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HomeTop ListsTop 10 Montana Hunting Lodges

Top 10 Montana Hunting Lodges

When a lodge gains recognition for its exceptional hunting and fishing from none other than Orvis itself, you’d do well to sit up and pay attention. And when this outdoors giant actually stamps said lodge with its own endorsement, well – what are you waiting for? We’ve managed to find one or two such places in our quest for the best of the Big Sky State. Rustic in style but modern in comfort, the Montana accommodations on our list are surprisingly luxurious – especially when something as simple as a hot shower and a clean bed would do you a world of good. Our Top 10 Montana Hunting Lodges list takes you to a mystical state where the mountain scenery is more breathtaking, the meals somehow more satisfying and the hunting is even more thrilling than you imagined!
1

Historic Tamarack Lodge and Cabins

Hungry Horse, Montana

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+1 (406) 387 - 4420
Moving the historic lodge in our No. 2 spot was a work of love. Originally constructed way back in 1907, the original Tamarack Lodge was disassembled and moved, log by log, to its current location in the midst of... read more

Moving the historic lodge in our No. 2 spot was a work of love. Originally constructed way back in 1907, the original Tamarack Lodge was disassembled and moved, log by log, to its current location in the midst of the Rocky Mountain wilderness.

Tucked into a quaint mountain valley in the very heart of the Flathead National Forest, the Historic Tamarack Lodge and Cabins occupies a slice of Montana acreage best known for its hiking, fishing and hunting. Rest assured you’ll find plentiful game in these parts; elk, deer, cougar and bear are just a few inhabitants of the adjacent Bob Marshall Wilderness. Just beyond its borders, moose frequent the low-lying mountain valleys, while swift-footed antelope lay claim to Montana’s numerous short grass prairies. 

With Tea Kettle and Columbia peaks rising up in the distance, this Montana lodge promises plenty of scenery, in addition to successful hunts. And with Glacier National Park a mere 10-minute drive from your cozy Tamarack Lodge room or cabin, the beauty of Montana is practically at your doorstep!

Address

9549 Hwy. 2 East Hungry Horse, MT 59919

Highlights

A selection of twenty two cabins and lodge room accommodation leaves you spoiled for choice.

Related activities

Snowmobiling, dog sledding, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, sledding and more in winter months.

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2

Crevice Mountain Lodge

Gardiner, Montana

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+1 (406) 223 - 0148
More recently known as the Diamond Bar D, our No. 3 Montana pick boasts extensive private hunting land that backs up to the magnificent Yellowstone National Park. With an authentic guest ranch to complement its big... read more

More recently known as the Diamond Bar D, our No. 3 Montana pick boasts extensive private hunting land that backs up to the magnificent Yellowstone National Park. With an authentic guest ranch to complement its big game offerings, Crevice Mountain Lodge caters to all tastes.

Deer, bear, bighorn sheep and mountain lion; if you consider variety to be the spice of life – err, your hunting trip – you’ve most certainly come to the right place! And if your dreams consist of gazing adoringly at the newly-mounted trophy bull on your wall, you won’t find a better opportunity for fulfilling your wildest hunting fantasies than here – Yellowstone’s elk herds actually migrate through the Crevice Mountain Lodge grounds! Flora and fauna of every variety make this the ultimate wilderness retreat, for those who prefer to stalk and shoot with a digital camera rather than rifle in hand. Crevice Mountain Lodge cabins offer easy access to the surrounding acreage, which means you can spend your days roaming the vast Montana wilderness with big game trained in your sights and slip in after dark for a restful sleep that will have you back on your feet, gun in hand, at the first sign of morning light. Then again, with three home-cooked meals included, you may be tempted to make an additional trip back to the lodge in time for lunch!

Address

384 Crevice Rd., Gardiner, MT 59030

Highlights

Looking for the perfect holiday getaway? Come winter, Crevice Mountain Lodge’s cabins include fully-decorated trees just for the occasion!

Related activities

Horseback riding, hiking, wildlife photography, volleyball, horseshoes, stargazing and more.

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3

Montana Guest Cabins

Dillon, Montana

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+1 (406) 681 - 3127
Our No. 4 pick is located in the very heart of elk and deer territory – good news for those looking to go beyond target practice and into the adrenaline-inducing world of big game hunting. And with rates starting... read more

Our No. 4 pick is located in the very heart of elk and deer territory – good news for those looking to go beyond target practice and into the adrenaline-inducing world of big game hunting. And with rates starting as low was $85 per night, Montana Guest Cabins adds value to your Montana hunting trip.

