Red Lodge

Red Lodge is a town in south central Montana. About 2,200 people live there. It is located in the shadow of no less than 28 different 12,000-foot peaks. This charming town is nestled in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains and is surrounded by Custer National Forest. The 69-mile Beartooth Scenic Drive has dramatic switchbacks overlooking snow-capped peaks, glaciers, alpine lakes and plateaus and is considered by many to be one of the most scenic roads in the country.

It is conveniently located between the major airport in Billings and the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park at Cooke City.

Understand

Historic Red Lodge is a resort and ranching community with a colorful coal mining past and surrounded by natural beauty.

The tourist town is busiest during the summer, with a small resurgence in winter for snow sports.

If you decide to go up the Beartooth, which you definitely should, be aware it is a slow drive along steep switchbacks. There is a great lookout area partway up which is the normal turnaround point. Get out and enjoy the trail and the view from up high.

Get in

By car

Highway 212 leads from Cooke City and Yellowstone National Park and connects to I-90 and Billings Montana via 310 at Laurel (Montana).

Portions of Highway 212 only have one lane in each direction, and farmers living in the area may drive on the roadway with their heavy machinery. When that happens, cars will often proceed at a slow speed, resulting in congestion.

By plane
  • Billings Logan International Airport (BIL IATA), is the closest airport located 1901 Terminal Cir, +1 406 247-8609, e-mail: airport@ci.billings.mt.us, . Billings Logan International is the major airport for Eastern Montana, and the busiest airport in the state. Silver Airways uses it as their hub for service within the state, and it is additionally served by Allegiant, Alaska/Horizon, Delta, Frontier, Skywest and United. Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis are the biggest hubs serving Billings.

Get around

There is no public transportation in Red Lodge. The business area is very walkable, biking is an option in good weather. Those who are very fit enjoy biking the mountain area. Otherwise all travel needs to be by car.

Beartooth Highway is only open from about May to mid-October, depending on snow. It is always best to check before going, either online or by asking at a shop.

See
  • 🌍 Carbon County Historical Society Museum, 224 N Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-3667, . Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM. Focused on area history. Great exhibit on coal mining. Rodeo and gun collections. $5. 
  • 🌍 Smith Mine Disaster Site. Site of one of the worst mining disasters in United States history, where 74 miners died in a powerful explosion in 1943. The site itself is not open to visitors, but there is a historical marker near the area that provides an account on what happened. You can see the mining site from where the historical marker stands. (updated Sep 2019)

Do
  • 🌍 Disc Golf (Next to Red Lodge High School on East 2nd St). Open sun-up to sun-down. 12 holes of disc golf. First part of course is on right side of entry road, 2nd part is near baseball fields. Free. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 Red Lodge Mountain, 305 Ski Run Rd, ☏ +1 406 446-2610, . Skiing and snowboarding on 71 runs across 2 mountains. Variety of terrains. Lodge, lessons, and rentals. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary, 615 2nd St E, ☏ +1 406 446-1133, . 10AM-4PM, F Sa Su; May-Oct daily except Tu; Closed Jan-Mar. Animal sanctuary with large variety of area animals. Expect to see bears, raptors, mountain lions, wolves, and more. Educational information. Animals are most active in the morning. $12 adult, $6 ages 4-12, senior/military discount. (updated Jul 2023)

Buy

As a tourist town, Red Lodge has an eclectic choice of shops. Enjoy taking a walk downtown to see what is available.

  • 🌍 Montana Candy Emporium, 7 N Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-1119, . Open daily 9AM-9PM, winter hours may differ. Part of Red Lodge for over 32 years, a must stop. Nostalgic building with nostalgic candy. Be sure to save a bit of money for their handmade chocolate treats at the counter. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 Montana C.C. Legends, 113 S Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-2161. Su-Th 10AM-5PM, F S 9AM-6PM. Trinkets and treasures of all kinds. If you want a memento of any kind, they probably have it and at a decent price. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Grizzly Peak Outdoors, 21 S Broadway, ☏ +1 406 445-0751. Open daily 9AM-6PM. High-end, name brand, outdoor gear of all kinds. Can buy Red Lodge Mountain tickets and merchandise here. (updated Aug 2023)

Eat
  • 🌍 Beartooth Market, 201 Oakes Ave N, ☏ +1 406 446-2684. Grocery store. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 Foster and Logans Pub and Grill, 17 S Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-9080. Su-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F Sa 11:30AM-11PM. Pub food plus a few specialty items. Variety of craft beers. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 La Palmita, 304 N Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-9942. Tu-Su 11AM-8PM, closed M, winter hours may differ. Traditional Mexican restaurant. Outdoor seating available. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Red Lodge Cafe, 16 S Broadway. M-Tu 7AM-2PM, W-Su 7AM-8PM. Excellent traditional diner fare. (updated Aug 2023)

Drink
  • 🌍 Red Lodge Ales Brewing Company, 1445 North Broadway, ☏ +1 406 446-0243. Daily, 11AM to 9PM. Serving beers brewed on-premise. Also serves hard ciders and has a full food menu. Free wi-fi. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 The Snag Bar, 107 S Broadway, ☏ +1 406 426-0972. 11AM-2AM. Great historic bar. Has food and outdoor seating. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Snow Creek Saloon, 124 S Broadway, ☏ +1 406 579-2021. M-Th 3PM-2AM, F Sa Su noon-2AM. Small town bar. Occasional live music. (updated Aug 2023)

Sleep

Multiple bed and breakfasts are located in and around town. Several camping locations are also available for both RV and tent. There are KOA, government run campsites at recreation.gov, and private campgrounds.

Stay safe

Bear country. Be bear aware before you start exploring the wilderness. Plenty of other wildlife may come close. Remember they are wild and can react badly to people. Keep your distance and enjoy watching.

Dehydration can be an issue even if you don't notice you are thirsty. Be sure you pack water on a hike and stop to drink along the way. Even though the streams look crystal clear, giardia parasites can be present. Do not drink from the stream (unless you boil the water) or you could be very sick.

Connect

Go next
  • Cooney Reservoir State Park (20 miles north) - Watersports and fishing
Routes through Red Lodge
Yellowstone N.P. ← Cooke City ←  W  E  → Laurel → Billings
Columbus ←  N  S  → END


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