Weekend in Red Lodge
by Phil Knight
Red Lodge, MT, owes its existence to extinct plants, which grew 300 million years ago. Huge ferns, mosses and other plants died and accumulated in deep layers, forming fossilized deposits we know as coal.
Red Lodge, however, has refused to fossilize, capitalizing on its Wild West history to create an even more dynamic, exciting present and future. A summer weekend in Red Lodge will give visitors a chance to experience and be a part of both the past and the present of this fascinating Montana town of 2,400 people.
Tied closely to the land and heavily influenced by its proximity to the Beartooth Mountains, Red Lodge is the sort of town that attracts and inspires active, creative people who seek a real Montana experience. Most want to stay once they arrive. Pollard Dining Room server Graham Artzen said, “It’s going to be tough to go back to school in the Twin Cities after living in a place like Red Lodge.”
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Aerial view of Red Lodge
photo by Mervin Coleman |
In the 1860s, “Yankee Jim” George discovered coal in the Rocky Fork valley, but it was not until 1887 that the coal was exploited. Coal provided 90 percent of Montana’s energy then, and quality deposits, such as those found near Red Lodge, were in high demand. Territorial Governor Samuel T. Hauser, Northern Pacific Railroad President Henry Villard, and former NPRR President Frederick Billings evolved a scheme to mine the coal, and Red Lodge—originally just a mail stop on the Meeteetsee Trail—was born and quickly became the hub of Carbon County.
Red Lodge owes its name to a band of Crow Indians who lived in the area and painted a tipi – or lodge – red with clay. Plenty Coups, last tribal chief of the Crow, frequented the area and is memorialized in a dramatic statue at the Visitors Center.
This was a lawless place at first, where miners, armed cowboys, prostitutes, Indians, ranchers and farmers mingled, gambled and fought in dozens of saloons. John “Liver-Eatin’,” Johnson was hired as the first town constable, dispensing justice with his fists. Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, and other rapscallions frequented the rowdy town.
Most miners were emigrants from England, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, Italy, Russia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Greece, Norway and Serbia. As the town grew, ethnic neighborhoods developed, giving the town a very international flavor. By 1900, most men in town worked in the coal mines, and two thousand tons of coal were shipped out daily.
Red Lodge’s mines were a hub of union activity, including the United Mine Workers of America and the more radical IWW, or Wobblies.
Red Lodge reached a record 5,000 people in 1915. By 1917 Red Lodge’s mining was slowing down, as coal mines were developed elsewhere and alternative sources of power were developed. The final blow to the Red Lodge coal mines was the 1943 Smith Mine disaster at nearby Bearcreek, in which 74 men perished in a methane gas explosion.
Although Red Lodge was already a tourism town, thanks to its “wild west” image of rodeos, mountain men and big game hunting, it became a major tourist destination and a “Gateway to Yellowstone” with the completion of the Beartooth Highway in 1936. Via a long series of switchbacks, this spectacular road reaches 10,936 feet atop the Beartooth Mountain Range, Montana’s highest. From the top of the Beartooth Pass you can see the distant but dramatic Beartooth Spire, for which the range was named. Sixty-eight miles from Red Lodge is the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
The massive Beartooth Range was uplifted 60 million years ago during the major mountain building event called Laramide Orogeny. Great U-shaped valleys leading into the mountains testify to the more recent erosional work of glaciers. Rocks from the Beartooth Range have been dated back over four billion years, some of the oldest on Earth.
You need not venture far out of Red Lodge to enjoy its many attractions. Red Lodge offers great food, comfy accommodations, a howdy-stranger atmosphere, and no traffic lights.
Some Red Lodge activities are available all the time. For the kids, the Moose Trails playground is one of the best-designed and most attractive facilities in the state. Across the street is the Carbon County Historical Museum, located in the old Labor Temple. The museum brings Red Lodge’s wild history to light. According to Joel Betolino, the county historic preservation officer, the museum plans to expand into the upper two floors of the building in order to house their vast collection of artifacts.
No child or adult will want to miss the Beartooth Nature Center at Miner’s Memorial Park. This is Montana’s only public facility housing native mammals and birds placed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks which cannot be returned to the wild due to injury or human habituation.
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Pollard Hotel
photo by Phil Knight
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The Center offers visitors a close-up look at about 60 live black bears, mountain lions, lynx, a wolf, coyotes, foxes, eagles, owls, hawks, raccoons, and other critters. If you are lucky, like I was, you may get a personal visit with the playful Garfield the bobcat.
According to Director Ruth Brown, the Center is planning to expand from its current six acres to 20 on a new property paid for with donations from the Red Lodge community. “Starting over with more room will allow us to create more livable and natural habitats for the animals,” said Ms. Brown.
Red Lodge may best be seen on foot or bicycle. Take a walk through the historic northwest side, known as the Hi-Bug, where turn-of-the-century mansions evoke the prosperity of the town’s coal-mining heyday.
The Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course, on Upper Continental Drive, is one of the most scenic courses in the state. Built in 1983, the course is situated just six miles from Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort. The rustic beauty and challenge of this course combine to make it 18 holes of pure pleasure. Call 446-3344 for information.