You’ll encounter opportunities for both long and short range shots on these Montana hunting grounds; fortunately, the Montana Guest Cabins’ sighting range makes it easy to work out the kinks before you have that trophy bull within your sights. This Montana hunting lodge offers some of the best elk hunting in the lower 48 states, with equally-worthy antelope and whitetail deer as alternate prey. And blue ribbon trout streams – Beaverhead, Clark Canyon and Red Rock River included – make it easy to wet a hook between hunts. With full baths and kitchens, lodging from Montana Guest Cabins feels more like a studio apartment than a quaint cabin – not that you’ll be voicing any complaints during your stay. And with expansive porches and everything from beds to floors done up in rustic logs, these Montana accommodations are infinitely more comfortable – not to mention charming – than local motels.

Getting there

Montana Guest Cabins is located 30 miles southwest of Dillon, MT. From I-15, take Exit 44, Clark Canyon Reservoir; travel west 10 miles. Turn at the first right past the 10 mile marker and drive down the road 3/4 of a mile until you see Montana Guest Cabins on the right. To check in, come to the main house further down the road.

Highlights

Montana Guest Cabins has a free corral for your horses, with hay offered at a minimal price.

Fun facts

Bannack, a historic ghost town and Montana’s first capital city, is only 15 miles from Montana Guest Cabins.

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4

Broken Arrow Lodge

Alder, Montana

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+1 (800) 775 - 2928
Conveniently located in region three – one of the state’s best for elk – this Montana lodge and licensed outfitter puts you closer than ever to the thrill of the hunt. Unlike other lodges, most of Broken... read more

Conveniently located in region three – one of the state’s best for elk – this Montana lodge and licensed outfitter puts you closer than ever to the thrill of the hunt. Unlike other lodges, most of Broken Arrow’s hunts take place within 20 miles of the lodge itself, giving you more time to hunt and less time traveling.

Broken Arrow Lodge offers your choice of big game hunts in the remote Montana wilderness. Deer, moose, black bear and antelope occupy the acreage in and around the Beaverhead National Forest, and this lodge gives you a shot at them all! Hunts feature your choice of transportation, be it trekking the trails on foot or on one of Broken Arrow’s own trusty mounts. The lodge’s expert guides lead you straight to the best spots, and Beaverhead’s remote terrain ensures less traffic and improved chances at bagging your game of choice. You can take advantage of down time between hunts to opt in on one of the lodge’s fly fishing trips! Its three- to five-day guided hunts are a huge draw, but nights spent in the cozy lodge are half the appeal of a hunting trip to Broken Arrow Lodge. Bunk bed-style lodging, three home-cooked meals a day and a hot tub for unwinding after a long day on the trail await you here!

Highlights

With activities for kids and optional childcare, this Montana hunting lodge doubles as a family vacation resort!

Fun facts

Broken Arrow Lodge transforms into a dude ranch in summer months, when it proudly offers horseback riding, pack trips and other Western-style adventures!

Related Onsite Offerings

Broken Arrow Lodge can arrange meat processing, shipment and taxidermy work for your convenience.

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5

Spotted Bear Ranch

Whitefish, Montana

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+1 (800) 223 - 4333
Bass bug, damping and dead drift – if you’re one of those rare souls for whom the aforementioned words hold some meaning, our No. 6 Montana lodge was made for you – literally. Designed by fishing professionals... read more

Bass bug, damping and dead drift – if you’re one of those rare souls for whom the aforementioned words hold some meaning, our No. 6 Montana lodge was made for you – literally. Designed by fishing professionals for those who share their passion for all things fly, Spotted Bear Ranch is one heck of a catch!

