In all my years of traveling the world, I have never had to hold back tears upon leaving a destination. Not until Flathead Lake Lodge.
I have been fortunate enough to visit some truly remarkable places over the years, from icebergs in Antarctica to windmills in Holland to penguin colonies in the Falkland Islands, but there was something different about this place. Maybe it was the horses, maybe it was the mountains, the lake, the people, or the insane amount of fun packed into five days. More likely it was all of it.
When Flathead Lake Lodge invited Hook & Barrel to experience its Adult Adventure Retreat, I couldn't think of a more perfect experience for me to write about. It combined just about everything I love: horses, the outdoors, adventure, and the chance to experience a truly special corner of the American West.
Sitting on nearly 2,000 private acres outside the small town of Bigfork in northwest Montana, Flathead Lake Lodge is one of those increasingly rare places that has somehow managed to evolve without losing what made it special in the first place. Les Averill purchased the property in 1945 after returning from World War II, and more than 80 years later, the lodge remains family-owned and operated. Today, Les' grandson Chase Averill represents the third generation at the helm, and he and his family live right there on the ranch, complete with their two English Cream Golden Retrievers, Lewis and Clark.
The extraordinary property stretches from the shore of Flathead Lake into the Swan Mountains, encompassing forests, meadows, mountain trails, cattle, an elk preserve and a herd of 140 horses. Seeing that many horses together is a stunning sight, whether they're scattered across a green meadow or gathered around the lodge's beautiful barn.
Flathead Lake covers approximately 125,000 acres—roughly 191 square miles—making it the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area in the western United States. Surrounded by mountains and stretching nearly 30 miles from north to south and 15 miles east to west, it almost looks like an ocean.
Even the lodge's sailboats have quite a history. Moored at the ranch are Nor'Easter V and Questa, a pair of historic Q-class racing sloops built in 1928 and 1929. Nor'Easter V sailed Flathead Lake throughout the summer, while the nearly century-old Questa was undergoing routine structural repairs during my visit. Unfortunately, my horse-and-hike-heavy schedule meant I never made it aboard the Nor’Easter V—one of the very few regrets I had about the entire trip.
For most of the lodge's season, guests arrive for traditional seven-day, six-night family stays. But each fall, Flathead Lake Lodge does something different: two five-day, four-night Adult Adventure Retreats, turning the ranch over entirely to grown-ups. Guests ran the gamut from singles and couples to friends traveling together and adult members of families, making it clear the retreat wasn’t designed around any one type of traveler.
One of the most remarkable parts is that nearly everything is included. Lodging, meals, activities, happy hours, cocktails, wine pairings, nightly entertainment and even airport transportation are wrapped into the stay. They even have a cozy little bakery where you can get craft coffee drinks and a daily assortment of fresh-baked goods—all complimentary. Your only task during your stay is to decide what sounds fun and go do it.
Flathead Lake Lodge Quick Facts:
- Nearly 2,000 private acres stretching from Flathead Lake into the Swan Mountains.
- Third-generation family owned, with the Averill family at the helm since 1945.
- About 140 horses call the ranch home.
- Flathead Lake spans roughly 191 square miles, the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area in the West.
- The lodge still sails historic racing yachts dating to the late 1920s.
- Adult Adventure Retreats run five days and four nights, with lodging, meals and activities included.
Flathead Lake Lodge doesn't necessarily look like what most people picture when they hear the words "luxury resort," nor should it. This is Montana. The Main Lodge is built of logs and stone; some of the buildings were even built in the 1930s. The tables in the Main Lodge are original, made with the type of rare solid-wood craftsmanship that’s hard to find these days. There are roaring fireplaces, mounted game, saddles, boots and the kind of authentic Western character that can't be manufactured; all of it is the real deal. The rustic cabins are cozy and comfortable rather than ostentatious, and there's nothing remotely pretentious about the place.
