“Our guide Jeremy was excellent! His unlimited knowledge, his sense of humor, and his patience with all three generations was so appreciated! He was awesome! “
Don A. | RED LODGE MULTISPORT vacation
Montana is big. They call it Big Sky Country for a reason, so picking a location for a multisport vacation is not a simple task. But, we are confident we have chosen one of the most amazing areas in Montana.
For a genuine, non-touristed, real Montana experience, you cannot beat our home base of Red Lodge and the Beartooths—and you get to experience it your way!
A Flexible Vacation Tailored to Your Interests…
When you plan a guided tour with Travel Montana & Yellowstone, we craft it to be what you are seeking, with the flexibility to make decisions as you go.
We will communicate with you and collaborate to plan an itinerary that suits your interests, ability levels, and your priorities for a trip to Yellowstone.
Plus, we can adapt options each day in real time so you have the freedom to make the daily experience the best it can be.
What We Do & Why It Is So Great
- We specialize in creating unforgettable guided tours that combine breathtaking scenery, expertly curated itineraries, and the freedom to fully enjoy your adventure without the hassle of planning it.
- We take care of all the logistics and manage things during the trip including accommodations, meals, transportation, and activity planning, so you can focus on being present and making memories.
- Our professional guides lead the way and share local insights and hidden gems you might otherwise miss—you’ll benefit from their expertise and enthusiasm.
- We provide a dynamic, fun, fully-planned, and therefore stress-free travel experiences tailored to your group’s needs.
Because all of our tours are fully guided and encompass a comprehensive vacation, we don’t offer basic travel planning services such as booking lodging, transportation, or itineraries. We can adapt our set guided tours but if you’d like help planning your own vacation, your best bet is to consult a travel agent.
Why Red Lodge, Montana?
Red Lodge, Montana and the Beartooth Mountains hold a special place in our hearts. The mountains are our playground and the small town of 2,300 residents is our “world headquarters.”
Tucked into a valley between glaciers and plains, it won’t take you long to fall in love with Red Lodge. Our charming mountain town has great restaurants, fun shops and laid-back local watering holes. There are no stoplights in the entire county yet we are only one hour from the airport in Billings. The locals are incredibly friendly too – including our wonderful local guides!
Why The Beartooth Mountains?
The breathtaking Beartooth Mountains are the highest mountain range in Montana, with numerous peaks above 12,000 feet, and offer an abundance of phenomenal hiking trails featuring pristine alpine lakes, gorgeous plateaus, and stunning vistas. The hiking is moderate and you will have options for various distances.
But we’ll do much more than hike in the mountains. We’ll take you on a ride up the Beartooth Pass, considered one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the country. The road zigzags up a series of switchbacks along the Montana-Wyoming border, topping out at almost 11,000 feet and with a view of the “bear’s tooth” for which the mountain range is named. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife throughout the trip and you might spot marmots, moose, coyote, big-horned sheep, mountain goats, grizzly bears and black bears.
We’ll also spend a fun morning river rafting on the Yellowstone River (pending water levels), jump on a horse for a trail ride like a true Montanan, and visit the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary. If you are interested, we can even arrange for a private fly fishing or rock climbing guide at extra cost.
Trip Highlights to Choose From
On your five-day family vacation, you get to choose your own activities. They can be active, such as hiking or river rafting, or relaxed, such as visiting the local wildlife recovery center. Once you book your tour, we will collaborate with you customize the tour activities and itinerary based on your interests.
- Hiking: Hiking is spectacular in this region and some of our groups choose to spend all five days of their vacation hiking. We have more difficult hikes that head up onto the Beartooth Plateau to mountain peaks or high-altitude lakes. We have easier hikes along river beds through the evergreen forests. We will customize our hikes for your group. See more about the hiking opportunities via the Beartooths Hiking tour page
- Horseback Riding: You can opt in for horseback riding with our friends at Elk River Outfitters, suitable for ages 6+. We’ll head up onto the plateau above town where we’ll get wide-open views of the Beartooth mountains and rolling wheat fields.
- Rafting: Another option is a fun but safe rafting trip down the Stillwater or Yellowstone River. This is generally class II and class III, meaning it is safe for all but the youngest ages but still offering thrills.
- Beartooth Pass: We can drive up the Beartooth Pass, one of America’s scenic highways. You’ll stop to enjoy the beauty of Montana, looking for animal tracks and skipping rocks into lakes.
