Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
East River Rd offers a parallel and quieter alternative to busy US 89. Amazingly, in retro-
spect, plans were afoot in the 1960s to dam the Yellowstone River and flood much of the
lovely valley.
For a rundown on the valley's various accommodations, restaurants and support ser-
vices visit www.paradisevalleymontana .com.
CHICO HOT SPRINGS
Thirty miles from Yellowstone National Park, in Pray at the mouth of Emigrant Canyon,
Chico Hot Springs
( 406-333-4933;
www.chicohotsprings.com
;
r $83-199, cabins
$83-215; )
was established in 1900 as a luxurious getaway for local cattle barons. The
Victorian elegance has been restored with great attention to rustic detail. It's worth a visit
just to poke around and take a plunge in the large outdoor
pool
(adult/7-12yr $6.50/4.50;
8am-11pm)
, fed from hot springs and a toasty 103°F.
Smallish and creaking rooms in the main lodge with shared bath are the cheapest op-
tions ($55 to $69), with motel-style fishermen's cabins and modern high-ceilinged rooms
with a porch around double these rates. Chalets up the hill have mountain views and
mostly sleep four to six. Suites with private Jacuzzi are a great luxury.
Chico's activity center offers
horseback riding
(1hr/half-day rides $35/85)
and
raft
trips
($40)
down the Yellowstone. It also rents mountain bikes and cross-country skis,
and there's a full spa attached to help you recover. Dogsled tours are operated from
Thanksgiving to March through
Absaroka Dogsled Treks
(
406-333-4933;
www.extrememontana.com
;
per person $120-320)
.
Chico Inn Restaurant
(dinner mains $25-32, Sun brunch $16)
is renowned
throughout the region, though there's slim pickings for vegetarians. The beef Wellington
($60 for two) gets rave reviews, as does the Sunday brunch, between 8:30am and
11:30am.
The
Poolside Grill
is cheaper and more casual, with sandwiches, pizza and ribs. The
rollicking saloon has live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
SOUTHERN PARADISE VALLEY
South of the Tom Miner turnoff, US 89 winds through Yankee Jim Canyon, a narrow
gorge cut through folded bands of extremely old rock (mostly gneiss) that look a bit like
marble cake. Yankee Jim George hacked out a toll road through the canyon in the 19th
century and made a living from Yellowstone-bound stagecoaches until the railroad put
him out of business. This stretch of the Yellowstone River is the valley's hottest white-wa-
ter spot.
