Madison River Retreat is located in the midst of a fisherman's paradise, surrounded by majestic mountains! Right in our front yard, you'll have 200 feet of river frontage on the world-renowned Madison River, ready for your private use. Wade right into its pristine waters, with a backdrop of magnificent mountain peaks, for awesome trout-fishing year-round. The many other nearby fishing and recreation lakes include Hebgen Lake, Henry's Lake, Quake Lake, and the Cliff and Wade Lakes. Plus, the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, with all its natural wonders, is just a scenic 31-mile drive (35 minutes) away. You are bound to see bald eagles flying over the house or fishing for trout themselves. Mule deer, big horn sheep and elk are often seen grazing in this neighborhood and the surrounding Beaverhead National Forest. Many bird species and a great variety of wildlife flourish in the area.
This home features a great open design perfect for entertaining and spending time with family and friends on your vacation. The kitchen flows into the large comfortable living room where you can then walk out to the large covered porch, to enjoy the views or an outdoor dinner. Enjoy the cozy ambience of the living room fireplace as you plan your days and relax. The master bedroom with king size bed and en suite bath is located on the main floor and has its own door to the porch and riverfront. Upstairs you will find three large bedrooms and another full bathroom. One has a queen bed, while the second has two queen beds, and finally a bedroom with twin beds. There is a full laundry (detergent included) on the main floor, as well as a half bath serving the common area. We provide high quality linens, bedding and towels as well as some basic amenities like bath wash, soaps and paper goods.
We also have a pack and play crib and high chair for the young ones, plus a baby gate for the stairs.
You will find the kitchen extremely well equipped with everything you need to cook for a crowd, including spices, oils and condiments. This home has all the major appliances you'd expect, plus small appliances such as blender, hand mixer, coffee grinder, toaster and 12-cup coffee maker. We even have kid friendly cups and plates. Enjoy grilling on the back patio with our propane BBQ. At this home you'll feel like you're in your own private oasis, yet you are still less than a 10 minute drive to your nearest restaurant just down the river at the Grizzly Bar and Grill.
This home is in an amazing area where the 3 the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming come together. Portions of Yellowstone National Park are in all 3 states. Whether your focus is visiting Yellowstone Park, fishing, kayaking, or area sightseeing, you'll be in a great home base to do it all! You can literally walk out the door to enjoy this wade-only section of the upper Madison River right in front of the home. This river section has great fishing holes and light riffles, with easily waded water. Or you can coordinate a guided float trip with put-in access less than a half mile away. This section of river is currently open to fishing all year round. You will need a Montana fishing license. Please check the fishing regulations and follow the guidelines.
The west entrance to Yellowstone Park can be reached in two different ways, and each is only a 35-minute drive. One route will take you past Quake Lake and Hebgen Lake. The other will take you past Henry's Lake. Either way, the scenery is gorgeous and breathtaking, and you'll see wildlife along the route!
Other nearby points of interest outside of Yellowstone Park include the Visitor's Center at historic Quake Lake, the old pioneer mining town of Virginia City (with shops that are set up with goods of the time and a miniature railroad to ride into town), Upper and Lower Mesa Falls (with a short but rigorous hike to the brink of the Upper Falls) and Harriman State Park (for fishing on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, horseback riding, and easy walking trails). Cliff and Wade lakes are quiet jewel-like mountain lakes that are only 10 miles from this home, with docks and crystal clear blue water that is great for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and fishing.
In 20 minutes you can zip into Island Park, ID for many attractions like golfing, the Big Springs, Henry's Lake and hundreds of miles of ATV and snowmobile trails. (ATVs, kayaks and snowmobiles can be rented in Island Park.) Henry's Lake is home to the Idaho state record winning trout and offers amazing fishing and recreation. Island Park has small grocery stores and many good restaurants.
West Yellowstone, MT is a sizeable town at the west entrance of Yellowstone Park. It has 2 large grocery stores, many nice shops and restaurants, a zip-line, an IMAX movie theatre, and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, with captive animals displayed safely in a natural habitat.
The historic town of Ennis, MT is just 40 minutes away to the northwest of this home. Here you can find many great restaurants, bars and shops. Be sure to stop in on your way to Virginia City (about 15 miles west of Ennis).
A note about your choices of vehicle and clothing: While this home is very easily accessible from 2 major two-lane highways (87 and 287), remember that you are visiting the Rocky Mountains. The driveway and short gravel access road to the house will be plowed of snow and are graded regularly, but we do recommend choosing a rental car appropriate for the season, weather and terrain in Montana. A 2WD vehicle will be fine most of the time, but 4WD and AWD vehicles are recommended during the snowy season which can begin as early as September all the way through June. Please be sure to check weather forecasts regularly. Weather in the mountains can be very dynamic and change quickly. People joke about experiencing all 4 seasons in one day once in a while. Keep various clothing layers and rain jackets handy while you are enjoying your outdoor activities, so you can always be safe and comfortable.
Please visit the Yellowstone National Park website to stay abreast of any temporary or seasonal road closures in the Park, and to take advantage of all the detailed info there about the many amazing park attractions, plus videos and helpful trip planning guides.
