Sage Lodge in Montana, Where Rustic Meets Luxury
- Gail McElroy
- Oct 7, 2022
- 6 min read
When booking our accommodations for our first-time visit to Montana, I wanted to find an isolated place that had scenic surroundings but with the amenities of a five-star property. I wanted to feel like we got the full “Big Sky” country experience while also being pampered.
Those who know me understand that my idea of “camping” these days is a Courtyard Marriott where I can enjoy all the great outdoors has to offer but while sleeping in a comfortable bed, in a private room with indoor plumbing and central air/heat.
Knowing we would reach Montana midway through our two-week road trip after several days of driving, touring national parks and staying in convenient roadside hotels, I wanted a place to call home for a few days where we could rest and relax before tackling the last leg of our journey.
I discovered Sage Lodge through a series of online searches for “luxury lodges” in Montana. Most of the results were some version of dude ranches. While we like horses, that was not the experience we were looking for. Instead, we wanted a serene setting where we could sip coffee on a private patio in the morning, explore the surrounding area during the day, sit in front a fire at dusk and stargaze at night. Our criteria also included an onsite restaurant and, if possible, a spa.
I was surprised to see so many luxury lodge options, but most were either too far from Yellowstone (part of our criteria) and/or way beyond our budget. We were willing to pay extra for our desired amenities, but not $5,000+ a night (and this was on the low end of many I looked at!). After several searches and many hours consulting travel guides, I happened on to Sage Lodge.
They advertise themselves as the “ultimate Montana luxury resort getaway” just east of Big Sky and 35 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. One look at their website and I was sold. A montage of incredible photos rotated behind the headline: “Welcome to paradise. Your greater Yellowstone adventure awaits.”
I held my breath as I did a reservation search, sure the rooms would cost a fortune. Eureka! I found a room for mid-week in May for around $579 a night. This was more than I was hoping to spend but had everything I was looking for in accommodations. (Depending on the time of year, rooms can be as little as $350 and as much as $1,000 a night. A few individual ranch houses are also available for group stays.)
This was to be our splurge portion of the trip centered around a fly-fishing excursion, and it was worth every penny!
Driving up on a dirt road, the turnoff barely marked and easy to miss, I was a little nervous it might be one of those looks-amazing-on-the-website-but-disappointing-in-real-life scenarios.
The front of the lodge was unimpressive and looked like the façade of a movie set where if you peeked behind the timber front, you’d see nothing but scaffolding holding it up. The road up to the lodge’s entrance and the parking lot were dirt. We parked under the covered entrance just outside the lobby doors to check in.
We walked through the glass doors to a beautifully decorated lobby with floor to ceiling windows framing a picturesque view of the property’s lake and the snow-capped mountains. The gift store and restaurant were located to the right, the lobby desk to the left. Upon check in, we learned the rooms were all off a wing to the left.
We booked a Lodge Deluxe King room on the ground floor that includes a fireplace, soaking tub and patio which looks out directly to the lake. Just down the hall from our room is an outdoor fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an indoor lounge for guests to enjoy. Down the hall the other way is a fully stocked laundry room available to guests free of charge which is why each room has a handy canvas laundry bag. The rooms are also stocked with Nespresso machines to make that perfect cup of coffee to enjoy on the comfortable couch (which turns into a queen bed) or on the patio. In addition to ceramic mugs, paper cups are also included in the supplies to take your joe on the road or for a walk around the grounds.
Everything about Sage Lodge is designed for relaxation and around nature, including the on-site spa and two hot tubs. Guests may check out games and sign up for various activities which, depending on the time of year, can range from fly fishing on the lake to a craft workshop to (in the case during our visit) axe throwing. Staff can also help with booking a variety of off-site excursions as well. Guest may also rent various gear, on a first-come first-served basis and based on availability, including such items as coolers, binoculars, bikes, folding camp chairs and more.
As far as on-site dining options go, The Fireside Room provides options for breakfast, lunch, appetizers and dinner with both indoor and outdoor seating. For a more of a fine dining experience, The Grill at Sage Lodge is open in the evening from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday through Sundays. Housed in a separate events center building on the property, the menu (which changes seasonally) is a variety of farm-to-table fare prepared with a gourmet twist and fine display of culinary masterpieces. Meat lovers will not be disappointed by the range in options, from a basic steak to more gamey choices like elk and bison. Several seafood options are also available as are choices for vegetarians. Reservations are required and should be made in advance of your stay.
Other than our fly-fishing adventure, we did a couple scenic drives and visited Livingston, the nearest town offering shops and dining options, as well as history. It is a 30-minute drive from Sage Lodge along the Yellowstone River on US-89. Livingston began as a “train town” in the late 1800s and was billed as the “Original Gateway City to Yellowstone National Park,” even though it is more than an hour’s drive to the park entrance.
If you visit Livingston while staying at Sage Lodge, you may want to take advantage of the large grocery and drug stores to stalk up on supplies or hit one of the fast-food chain options for a quick meal. Of course, there are also some good restaurants to choose from. (We dined at Montana Rib & Chop House located in Livingston’s old train depot building). Be sure to walk around and check out some of the fun stores in the downtown area too.
On our way back to Sage Lodge, we took a rural route back through the farm and ranch lands of Pray, a small unincorporated community nestled along the Absaroka Mountain Range and Gallitin National Forest. One tourist draw to the area is the Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa located three miles south of the town.
On that scenic side drive we saw several mares with their new colts, as well as a wide variety of ranch homes, ranging from the very modest in size to larger, more impressive properties that looked straight out of the “Yellowstone” series on Paramount.
The nearest town to Sage Lodge offering any services is Emigrant. The tiny town has a saloon, gas station, bakery, bank, and small general store. Angler’s West Flyfishing Outfitters is also located there. In the store you can arrange for fishing excursions, as well as rent or buy equipment and apparel.
Our three-night stay at Sage Lodge provided the luxury accommodations and amenities we wanted in a serene natural setting while also creating a rustic vibe to provide a “mountain lodge-y” experience which reminds guests, no matter where they were on the property, that they are in Montana’s Big Sky country.
Our experience was so magnificent it made us long for a vacation home in the area for annual return visits. Since that is out of our price range and doesn’t fit with our traveling schedule, we will opt to make Sage Lodge our home-away-from-home on future trips. And there will be future trips!
The Good
Luxury Accommodations
The Surroundings – Especially the Sage Lodge Lake
The Sunsets
Nearness to Yellowstone National Park
Availability of Year-round Outdoor Activities
The Spa & Outdoor Hot Tubs
The Staff
Gourmet Cuisine
The Laundry Facilities
The Bad
Expensive – both room rates and menu prices
Lack of Food Variety (eating at the Lodge for most meals gets repetitive with limited choices)
Common Area Seating (can get crowded when lodge is busy – especially firepits, outdoor seating and fireside lobby)
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