Inspired Living Finds Home in Red Lodge, Montana

In Red Lodge, Montana http://www.cityofredlodge.com/ (pop. 2,500), next-door neighbor to America’s oldest national park, growing families and retiring baby boomers are settling into second homes and year-round mountain living amid pristine wilderness and an unspoiled pocket of small-town America, with surprising access to urban amenities.

Make no mistake, Red Lodge is a real town, the real home of real Montanans and a thriving local economy. Locals still gather at main street cafes, mingle with newcomers in outdoor pursuits including fishing, downhill and cross-country skiing, stream and lake fishing, climbing, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, rafting, and golf, flock to the July 4 rodeo and summer Festival of Nations, and labor through the annual Peaks to Prairie Triathlon. They enjoy fine dining, including award-winning meals at The Pollard, in a restored 1890s hotel and the “Mountain Cuisine” of Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen and Wine Bar. Red Lodge has the most restaurants per capita of any Montana community.

In natural amenities, the Red Lodge area is richly endowed. The Beartooth Mountains, among the nation’s most rugged, soar to nearly 13,000 feet. The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness serves as a million-acre wilderness backyard. From atop the scenic Beartooth Highway, dubbed by Charles Kuralt the “most scenic drive in America,” summer motorists enjoy an alpine landscape and views of three national forests on the path into Yellowstone National Park. The Red Lodge Mountain ski area boasts a 2,400-foot vertical drop and two high speed quad lifts.

“Red Lodge is a rare gem in the lower 48 states,” says Russ Squire, developer of The Spires, a 120-acre neighborhood under construction next to the 18-hole Red Lodge Golf Course. “There aren’t many places like it where regular folks haven’t been priced out. Unmatched even elsewhere in Montana is Red Lodge’s mix of scenery, recreation, services, affordability, and real community.

Not resting on its natural laurels, Red Lodge is a town on the rise. Improving on nature, the community is investing $9.5 million in its K-12 public schools and $25 million in a 13-acre healthcare complex featuring a hospital, clinic, and three levels of long-term care. The clinic will be affiliated with a 200-physician, nationally recognized integrated care organization based in the regional medical center of Billings, Montana (pop. 90,000), just 60 miles to the northeast.

Just outside of town, the Beartooth Nature Center has plans for a 13-acre “green building” expansion to continue its mission of caring for native animals unable to return to the wild. Possible co-tenants at with the expanded center are a subdivision, resort, and national laboratory.

Private investment is booming, too, with area residents buying second homes in Red Lodge, joining a growing number of part-time and full-time newcomers. On the move are homes and lots in existing and new subdivisions, in-town bungalows, small miners’ homes built around turn of the century, luxury condos, and a smattering of coveted Victorians. The Spires offers Montana residents the opportunity to purchase moderately priced lots and units near tremendous recreation with views of three of Montana’s highest peaks. The 120 acre development has nearly 20 acres of dedicated park space, one of which is a 12 acre park with a Spring Creek and community center, and 3 miles of trails, including one trail that links to Highway 212 where residents can literally walk to fish Rock Creek.

As 20 year resident Jim Kadous of Coal Creek Realty says, “Nothing of the quality level of The Spires has been attempted here and we expect their sustainable designs, energy efficiency, low maintenance materials, and tremendous location to attract a lot of attention for second home buyers and retiree’s alike.”

Private planes can land at the Red Lodge airport, and Billings is Montana’s only international airport and boasts some of the best fare prices statewide. Montana’s largest city, Billings provides urban amenities including shopping, a new minor league ballpark (open for the 2008 season), a water park, Montana State University-Billings, Rocky Mountain College, and thriving enterprises in healthcare, financial services, and computing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Judy Chapman, 406-252-8770 ext 121

Additional Red Lodge contacts:

Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen and Wine Bar
Peter Christ
Box 2200
Red Lodge, MT 59068-2200
406 446-9900

Jim Kadous
Coal Creek Realty
15 N. Broadway
Box 1310
Red Lodge, MT 59068
406 446-2266

Russ Squire
The Spires
P.O. Box 1310
Red Lodge, MT 59068
406 425-2742 (cell)
406 446-2266 (office)

Kent Burgess
St Johns Lutheran Home
3940 Rimrock Road
Billings, MT 59102
406655-5600

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Preserving Red Lodge: Mountain town working to stay on top of growth http://matr.net/article-24967.html