The luxury is in the experience. It's in the level of service, the attention to detail and a clear determination by the staff to make sure everyone is having fun, which takes a substantial team to pull off. Flathead Lake Lodge employs 115 people—21 year-round and another 94 seasonal employees—to accommodate a maximum of only 145 guests. In that respect, Flathead Lake Lodge belongs in the same conversation as some of the country's most exclusive destination resorts.
Welcome to Big Sky Country
From the moment I arrived, the enthusiasm of the staff was infectious. I was shown to my cabin overlooking the marina, a beautiful little corner-cabin home away from home with a living room, bedroom and, somewhat luxuriously for one person, two bathrooms.
After getting settled, I walked down to the dock. Flathead Lake spread out in front of me, dark blue beneath an enormous Montana sky. A storm was rolling across the mountains in the distance, creating bands of greys, blues and white over the expansive water. It was quite an introduction. I shot a photo so stunning that upon my arrival back home I immediately had it printed in large format and framed, and it is now featured prominently on a wall in my house.
My first adventure that first afternoon involved climbing aboard the lodge's Pinzgauer, one of the very cool Austrian military vehicles originally designed to carry troops and equipment across challenging terrain. Ours carried a small group of lodge guests instead, hauling us across the ranch and up the mountain toward the property's private elk preserve. The lodge keeps a herd of roughly 20 to 30 elk there, and seeing them close-up set the tone for an epic next few days. Then I spotted a black bear, and then another one. Not bad for the first few hours.
As the afternoon turned into evening, the remaining guests trickled into the lodge and eventually made their way toward the Saddlesore Saloon for happy hour. The bartenders mixed craft cocktails, and the lodge became livelier and livelier as the evening went on. Before the welcome buffet, everyone faced their major decision of the retreat: which adventures they wanted to be a part of. Old-school paper signup sheets were laid out on the tables, with so many fun options for the days ahead it was hard to choose. These included horseback rides (with four levels of ability for a total of six different types of rides), archery, sporting clays, watersports and boat cruises, yoga, hiking and mountain biking, and even a floral arranging workshop featuring some of the stunning wildflowers from the property’s enormous garden, the final results of which guests got to enjoy in their cabins for the rest of their stay.
Saddling Up, Rain or Shine
Montana apparently decided I needed to earn my first morning horseback ride. It was cold and raining, and I couldn't have cared less. Thankfully, I'd packed good rain gear. A fair number of other guests evidently decided a warm cabin sounded preferable to spending their morning on horseback in a cold Montana rain, which had the added benefit of making our intermediate riding group considerably smaller.
My horse was Pepper, a beautiful bay gelding who was sweet and responsive. Our group headed into the mountains, climbing wet trails through the timber as rain filtered through the trees. We spent plenty of time trotting, although loping was off the menu that morning—the saturated ground was simply too slick. I had an absolute blast.
That afternoon, I signed up for the Advanced Riding Program. Six guests—the maximum allowed for this one—had put their names down. Only two of us showed up, as the rain was steady. Our guide was Maria, a spirited and quick-witted Wyoming cowgirl who introduced my new friend and me to what would become one of my favorite activities of the entire trip: cattle wrangling. This time I was on Tuxedo, a striking black-and-white paint with one blue eye and one brown. If Pepper was fantastic, Tuxedo was an absolute dream.
The three of us rode out to collect a herd of cattle (including an infamous troublemaker named Regina) and move them into a corral, where Maria began putting us through various formations she called games. Once I understood what she wanted us to accomplish, everything began to click. Riding Tuxedo, I essentially had to simply think of what I would like him to do, and he magically just did it. Then again, this wasn't his first rodeo.
By dinner that evening, wet boots and rain jackets had been traded for clean clothes and the rustic ranch had transformed again. Dinner in the Main Lodge was a beautifully prepared three-course affair complete with wine pairings, followed by another evening of live music on the patio.
The Culture Behind the Experience
I had the opportunity to sit down with Chase and learn a little more about the man now responsible for carrying his family's remarkable place into its fourth generation.