- Rodeo, Pig Races, Wildlife Sanctuary: On top of fun outdoor pursuits, we can incorporate an authentic Western Rodeo in nearby Cody, Wyoming (named after Buffalo Bill Cody), pig races at a nearby saloon, and the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.
Book a Montana Vacation in a few easy steps:
- Gather your friends and family (minimum of 4 people)
- Choose your dates
- Complete the Booking Form
- We’ll collaborate regarding your interests and preferred activity level for your group
- Enjoy your vacation!
We make it easy to plan your next amazing adventure.
Our vacations are crafted to offer something for every interest and activity level. Gather your friends and family (minimum of four), choose your dates, and we’ll do the rest!
Groups can be a family, couples traveling together, a multi-generational family reunion, a group celebrating a milestone, a company treating their employees, or anything else that deserves an amazing trip.
By booking a guided vacation your Montana or Yellowstone trip will be more amazing than it would be if you were doing it on your own.
What Does a Vacation Include?
Your vacation includes hotels, most meals, ground transportation, activities, all permits and fees, and a professional guide. Sign up now for what will likely be the highlight of your year.
Benefits of Taking a Guided Vacation with Travel Montana >> By taking a guided tour your vacation will be even more amazing than it would be if you were on your own. Our guides are experts – not just in the outdoors – but in knowing the best restaurants, the best times and locations to view popular sights, the history of the region, and in interpersonal dynamics and creating group fun. It means you can let our team take care of every detail so you can actually relax and enjoy your vacation!
Travel Montana is an authorized permit holder of the US Forest Service and equal opportunity service provider
Details
- Activities: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Rafting, plus small town activities
- Duration: 5 days
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Price Per Person
4 - 5 people: $2,750
6 - 7 people: $2,600
8+ people: $2,500 - Single Supplement: $800
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Other Info:
> This trip is recommended for kids aged five and up
> We offer this tour for groups and families of all shapes and makeups!Arrival/Meetup & Departure is in Billings, MT
> Kids staying in a room with their adult(s) receive a 15% discount.
- Public Tour Date: n/a
Trip Highlights
- Explore Travel Montana's charming hometown, Red Lodge, Montana, set in the stunning Beartooth Mountains
- Hike to waterfalls, around alpine lakes, and up mountain trails in the Beartooth Mountains
- Jump on a horse to ride with sweeping views of the rugged mountains and raft on the Yellowstone River
- Drive the stunningly scenic Beartooth Highway and watch for mountain goats, moose, eagles, marmots, coyotes, and bears
- Don't miss a Authentic Western rodeo in Cody, Wyoming
- Get a REAL Montana experience with a Montana-based company and local guides
The following is a sample itinerary of what your vacation could look like. We will collaborate with you to craft your unique itinerary based on your group's interests.
DAY 1
We meet you in Billings, Montana in the morning and head to nearby Pictograph Caves State Park to become amateur archaeologists and contemplate the origins of human habitation in Montana. After a picnic lunch, shuttle to Red Lodge and go straight to the horse camp to meet the wranglers for a 1.5-hour ride up onto the plateau, where you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the mountains. This evening we'll dine at a family-friendly local eatery, then head to watch the pig races at the Bearcreek Saloon—adorable and humorous races that raise money for a scholarship fund for local students.
DAY 2
Rise and shine! After breakfast, take a scenic drive to the nearby town of Absarokee for a fun and splashy family-friendly raft trip down the Stillwater River. On a hot summer day, you can also be sure to stop at the favorite local swimming hole and enjoy a picnic along the river before returning to Red Lodge. In the afternoon, we'll visit the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary to see incredible wildlife like wolves, bears, bison, big cats, and raptors up close—in a lifelong home to non-releasable native Montana wildlife. Back in Red Lodge you can take on a leisurely game of disc golf, a scavenger hunt through the small town, or be sure to visit the world's greatest candy store, which happens to be on Main Street in Red Lodge. If your group has young ones, this evening you can depend on our guides to entertain your kids at the pool with a pizza party while you eat at our favorite local tapas restaurant.
