Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 800-444-8977, ski reports 406-446-2610;
www.redlodgemountain.com
; lifts adult
$49, child $19-42; end Nov-early Apr)
Six miles southwest of downtown, Red Lodge
Mountain has a 2400ft vertical drop, serviced by eight lifts. A higher base elevation
(7400ft) than any other Montana ski hill, it has some of the state's best spring skiing, par-
ticularly during the higher temperatures and longer days of February and March. Full rent-
als and instruction packages are available, as are guided snowshoe trips.
Red Lodge Nordic Center
( 406-425-1070;
www.beartoothtrails.org
;
trail fee adult/child $5/3)
Two miles north-
west of Red Lodge on Hwy 78, this is Red Lodge's top cross-country resource and a good
place for beginners. See the website for other local trails.
NORDIC SKIING
WACKY RACES
Southeast Montana is a proud home to some of the state's more surreal sports. In March Red Lodge hosts the na-
tional
ski-joring finals
, a not-quite-yet Olympic sport that involves a horse towing a skier around an oval speed
track. It's like water skiing. On snow. Except with a horse.
Equally silly is the annual
Running of the Sheep
at nearby Reed Point. Inspired by Pamplona's much more im-
pressive Running of the Bulls, the significantly less dangerous herd of sheep thunder down six blocks of Main St
every year during the first weekend in September.
Finally, summer weekend evenings (Thursday to Sunday) see hi-octane
pig racing
at the
Bear Creek Saloon
(
406-446-3481
), 7 miles east of Red Lodge on Hwy 308. Make a bet, urge your porker over the finish line and
round off the evening with a bacon sandwich. Proceeds go to charity.
Sleeping
South of Red Lodge on US 212 are 10 USFS
campgrounds
(sites $15, plus $8 for 2nd
vehicle)
, open May to September. The nearest are small
Sheridan
and
Rattin
, 6 miles
and 8 miles from Red Lodge and on the east side of the road. A little further, and with
shady creekside locations, are the nicer
Parkside
,
Limber Pine
and
Greenough Lake
campgrounds. All are run by the concessionaire Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds and are
reservable through
Recreation.gov
(
877-444-6777;
www.recreation.gov
)
. There's
also lots of primitive camping nearby.
Yodeler Motel $$
MOTEL
