquarium are a drive away.

Whitefish depends on activity: ski school in winter, the alpine slide and zip line on the mountain in summer, the calm City Beach and short park walks such as the Trail of the Cedars. Children who don't enjoy being outdoors may run out of things to do sooner here.

Fort Collins is easier to manage without a car in the centre. Old Town is compact and flat, a rapid-bus line runs along the main corridor, and protected lanes and bike-share make cycling the natural choice.

Whitefish's downtown is only a few blocks, though it has a long-distance train stop at the depot and a free ski shuttle in winter. In both places, the mountains and trailheads realistically need a hire car.

Shopping in both towns is for browsing, and the difference is in the flavour. Old Town Fort Collins has bookshops, vintage clothing and cycling shops, with a regional mall nearby. Whitefish's Central Avenue has a more western feel, with boot shops, outfitters and galleries of wildlife art, and the big stores are in Kalispell.

Rooms, meals and taprooms all cost less in Fort Collins, which has plenty of mid-range chain hotels and casual places to eat, though room rates jump on graduation and football weekends.

Whitefish rooms are scarce and priced like a resort in summer and ski season, and staying in late spring or autumn, or in Kalispell or Columbia Falls, brings costs down. You need a hire car in both places, and in both much of the best is outdoors and costs little once you are there.

A night at the theatre or the symphony is easier to find in Fort Collins. The Lincoln Center hosts touring Broadway shows, dance and the local orchestra, the university's arts centre puts on opera and theatre during term, and small Old Town venues book bluegrass and indie bands.

Whitefish has a community arts centre and a professional summer theatre company, and the valley's symphony plays in Kalispell. Outside summer, though, the calendar is thin.

Neither town has hot springs nearby, so in both, wellness means day spas, massage and yoga plus a slow pace. Fort Collins offers shaded river paths and quiet neighbourhoods, and the nearest soak is at Idaho Springs, a long drive away. Whitefish draws its calm from quiet lakeside mornings, and its lodge and resort spas give it a little more of a retreat feel.