Seniors Enjoy A Weekend In Red Lodge

Red Lodge, the county seat of Carbon County, Montana, seniors discover, is part of the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population runs just over 2,100. Red Lodge was originally a coal boomtown with as many as 22 mines and thus the name Carbon County.

 Senior visitors are invited to Red Lodge and the locals advertise that you must come see for yourself. Any time of year, Red Lodge is the perfect getaway. The Red Lodge Homepage notes that the town is tucked into a mountain valley between glaciers and plains.

This unique community blends a love for the Great Outdoors with a strong spirit of hospitality and open friendliness.

Nearby, the 69-mile Beartooth Scenic Drive has a series of dramatic switchbacks overlooking snow-capped peaks, glaciers, alpine lakes and plateaus. CBS news correspondent Charles Kuralt called the Beartooth Pass the most scenic drive in America.

 Seniors Seek Out Scenic Hiking/Biking Trails

I counted five parks in Red Lodge so bring along your picnic basket and enjoy great scenery in all directions. Senior hikers, pack some good hiking boots or your bike and take the Rocky Fork Trail. For the only groomed trails in the area, check out Red Lodge Nordic Center, located west of Red Lodge on Highway 78. Over 15K of trails are laid out to take advantage of the inspiring views and easy-going nature of the terrain.

Broadway Avenue in Red Lodge is a focal point of the community’s strong identity. The Pollard is a magnificently restored old town building in the heart of Red Lodge, where senior visitors enjoy traditional mountain hospitality and a number of top-quality hotel luxuries. Red Lodge is loaded with year-round festivities that bring in visitors from all over the world.

The city is full of amenities for folks of all ages, especially for those of us who crave the great outdoors. Spend a few hours in the Red Lodge Carnegie Library that has a collection of 12,000 books and periodicals.

Seniors Drawn to Old West History

And for those of us who enjoy old west history, Carbon County Historical Society and Museum  has as its mission to preserve and communicate the history of the Carbon County area.

Red Lodge Mountain is close by for skiers. The Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary, formerly Beartooth Nature Center, is an educational adventure for the whole family where wild animal sightings are guaranteed. You can get up close and personal with over 60 rescued wild animals.

So set your GPS for Red Lodge and enjoy a town unlike many others in the Old West. It is in Red Lodge where visitors can experience true western hospitality in a quaint, historic, mountain town.  -jeb