While Flathead Lake Lodge may be in his blood, Chase didn't simply inherit the keys and start running the place. While he and his brothers did grow up on the ranch, Chase earned a bachelor's degree in business entrepreneurship from Pacific Lutheran University and spent time gaining experience in both hospitality and business development. He worked with Restaurants Unlimited in Seattle, where his role involved marketing and business development across 55 restaurants and more than 20 brands. He also helped Cakebread Winery develop a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, centered around fly-fishing, organic farming and Wagyu cattle. Eventually, Montana called him back home.
One of the things I wanted to understand was how he and his family had created the culture I was seeing firsthand. From the moment I arrived, virtually every member of the staff treated every guest like a VIP, but it never felt forced or scripted. They seemed genuinely excited to hear what you'd done that day, genuinely interested in what you were doing next and, quite often, just as excited about the adventure as you were.
When I asked Chase about how they achieve this familial feel, he didn’t hesitate. "We're an authentic guest ranch, still adhering to the original idea of a dude ranch, which for us means welcoming our guests into our home," he said. "We just happen to have a crazy home with lots of guests!"
For that idea to work, Chase explained, the staff has to feel the same sense of ownership.
"The main belief behind it is that the only way this is possible is for the staff to feel like this is their home too," he said. "We empower them to be able to do that and that's when it becomes so much more than a job."
That philosophy was visible everywhere I looked. Staff members weren't simply delivering an itinerary or performing their duties; they were riding alongside us, hiking with us, laughing with us, getting soaked in the same rain and genuinely sharing the experience.
As Chase put it, "It becomes more about the relationships and experiences—the job ends up just becoming the part that got you to Montana." After several days at Flathead Lake Lodge, I couldn't think of a better explanation for what makes the place so magical.
Earning Our Breakfast
Day three began with a three-hour breakfast ride, and I was happily reunited with my boy Pepper. We rode up the mountain through another damp Montana morning until the trees opened onto what looked like a pioneer camp tucked into the wilderness. A roaring fire was waiting for us, and after a chilly, soggy ride up the mountain, nothing could have been more inviting.
I can’t adequately explain how good breakfast tastes after you've ridden a horse up a mountain to get it. There were three kinds of pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and coffee, all served outdoors with horses tied nearby and the Montana wilderness stretching around us.
To mix it up and try something on two legs, I chose a guided hike for the afternoon activity. The rain continued to serve as an effective screening process, because only one other guest joined me. Led by an extremely knowledgeable guide, we set off at a brisk pace for a 4.5-mile hike through nearby Wayfarers State Park. The trail climbed through forest above Flathead Lake before eventually delivering us to a rocky overlook with a spectacular view across the water.
By then the weather was beginning to change, which was fortunate because that night's plans involved fire and steak…a lot of steak.
Four Fire Trucks and a Hundred Steaks
If you're going to transport more than 100 adults to a cookout on a Montana ranch, sure, you could load everyone into buses, but Flathead Lake Lodge has a better idea: vintage fire trucks.
The entire guest contingent piled aboard converted open-air fire engines, and soon we were rolling down the highway in convoy, lights flashing, headed toward another part of the ranch. It was ridiculously fun.
When we arrived, an entire Western camp seemed to have materialized in the middle of the property. Picnic tables were waiting, a proper bar was open, a live musician was playing, and Chase Averill was standing over an open fire cooking more than 100 steaks—one for every guest. The fact that this third-generation owner of the lodge was cooking steaks over a fire for a hundred people staying at his family's ranch should tell you quite a bit about Flathead Lake Lodge.
We ate, drank, listened to music and enjoyed the (finally sunny!) Montana fresh air until eventually the fire trucks hauled us all back to the lodge, where the evening continued with cocktails, more live music and even an opportunity to make a souvenir to take home.
High in the Mountains
Wednesday morning brought the ride I'd been waiting for. The rain was gone, the sky was clear, the air was chilly, and I had Tuxedo.
For nearly four hours, our advanced group of four riders, guided by Maria, rode high into the mountains, following winding trails through the timber and climbing toward one spectacular vista after another. We loped up steep, narrow rocky trails, around bends, through woods and meadows, and at some points the wind was whipping through my hair so fast I’d have sworn we were running at full speed.
