Accommodations and Food

There are three very pleasant Forest Service campgrounds in the area: Wade Lake, Hilltop, and Cliff Point, all near Wade Lake Resort.

The utterly charming Wade Lake Cabins (406/682-7560, www.wadelake.com [1], $75–125) are simple housekeeping cabins (each with its own outdoor gas grill in addition to the more traditional kitchen setup) for rent year-round. Bathrooms are in a separate shared bathhouse.

At Wade Lake, the focus is on low-impact recreation. During the summer, anglers come to fish the lakes, known for their huge rainbow and brown trout. A wood-fired hot tub is especially welcome in the winter, when the resort caters to cross-country skiers, grooming 35 miles of trails. Winter visitors are especially likely to see wildlife; lots of animals winter in the area.

A three-night minimum stay is required, no credit cards are accepted, and pets cannot be accommodated. Rates rise a bit in the winter, when the resort hosts will shuttle your food and gear from the road while you ski in to your cabin. Canoes and motorboats are available for rent at the lodge.

Over on the far side of Cliff Lake, about one mile from the lakeshore, Wilderness Edge Retreat (406/682-4611 or 866/226-7668, www.wedgeretreat.com [2], mid-May–mid-Oct., $65–515) has a handful of very nice new log lodges (the largest has five bedrooms) as well as the resort’s original rustic cabins with refrigerators, outdoor grills, and a shared bathhouse. Dogs are permitted in the rustic cabins but must stay out of the larger houses. The resort can arrange fishing trips and horseback rides, and guests may rent small motor boats, canoes, kayaks, and mountain bikes.