Chalet
Downing Mountain Lodge
Photo gallery for Downing Mountain Lodge





Reviews
9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 122200 sq ft
Popular amenities
Rooms & beds
3 bedrooms (sleeps 12)
Bedroom 1
+8
7 Single Beds, 1 Queen Bed, 3 Double Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed
2 bathrooms
Bathroom 1
Bathtub
Bathroom 2
Spaces
Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
About this property
Downing Mountain Lodge
Located 2,000' above the Bitterroot Valley, the Downing Mountain Lodge is a log lodge built in the round on a single level. With one hundred mile views and end of the road privacy, the rustic lodge built in the 1970's hosts all types of recreationists, solitude seekers, and nature lovers all year round. Located in a remote mountainous setting, the lodge is for hearty folk looking for a beautiful, adventurous, and rustic base camp including a hot tub and sauna. The Downing Mountain Lodge is a 2,500 square foot, log yurt built into the Bitterroot Mountains 7 road miles west of the town of Hamilton, Montana. With total privacy, the forested mountainside, hiking, wildflowers, huckleberry picking, backcountry skiing, amazing views, and comfortable amenities, the Downing Mountain Lodge is a one of a kind, unique mountainside retreat for all your adventure, events, and relaxation needs. With an outside barbecue deck overlooking the valley, the front lawn featuring a hot tub, a wood fired sauna in the stone hut outside the backdoor, a great room centered by a massive stone fireplace, dining tables and room for up to fifty guests for your catered event, and a foosball table, guitar and piano, bring the whole party and the dog! Located only twenty minutes from Hamilton, with complete privacy, and three miles from the nearest neighbor, you will feel relaxed and above it all during your visit. The lodge is open year round for guests with winter time backcountry skiing the main activity and summertime fishing, hiking, gatherings, and relaxing. With a mandatory drive on a three mile, dirt, forested mountain road, at times graced by carpets of wildflowers or punctuated by deer, elk, fox, grouse, moose, black bears, bobcats, and coyotes and wolves and mountain lions, the Lodge is NOT for everyone. For those seeking solitude with their group, an expansive retreat, and comfortably rustic amenities, you will love the lodge. The lodge is primarily heated by burning wood and guests will have the opportunity to split their own firewood and start and maintain the fires in the woodstove and fireplace. A well stocked utilitarian commercial kitchen is not boutique, communal bathrooms with two toilets and one inside shower, and an outside hot tub and sauna round out the lodge's amenities and welcome you to an authentic Montana nature retreat where you will be able to live again close to Earth and with your loved ones. The entire lodge and 100 acre property with thousands of Forest Service mountainside acres of forest, wildlife, wildflowers in May and June and huckleberries in July and August is available exclusively to our guests. Backcountry powder skiing from December through March and spring corn skiing in April and May. Accessible via a dirt, switchbacking, mountain road, the roadway has a couple of gates along its 3 mile approach and the lodge is locked with a combination lock. Guests are able to call on me for help with lodge facilities, recreation ideas, dining options, and guide services for backcountry skiing, fishing, horse riding, river trips, sailing trips, mountain biking, rock climbing and hiking. We are three miles beyond the last home on Grubstake Road, 7 miles by road from downtown Hamilton. The neighborhood includes grouse, deer, elk, bear, moose, wildflowers, huckleberries, hiking trails, a forest of green trees, two spring creeks, a burnt forest, and wind and sunshine. As a remote wilderness lodge, guests will want their own car to access the lodge and surrounding areas. The access driveway is dirt, 3 miles long, and in fairly good condition. https://youtu.be/vs7GCXQq6ek
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House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Events
Events allowed
Pets
Pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
About the area
Hamilton
Located in Hamilton, this chalet is in a rural area. Shed Horn Cellars and Westslope Distillery are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Bitterroot Valley and Denton Park. Hamilton Performing Arts Center and Field of Screams are also worth visiting.