DAY 3
If you have chosen to go hiking in the outstanding Beartooth Mountains, today we’ll plan a route that suits your group’s ability level. Being rugged and isolated mountains there are amazing trails that offer an experience you can only find in Montana. And, at the same time, there are excellent, easier (family-friendly hikes) that meander along the creek, with some slight uphill required, but nothing beyond the skills of the littlest or less-challenged inclined members. In the afternoon, take a drive over the border into Wyoming to the small town of Cody, where you can learn about wild west history at the Old Trail Town then get to watch a fun wild west show and enjoy a western style dinner. After dinner, don’t miss the Cody Stampede Rodeo, an authentic small-town Western experience.
DAY 4
This morning, enjoy free time to wander in Red Lodge before departing for a spectacular drive along the Beartooth Highway, a ‘National Scenic Byway All-American Road’. This 68-mile journey winds through the Beartooth Mountains offering plenty of stops along the way to stretch our legs, take a sip of some of the freshest water you'll ever drink (right out the side of the mountain!), throw some rocks in a few lakes, and get out for a couple short hikes. Back in town head out for a final dinner at a taco joint that is beloved by kids and adults.
DAY 5
Today you can choose to get in a short early morning hike on the bench above Red Lodge with mountain views in every direction, pop into the local historical museum, or pick up a few souvenirs in town before it is time to check out and head back to Billings, arriving in time to take an early afternoon flight back home.
Book the Red Lodge Multisport VacationTrip Accommodations
CHATEAU ROUGE / RED LODGE
All four nights of this tour are spent in the comfortable and very spacious rooms of the Chateau Rouge. Units are individually owned and feature a sitting room and kitchen. Located at the foot of the Beartooth - Absaroka Mountains and in walking distance to the center of town, this family-friendly hotel offers comfortable condo-style accommodations and an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi.
Book the Red Lodge Multisport VacationArrival & Departure
We meet you at 9:30 AM at the Northern Hotel in Billings on the first day of the trip, allowing us to maximize our day. This means you will most likely need to arrive the day before, as there are limited flight options that arrive before the tour start time. The last day of the tour we will drop you off at the Billings airport by noon, making it possible to book your flight home after 1:00 pm.
What's Included?
- One local Travel Montana guide will accompany each trip. Additional guides added depending on group size.
- Our trip prices are based on double occupancy. You have the option to pay the single supplement to get your own room if you don’t want a roommate. If kids stay in your room, they get a discount of 15% off the tour price. If your private group has an odd number of participants, the single supplement for the person getting his/her own room becomes mandatory. You also have the choice to put three people in one room.
- All meals except one lunch are included. Gratuity for these meals is also included.
- All activities noted including horseback rides, white water rafting, the Wildlife Sanctuary, and the visit to Cody and the rodeo.
- All your transportation is included once you meet your guides on the first day.
- All trail fees and permits are included.
- NOT INCLUDED Beverages, one lunch, gratuities to your guides, personal expenses and travel to and from the destination.
When to Travel
The season for outdoor activities in Red Lodge generally runs from May through September. In the summer months of July and August, highs average 80 degrees so the days can be warm. June and September are about ten degrees cooler, making them a wonderful 70 degrees on average for daytime highs, while in May high temperatures average in the low 60s. In June, the hills are green while, in September, they are a golden brown.
Type of People Who Will Enjoy This Tour
This trip is perfect for both adults and kids, with activities that both kids and adults will enjoy. If you are traveling with a family including kids, we know you love your little darlings, but we realize it is nice to have an occasional break for an adult drink or longer hike — our guides are more than happy to oblige you in this! We plan a couple of separate activities and dinners for kids and adults (your older teenagers can make up their minds which group they would like to join these times!). Keep in mind that our definition of family is quite liberal: traditional nuclear families, single parent households, and aunts, uncles, and grandparents are all welcome.
Changes to Your Itinerary
While everything under “What is Included” will remain the same, the actual restaurants, hotels, and activities listed in our itineraries are subject to modifications. Changes that are out of our control are common – a restaurant closes or loses its awesome chef, a winery changes its visiting hours, a hotel gets remodeled, a road or trail undergoes construction. You are entrusting us to create an outstanding vacation for you and so it is possible we may take the liberty of making necessary changes (even at the last minute, during the guides’ scout trip) to the itinerary that will improve your overall trip experience. If there is any one experience that is going to make or break your trip, please discuss this with us in advance! We will attempt to keep our website itinerary as current as possible and communicate any major changes with you in the weeks prior to the tour.
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