A short drive out of town also offers any number of pleasures. Located near the northern edge of the 943,377-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Red Lodge has unbeatable access to outdoor recreation.
Try fly fishing in Rock Creek or one of the hundreds of lakes that dot the alpine Beartooth Plateau. Bring your boat as well for the kayaking on Rock Creek, the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, and the Stillwater River. Within easy reach of town are several trailheads, offering hiking and horseback riding on hundreds of miles of national forest trails.
After about May 25, when the Pass is opened, spring and summer skiing begin with challenging runs awaiting those willing to earn their turns by hiking. Or take a shot at peak bagging, including Granite Peak, Montana’s highest at 12,799 feet, and 20 other Beartooth peaks over 12,000.
Take a spin east on scenic, winding Highway 308 to the Bearcreek Saloon for Montana’s only pig races. Saloon owners Pits and Lynn DeArmond started the races to raise money for local scholarships for students in Carbon County. Enjoy a cold beer and steak dinner, lay your bets and watch those porkers fly. The saloon is open at 5 p.m. from Thursdays through Sundays.
Also in Bearcreek, take a gander at the spooky remains of the Smith Mine, scene of the 1943 mine disaster. Keep your eyes open on the vast green hills for the Silver Run Elk Herd, often seen close to town. Mule deer, wild turkeys, eagles and other birds of prey, and many other wildlife species live close to—and sometimes in—Red Lodge. I found moose sign on the front lawn of the Visitors Center!
Food and Drink
You are not likely to go hungry in Red Lodge. On Broadway downtown you’ll find chow to suit any taste.
Bogart’s Restaurant will fill one and all with authentic Mexican food, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, pasta and their famous margaritas. 446-1784, www.redlodge.com/bogarts
Try Foster and Logan’s for a Buffalo Burger, Beartooth Club, or Hell Roaring Buffalo Chili. 446-9080.
Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchens—open for lunch and dinner—serves up the finest “Mountain Cuisine,” with an emphasis on steaks, fresh seafood, wild game and creative pasta dishes. www.eatfooddrinkwine.vcn.com
To quench your thirst after a day on the trails, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Company on Broadway offers a tasting room open 4-8 daily with a wide variety of handcrafted brews such as Beartooth Pale Ale, Bent Nail IPA and Jack’s 90 Schilling Scottish Ale. www.redlodgeales.net
The Snow Creek Saloon is a favorite local watering hole where you can meet just about any type of character. Amuse yourself reading the hundreds of stickers on the bar mirror.
The Red Lodge Pizza Co. serves up excellent pies, subs, and Italian fare to please any family.
The Pollard Hotel is the home of the upscale Pollard Dining Room and the Silver Spur Lounge. Popular local chef Scott Greenlee recently returned to the Pollard, and the menu changes frequently to reflect his latest creations.
Accommodations
At the Pollard, built in 1893 and completely restored in 1991, you will stay right downtown and share the roof with historic legends Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and Liver-Eatin’ Johnson. Check out the memorabilia displayed on the walls.
Other accommodations include the classy Rock Creek Resort five miles from town, a variety of hotels and motels, several convenient bed and breakfasts, a KOA campground and several nearby national forest campgrounds such as Limber Pine and Greenough Lake.
Events
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Cowboy
photo by Mervin Coleman
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June 9 to 17 brings the Red Lodge Music Festival, the oldest and most successful music festival in Montana.
On June 30 and July 1, the Beartooth Run & Burn offers foot and bicycle races up the Beartooth Pass, ascending up to 2,000 feet over the eight-mile course.
July 2 to 4, catch the Home of Champions Parade and Rodeo. Begun in the 1890s, this authentic rodeo features top cowboys and cowgirls. Guaranteed to entertain, rodeo events include Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Mutton Busting, Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Wild Horse Racing, and Steer Riding. For more information, call 406-446-2422.
July 20 to 22, the Beartooth Motorcycle Rally draws bike enthusiasts from across the country to ride the winding mountain roads and to party down in the heart of Red Lodge. Events include the Highway 212 Poker Run, a 120- mile loop over the Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. On Sunday the 22nd, the Iron Horse Rodeo entertains with a slow race, barrel race, obstacle course, keg roll, potato race, beer chug and weenie bite.
1-888-827-2663, http://beartoothrally.com
From July 20 to 29, the Rendezvous at Red Lodge takes you back 150 years to the era of the fur trade and the mountain man. Activities include staged gunfights, music, melodrama, and period arts.
August 4 and 5 offers the Festival of Nations, when Red Lodge celebrates its diverse ethnic heritage, welcoming all with performances, dances, music, arts and crafts, and fantastic traditional food.
July 27 to 28, music will ring out in Red Lodge with the Montana State Old-Time Fiddlers
Contest. Fiddlers and fans come from all over to jam, party, visit, and listen.
On August 16 to 19, another sort of motorcycle rally comes to Red Lodge with the Beartooth BMW Motorcycle Rendezvous, sponsored by the Beartooth Beemers.
September 15 is Oktoberfest, with live music, special brews from Red Lodge Ales and German food from Bridge Creek.
Pick a weekend and go. In Red Lodge, you can’t go wrong. Info: 888 281-0625 or www.redlodge.com.
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