We know what you’re thinking: What is a fly-fishing resort – even one as spectacular as Spotted Bear Ranch – doing on a list of Top 10 Montana Hunting Lodges? With expansive grounds that count the plentiful yet infamously inaccessible Flathead River as one of their finer features, it’s certainly suited to Montana fishing trips. Yet for all its fish-centric ways, Spotted Bear is a northern Montana ranch that’s equally suited to bagging big game. The ranch’s vast acreage inside the Flathead National Forest gives new meaning to the word “wilderness,” even by Big Sky State standards. The seriously rugged territory surrounding Spotted Bear Ranch is home to a variety of big game, a fact this Montana ranch takes full advantage of with bugle elk hunts, whitetail bow hunts and black bear hunts come spring. And cabins, reserved exclusively for the use of the ranch’s fishing and hunting guests, come comfortably appointed with Montana’s own Three Dog Down beds and windows that frame breathtaking backcountry scenery.

Address

P.O. Box 4940, Whitefish, MT 59937

Highlights

Guided hunts at Spotted Bear Ranch include all meals, lodging, use of horses with tack and knowledgeable guides.

Fun facts

The lodge is a three-time recipient of Orvis’ Expedition of the Year award.

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6

J.M. Nansel Ranch Co.

Forsyth, Montana

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+1 (406) 839 - 3228
Our next Montana hunting lodge switches it up a bit – good news for those tired of tracking the same old game. In place of black bear and similar catches, J.M. Nansel Ranch Co. gives you the chance to lock a... read more

Our next Montana hunting lodge switches it up a bit – good news for those tired of tracking the same old game. In place of black bear and similar catches, J.M. Nansel Ranch Co. gives you the chance to lock a massive mule deer or Merriam’s turkey in your sights!

If you thought the trophy toms were substantial, wait until you lay eyes on what J.M. Nansel Ranch Co. has to offer in the way of hunting grounds. Unguided hunts on more than 25,000 acres of a working Montana ranch make this a lodge not for the faint of heart; experienced hunters and free spirits, on the other hand, are sure to be drawn in by J.M. Nansel Ranch Co.’s hands-on approach. The ranch’s hospitable staff is glad to offer tips, pointers and even topography maps, but when it comes to bringing down your game of choice – mule deer, antelope, game birds and more – that’s strictly in your hands – err, sights. At J.M. Nansel Ranch Co., a fast-growing antelope herd ensures that the lodge’s grueling five-day pronghorn hunts get even better with each passing year. And when it comes to the elusive Merriam’s turkey, this Montana ranch strictly limits the number of hunters to ensure you a better shot at that prize tom. With success rates at or near 100%, they must be doing something right!

Address

23 Nansel Ranch Ln., Forsyth, MT 59327

Highlights

Forsyth, MT is located approximately 10 minutes from the ranch and offers a grocery store and additional dining options.

Related Onsite Offerings

The J.M. Nansel guest house sleeps four and includes a full bath, kitchen and wood stove.

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7

Cottonwood Outfitters

Miles City, Montana

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+1 (406) 232 - 4910
The pair behind the Montana hunting lodge in our No. 8 spot comes with 40 years of experience – and that’s merely the beginning. The husband half of this dynamic duo was even appointed to the Montana Board of... read more

The pair behind the Montana hunting lodge in our No. 8 spot comes with 40 years of experience – and that’s merely the beginning. The husband half of this dynamic duo was even appointed to the Montana Board of Outfitters by the governor himself!

Even without all this experience to back it, Cottonwood Outfitters is still one heck of a catch. With guided rifle hunts for whitetail and mule deer, spot and stalk hunts for antelope and combinations of the two, this Montana outfitters promises action-packed adventure from arrival to departure! And talk about wide open spaces; at Cottonwood Outfitters, your room to roam consists of eight private Montana ranches – including the Cottonwood proprietors’ own – that combine for some seriously spectacular hunting territory! More demanding elk hunts consist of seven days at the nearby Patterson Ranch, where you can stalk nearly 62,000 acres just east of Billings by day and hole up in the cozy three-bedroom guesthouse come nightfall. A variety of terrain – lowland meadows, river valleys and sage-covered ridges – makes hunting with Cottonwood Outfitters some of the most scenic we’ve seen. And with success rates of 95%-plus on antlered game, the odds aren’t too shabby, either!

Address

172 Road 516, Miles City, MT 59301

Highlights

Meals and lodging are included in the price of every Cottonwood Outfitters guided hunt.

Related Onsite Offerings

Both the Mills City House and the Patterson Ranch House offer access to a TV, phone and ice box.

