SW Montana- Maverick Mountain and Elk Horn Hot springs info

**fatnslow** · 11-27-2018, 03:48 PM

I'll be in SW Montana late December and thinking about staying a night at Elk Horn and a day of skiing at Maverick. Anyone here been to either place ? I have stayed at Jackson Hot Springs a few times and love the rustic/dumpy vibe. Looks like they are open again but the thought of taking a soak and skiing 4 miles away is pretty enticing.

**Bunion 2020** · 11-27-2018, 04:01 PM

About Maverick, a friends daughter and Son-in Law manage the place. Old school small area fun place when they have snow.

**mntlion** · 11-27-2018, 04:42 PM

limited snow, unlimited fun.

the lodge is old, creaky and had good BBQ ribs 15+ years ago

little areas that rock

**total_immortal** · 11-27-2018, 04:43 PM

I've been to both Jackson and Elk Horn. Elk Horn is definitely a little more "rustic/dumpy" than Jackson in my opinion, but it is located more in the mountains and it's not right off the highway so it feels more secluded. Haven't skied Maverick but it looks like a fun hill if they get snow.

**cloud cult** · 11-27-2018, 05:37 PM

I was Elkhorn last spring and it has been cleaned up a little, but not a lot. The cabins are better than they used to be, but that's not saying much.

Maverick is a stuck-in-amber sort of area--one of the last of its kind. Dogs in the parking lot, carpet on the walls in the basement and, because of the Patagonia outlet in Dillon, everyone is surprisingly well dressed. Very, very cool mountain and highly recommended, but not great skiing, per se. I met the owner in March and am happy to see it passed into what seem to be good and capable hands.

**yeahman** · 11-27-2018, 05:41 PM

I did an Elkhorn/Maverick weekend a couple years ago. Had a great time.

**fatnslow** · 11-27-2018, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by cloud cult

I was Elkhorn last spring and it has been cleaned up a little, but not a lot. The cabins are better than they used to be, but that's not saying much.

Maverick is a stuck-in-amber sort of area--one of the last of its kind. Dogs in the parking lot, carpet on the walls in the basement and, because of the Patagonia outlet in Dillon, everyone is surprisingly well dressed. Very, very cool mountain and highly recommended, but not great skiing, per se. I met the owner in March and am happy to see it passed into what seem to be good and capable hands.

Am I going to freeze to death staying in one of those cabins ? At least at Jackson they heat the rooms with the hot springs water. Not looking for a great "skiing" experience but i really enjoy a ski day at throw back places. I didn't think you could get much more rustic than Jackson, it shut down right after I was there last but it looks to have opened up again recently.

**Bunion 2020** · 11-27-2018, 06:32 PM

^^^ If you are in the hood and have never been and it is a Thursday and has been snowing, Lost Trail does NOT suck.

**bakershole** · 11-27-2018, 07:06 PM

When the snow is decent, a Lost Trail, Disco, Maverick loop can be a lot of fun.

**Buster Highmen** · 11-27-2018, 07:11 PM

hot springs there in Sula below LT too.

My info is dated on all those hot springs, but we called the Elkhorn the Funkhorn back in the Deer Lodge days.

**lifelinksplit** · 11-27-2018, 07:12 PM

Yeah I'd hit Jackson and lost trail over elkhorn and maverick. Have stayed and skied at both. I actually like maverick when there's snow since hardly anyone skis the trees. It's been awhile since I stayed at elk horns cabins and it was pretty dumpy even by my standards and I stay at a ton of forest service cabins and sleep in the truck a lot. We used to do it real cheap by doing a ski and stay at the grasshopper(still never sure when/if its open) when hitting maverick and then just soak after skiing. Also nice to just get on of the fireplace rooms at Jackson.

**RootSkier** · 11-28-2018, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

hot springs there in Sula below LT too.

a/k/a Lost Trail Lukewarm Springs.

Never been but my understanding is that they have been losing heat over the last few decades.

**Buster Highmen** · 11-28-2018, 12:13 PM

We stayed there and had a fine time, but that was 25+ years ago.

Huey Lewis owned Sleeping Child for years, then sold it and it went back public.

Now it's closed again?
It's a little further from LT.

There's another private springs Penny Cofrin owned in there, Medicine, don't know what it's state is.

**CountryFunk** · 11-28-2018, 12:27 PM

Ski Maverick, soak and dinner at Jackson, sleep at the Nez Perce in Wisdom, ski at Lost Trail the next day.

**Lexi-Bell** · 11-28-2018, 01:11 PM

Thread drift...

Sula Country Store in Sula Montana offers a killer package ski/stay/breakfast in some dated but clean cabins down the road from Lost Trail.

**fatnslow** · 11-28-2018, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by CountryFunk

Ski Maverick, soak and dinner at Jackson, sleep at the Nez Perce in Wisdom, ski at Lost Trail the next day.

I would love to do ALL the things listed in this thread but it's a long holiday week with family and kids so my time will be limited. Just sneaking out for a night, might not actually be able to even ski. Lost Trails is a fun hill from what I remember from 10 years ago and Disco is the go to for us when we're in MT. I always joke I'm buying a place in Anaconda for $50K, retire early and ski/golf/fish bum till I freeze to death from falling down in a snow bank walking home drunk form the Club Moderne.

**CountryFunk** · 11-28-2018, 03:40 PM

I get it. That's an itinerary for an entire down-home weekend, and a great one at that if conditions lined-up right. Maybe Plake and I could talk the wives into it.

It amazes me how many people have Club Moderne stories ...

**RootSkier** · 11-28-2018, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

Huey Lewis owned Sleeping Child for years, then sold it and it went back public.

Now it's closed again?
It's a little further from LT.

Do I have some news for you or what? https://www.vrbo.com/3486161ha

Only $1500/night which actually seems fairly reasonable considering it has like 14 en suite rooms and sleeps 20. It does, however, sound like the caretakers are on site or right nearby so the debauchery might have to be kept in check.