Hamilton, MT
What's nearby
- Steve Powell Park - 8 min drive - 5.8 km
- Denton Park - 8 min drive - 6.2 km
- Bitterroot Health - Daly Hospital - 8 min drive - 6.2 km
- River Park - 9 min drive - 6.5 km
- Claudia Driscoll Park - 9 min drive - 6.5 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- McDonald's - 13 min drive
- Taco Bell - 13 min drive
- Higherground Brewery - 13 min drive
- Bitter Root Brewing - 12 min drive
- Subway - 13 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window7.2/10
Cleanliness
10/10
Check-in
9.6/10
Communication
10/10
Location
9.0/10
Listing accuracy
Reviews
Verified
26 Sept, 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2020
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Sherri D.
1 Jun, 2017
Awesome getaway!
Sherri D.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2017
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Sandy T.
21 Jul, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Sandy T.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
8/10 Good
Krissy P.
18 Jul, 2019
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Montana
Krissy P.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kara T.
5 Sept, 2020
Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Ultimate Socially Distant Vacation
Kara T.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2020
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Audrey S.
2 Jan, 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Montana Gem
Audrey S.
Archival
10/10 Excellent
6 Oct, 2014
Shoulder season stay at Downing Mountain Lodge - Board Meeting
Archival
10/10 Excellent
mary M.
7 Oct, 2015
As great as it looks
mary M.
Verified
6/10 Okay
Kimm I.
26 Jun, 2019
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy
Girls Trip 2019
Kimm I.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Richard W.
15 Oct, 2021
Liked: Check-in, location, listing accuracy
Great stay at the top of Montanta
Richard W.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kara T.
28 Jul, 2021
Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fireworks view
Kara T.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Ben M.
22 Jul, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fly fishing trip
Ben M.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Tony K.
20 Jul, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing property that is very unique. Not the Rotz but has a better view and much more authentic!
Tony K.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Stephen B.
21 Sept, 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Awesome!
Stephen B.
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Scott M.
22 Jun, 2020
Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Spectacular view
Scott M.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Lindsey B.
14 Dec, 2018
Secluded, amazing views.
Lindsey B.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Frankie P.
6 Sept, 2018
Beyond awesome!!
Frankie P.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Verified
8/10 Good
William H.
29 Jun, 2018
The unique location is what makes this place so special.
William H.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2018
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Michelle C.
11 Sept, 2017
Loved it
Michelle C.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017
Archival
8/10 Good
Jerome T.
22 Aug, 2017
Great place to stay and an adventure to boot.
Jerome T.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017
Archival
10/10 Excellent
11 Aug, 2016
Incredible place
Archival
10/10 Excellent
marisa s.
19 Jul, 2016
Great venue for a gathering
marisa s.
Archival
10/10 Excellent
4 Dec, 2015
Magical place
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Bill F.
11 Sept, 2015
Great Spot !!
Bill F.
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Elaine W.
10 Sept, 2015
LOVE this place!
Elaine W.
About the host
Hosted by JLehrman
I purchased the property in July 2012 after managing the lodge as a destination backcountry ski lodge since 2008 and caretaking the facility since 1998. It had always been my dream to purchase the lodge and operate it as a year round, adventure lodging and events destination. In 2012 everything came together to purchase and move forward with this dream. I studied at the University of Montana in the Forestry School for Wildlife Biology and decided to stay in Montana for the wealth of outdoor and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Why they chose this property
I chose to buy this property because it is the one-of-a-kind, unique mountain retreat in the Bitterroot Range. Located at 5,550 feet elevation it is the highest elevation home in the Bitterroot Mountains. Its proximity to great backcountry ski terrain, hiking, and to the town of Hamilton, where I live, make it the perfect year round private recreation/relaxation destination. Nowhere else nearby is there a private access road to high elevation that is adjacent to high quality, pristine, ski and hiking terrain on the Forest Service.
What makes this property unique
I fell in love with the property over the years caretaking for the owner during the winter and then opening and operating the Downing Mountain Lodge during the winter. After four successful years managing the winter lodge and meeting all the great people who come from all over the country for backcountry skiing, I knew this was a genuinely great lodge business that satisfied many different people and families and brought out the best in people in a most authentic of backcountry experiences. With the lodge accessible to wheeled vehicles during the summer, and desirable to more than backcountry skiers, I knew taking the leap into ownership and year round adventure lodging and consulting would be a great way to pursue my career goals and offer guests the year round benefits of this unique log lodge in its unique location.
Languages:
English, French, Spanish
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