from $2,400* per person	7 Days	May-October
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 4
Operator: The Dude Ranchers' Association		120 people max

Flathead Lake Lodge is a third generation family run and operated Dude Ranch located in Northwest Montana on the shores of Flathead Lake. The Lodge offers the ultimate family vacation with unlimited horse & water activities and is located only 35 miles from Glacier National Park and the famous Going to the Sun Highway. At the Lodge your family will enjoy a rustic ranch atmosphere, endless recreational activities, and unmatched hospitality by the Averill family and staff. Recreation includes a complete horse program highlighted by individual lessons, rodeo events, breakfast and lunch rides, a private elk preserve and more than 2,000 pristine acres for daily trail rides. In addition to the riding programs, Flathead Lake Lodge offers unmatched water activities on Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake West of the Mississippi and one of the cleanest lakes in the world. Spend the afternoon sailing your own boat or crewing on one of the two 51 foot Q-Class racing sloops, water skiing or wake boarding, and enjoying the lakeside heated pool. In addition to the horse and water programs, guests enjoy world-class fly fishing expeditions on the nearby Swan River, hiking in the Jewel Basin Primitive Area, whitewater rafting, mountain cookouts, a family rodeo, a barn dance, and guest vs. staff volleyball. Flathead Lake Lodge is the ultimate family vacation...Montana style.

Flathead Lake:
Flathead Lake Lodge is located directly on the shores of Flathead Lake which is not only the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi (spanning 28 miles by 10 miles in size), but is also one of the cleanest fresh water lakes in the world. The beach on Flathead Lake is always a popular gathering spot on hot afternoons. Sailing or boating across the clear blue water, participating in a canoe race, water skiing, or enjoying a refreshing swim in Flathead Lake are all exhilarating ways to spend an afternoon.

Children at the Lodge:
Children are a focus of activities and recreation here at the Lodge. Flathead Lake Lodge has a unique children's program where family interaction is key and children have the freedom to roam the property and the various activities as they like. Children focused activities include daily kids rides, daily Arts & Crafts, water activities, kids tepee overnight, kids rodeo, organized games and a junior wrangler program to name a few. Your child will fall in love with Flathead Lake Lodge and make friendships that can last a lifetime.

Glacier National Park:
Flathead Lake Lodge is surrounded by some of the nations most beautiful and untouched wilderness areas. Glacier National Park is located only 35 miles North of the Lodge and is a great option for a family day trip. Glacier National Park is considered the Crown of the Continent because it is the most intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states. In addition to its spectacular views, Glacier is home to an abundance of wildlife most notably big horn sheep, mountain goats, bears, and moose.

Lodge History:
Flathead Lake Lodge was built in 1932 as a boy's camp and was acquired by Les Averill when he returned to Montana from the war in 1945. His boyhood dream was to build a dude ranch and hunting lodge for folks to experience a part of the West. That dream came true with the purchase of the Flathead Recreation Ranch for Boys, now Flathead Lake Lodge. The ranch slowly began attracting people from around the world. Dignitaries, celebrities, and families discovered the Montana hideaway near the village of Bigfork and word of the beautiful lodge began to spread. Doug Averill, one of eight sons, took over as the second generation of the guest ranch operation in 1971. Doug, his wife Maureen, and their three children live at the ranch and host the guests, many of whom have become longtime family friends.

Family Values:
The Averill's created a concept and philosophy at Flathead Lake Lodge that has successfully survived more than half a century of dramatic changes in travel and vacation trends. Transportation, technology, and family values have changed since 1945, yet the Averill's idea of Western hospitality, traditional values, and memorable family vacations has remained the same.