There are moments on trips that stay with you long after the details around them begin to fade. Loping a horse up a mountain trail beneath a brilliant Montana sky is going to be one of mine.
After lunch, I had an entire menu of other activities available to me. I chose Tuxedo… again. Back to the Advanced Riding Program I went for another afternoon of cattle wrangling. This time the sun was shining and all six people who had signed up appeared. Maria was back to shouting commands, and what had been a surprisingly orderly exercise with two riders in the rain became something considerably more chaotic—and more hilarious—with six. Things "got a little Western" toward the end when the herd decided to run back to their starting point, and the horses jumped right into the game and took off after them (I’m blaming Regina).
The evening was so beautiful I decided to join a few new friends for a sunset cruise on FLL Pool, the lodge’s vintage Bertram 31 Flybridge Cruiser. We cruised the lake while the mountains rose around us; it couldn’t get any better than this.
By the end of the day, I had covered more than 11 miles on horseback. Over the course of the retreat, I rode more than 19 miles—through mountains, meadows, forest and some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever ridden through.
After happy hour and another seated dinner this night, everyone headed toward the barn, which looked as though it had been built by a Hollywood art department charged with creating the perfect Montana setting: weathered timber, soaring rafters, warm light and just the right amount of Western character.
A live band was setting up for the night's barn dance, but before anyone hit the dance floor there was some serious gambling to attend to: mouse racing… with actual mice.
Five live mice race along five rope "lanes," with guests bidding in a live auction on the competitors. It's a long-running Flathead Lake Lodge tradition, but there's also a serious purpose behind the absurdity: proceeds help support the lodge's partnership with HopeKids, a nonprofit serving families with children facing life-threatening medical conditions.
The Averill family's relationship with HopeKids goes beyond simply writing a check. The lodge has hosted Week of Hope, welcoming children and their families to experience the ranch and the same sort of Western adventures enjoyed by its other guests.
Then the band struck up and the barn dance began. The floor filled quickly, and guests danced the night away.
Walking back toward my cabin, the music gradually faded behind me. The moon was reflected across Flathead Lake, the ranch had grown quiet, and somewhere beyond the lodge were the mountains I'd spent the previous several days riding through. My heart was full.
One Last Look
On my final day, I dedicated the morning to taking it all in one final time. A fire roared in the Main Lodge, and I settled onto one of the sofas in front of it. Around me were people who had been complete strangers just four days earlier and who now felt like old friends. We talked about rides we'd taken, things we'd done and exchanged contact information, promising to keep in touch.
Outside, the airport shuttles began their departures. Flathead Lake Lodge has this part down to a science. The relaxed choreography with the lodge’s fleet of brand-new white Suburbans was impressive. Slowly but surely, the lodge emptied.
Before I left, there was one thing I wanted to visit again: the horses. I walked down the path hoping for one last glimpse. Instead, I got something better. I arrived just as they were being turned out—all 140 of them.
They came pouring down the hill in a thunderous wave, horses of every color, each one more beautiful than the last. Hooves pounded the ground as the herd swept past. All I could do was stand there in awe.
After four days of riding mountains, wrangling cattle, hiking through the rain, eating pancakes beside a campfire, riding fire trucks to steak dinners, betting on mice and dancing in a Montana barn, it was somehow this unplanned moment that nearly undid me. There was so much beauty around me I could feel a palpable pain in my heart.
For five days, I didn't have to plan anything beyond deciding what adventure I wanted to have next. I didn't have to reach for my wallet or wonder where I was eating dinner or how I was getting somewhere. An extraordinary staff took care of all of that. My only responsibility was to show up, ride the horse, climb the mountain, drink the cocktail, eat the steak, listen to the music, make another friend. Most importantly: have fun.
When my shuttle finally pulled away from Flathead Lake Lodge, I looked back at a place I had arrived at only four days earlier and tried, unsuccessfully, not to get emotional. In all my years of traveling, that had never happened before.
There is some good news: I've already reserved my spot for next year's Adult Adventure Retreat, and I’m counting down the days.