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8

Eagle Nest Lodge

Billings, Montana

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+1 (406) 665 - 3711
If you can’t imagine choosing between your affection for wing shooting and your love of fly fishing, our No. 9 Montana pick makes it so you simply don’t have to. With Cast and Blast packages from Eagle Nest... read more

If you can’t imagine choosing between your affection for wing shooting and your love of fly fishing, our No. 9 Montana pick makes it so you simply don’t have to. With Cast and Blast packages from Eagle Nest Lodge, you can have your bird and catch a trout, too!

Big Horn and surrounding areas boast some of the best upland bird hunting in the country, and Eagle Nest Lodge gives you unparalleled access to it all. Hungarian partridge, sharptail grouse and pheasant are the avian adversaries as you stalk 40,000 acres of ranch and farm lands in the heart of southwestern Montana. A few hours at the lodge’s complimentary sporting clays course – plus a few tips from its expert staff – and you’ll be shooting straight in no time. A team of trained bird dogs tags along to help flush out your winged game; Eagle Nest Lodge even limits its hunts to keep success rates high! When a lodge comes with the backing of Orvis, you can bet they’ve had to earn it. Eagle Nest Lodge’s fly fishing expeditions on the Bighorn River were a good start, and trout averaging in the 15 to 20-plus inches range surely didn’t hurt. And as the first operation the world over to receive the Orvis endorsement for both its fishing and hunting offerings, Eagle Nest Lodge is truly the ultimate Montana adventure!

Address

P.O. Box 509 Hardin, MT 59034

Highlights

All game is cleaned, processed and packaged for your departure, and can be shipped at additional cost.

Related Onsite Offerings

Eagle Nest Lodge has an indoor championship kennel facility for those who prefer to bring and hunt – or train – their own bird dogs.

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9

Grey Cliffs Ranch

Three Forks, Montana

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+1 (406) 285 - 6512
With its upscale accommodations – more luxury hotel than backcountry ranch – our No. 10 pick hardly looks the part of a traditional Montana hunting lodge. Yet for all its style, Grey Cliffs Ranch’s chic... read more

With its upscale accommodations – more luxury hotel than backcountry ranch – our No. 10 pick hardly looks the part of a traditional Montana hunting lodge. Yet for all its style, Grey Cliffs Ranch’s chic exterior belies a surprisingly adventurous spirit; more than 5,200 acres of prime hunting and fishing territory is used to full advantage here!

Regardless of how you choose to spend your time here, the surrounding Madison River Valley’s trademark beauty makes it a truly scenic experience from start to finish. Upland bird hunting for pheasant and chuckar partridge is made more memorable by the addition of Montana’s picturesque grasslands and canyons, to say nothing of this Montana hunting lodge’s trained dogs and expert guides. And casting into your choice of nearby rivers, mountain lakes or the ranch’s private ponds is sure to yield trophy trout of the brown, cutthroat and rainbow varieties. Pristine surroundings and eco-friendly thinking makes Grey Cliffs Ranch a spectacular place to host your Montana reunion or corporate retreat. If exhilarating upland hunts or fly-fishing excursions aren’t your group’s idea of a good time, they can always shop downtown Bozeman, slip into a local day spa or simply enjoy the truly breathtaking Montana landscape.

Address

1915 Lakota Dr., Three Forks, MT 59752

Highlights

Grey Cliffs Ranch includes a full breakfast served with gourmet coffee, teas and espresso in your lodging rate.

Related Onsite Offerings

The lodge’s gathering room offers a fireplace, flat screen TV, work station, game tables and snacks for your enjoyment.

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View call direct
+1 (406) 682 - 7034
Madison Management Vacation Rentals are spacious, luxurious, and conveniently located near some of Montana's most spectacular attractions!Known for its rugged beauty and sublime vistas, the area around MMVR is... read more

Madison Management Vacation Rentals are spacious, luxurious, and conveniently located near some of Montana's most spectacular attractions!

Known for its rugged beauty and sublime vistas, the area around MMVR is ideal for anyone with even a passing interest in the outdoors. Of course, you're here for the hunting, and exquisite hunting you will find! Elk, moose, bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes and antelope are plentiful- as long as you have the proper permits, it's a hunter's paradise. There's numerous outfitting and hunting-specialty companies in the area as well. Add in MMVR's incredible properties and you have a can't-miss destination!

Population

890 (2016)

Elevation

4,941′

Fun facts

The Ennis Chamber of Commerce has organized an annual 4th of July parade since the early 1980s!

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