Whitefish Bike Retreat
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Press Dirt

Welcome To Our Press Room!

You made it. Congrats! Here you will find (almost) everything you need to get started on your way to a compelling story about one of the most unique lodging options devoted to cyclists.
Below you will find:
  • Contact Info
  • Bike Retreat Stats
  • How it all started
  • Amenities
  • Notable Media Mentions
  • Local Trail Networks
  • Downloadable Images​

Interested in a visit?

We would love to have you come for a visit. The Whitefish Bike Retreat is happy to offer media accommodations for selected journalists, based on availability. If you are interested, please contact Catherine Dean or Nicole Jefferson at info@whitefishbikeretreat.com. 

Interview Requests

If you're interested in chatting with Catherine or Nicole for an interview to accompany a piece about the Whitefish Bike Retreat, please contact her at info@whitefishbikeretreat.com. 
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Contact Info

Owner: Ron and Catherine Dean
Phone: 406.260.0274
Email: info@whitefishbikeretreat.com
Web: www.whitefishbikeretreat.com
Address: 855 Beaver Lake Road, Whitefish, MT 59937

Quick Stats

  • Opened in Spring 2013
  • Total Size: 20 Acres
  • 4,500 sq/ft Lodge Building with 6 rooms and 15 total beds (sleeps 17), kitchen, bathroom facilities, common area
  • Campground with 8 sites, 1 Ride-in campsite for touring cyclists and bathhouse
  • Office Building with camp store

How it all started

Originally from South Carolina, Cricket Butler is still a southern girl at heart and in spirit. She fell in love with the Whitefish area 25 years prior to moving here in 2012 and always knew this was the place she wanted to call home and raise her sons. Having spent many years in her 20s completing long distance canoeing, adventure races, mountaineering routes and thru-hikes (including the 2,659-mile Pacific Crest Trail and the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail twice), all that activity did a number on her knees. After a few surgeries, Cricket found mountain biking to replace her long distance hiking addiction and a new addiction, bikepacking, was discovered!

She immersed herself into the world of bikepacking and self-supported long distance racing, competing in as many long-distance bike racing events she could find. After touring the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route for her 40th birthday, Cricket decided to enter a race along that route the following year. Spanning 2,768 miles and nearly 200,000 vertical feet of climbing along the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico, this route has developed a cult following amongst fellow riders that enjoy pushing themselves to their absolute limits. In total, Cricket has raced the Tour Divide three times, with a win in the Women’s Division in 2010, and has toured the route another two times. Through these five trips, Cricket has tallied nearly 1 million vertical feet of climbing over 13,840 miles, no small feat for someone who didn’t even discover mountain biking until later in life.

The Whitefish Bike Retreat had no organized plan. According to Cricket, “It created itself. Sometimes things just drive you that you do not understand, but if you have the strength to follow those desires, anything is possible.”  Once Cricket landed in Whitefish and racing was no longer her focus, she knew she needed to find a job and a place to live. She discovered a piece of property bordering the Whitefish Trail and she was determined to find a way to acquire it. That’s where the idea of the Whitefish Bike Retreat was born!

Whitefish is located at an intersection of three major cross country bikepacking routes, and Cricket saw the need for a place that was affordable and supportive of cyclists. She wanted a place where she could give back to all of those amazing, generous people who supported and took care of her over the years when she had been racing and touring. This inspiration led her to create a place where cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts could come together and enjoy the best of what Montana has to offer while having access to the information and support they needed to get the most out of their visit. This dream resulted in the opening of the Whitefish Bike Retreat in 2013. 

The Lodge

Room Types and 2022 Rates 
  • Private Queen ($140) - 2 rooms
  • Private Double Twin ($140)  - 1 room
  • Private Triple Twin ($180) - 1 room
  • Single Bunk In Shared Bunk Rooms ($60) - 2 rooms,
  • Private Bunk Room ($240- 4 twin beds in each room) - 2 rooms
​Lodge Amenities:
  • Communal kitchen space
  • Custom blend coffee from Montana Coffee Traders
  • Shower facilities w/ towels/shampoo/conditioner/soap/hairdryers
  • Laundry machines w/ soap
  • Linens provided for all rooms
  • Common indoor area with tables, couches, television
  • Free WiFi
  • Common outdoor area with fire pit, gas grill, picnic tables, hammock
  • Cell service available near office
  • ​Wood-Fire Sauna
  • Secure Indoor Bike Storage
  • Bike wash stations
  • Bike work shop with tools, lube, bike stands
  • Parking

The Campground

Rates and Season:
  • ​Open May 1 to September 30
  • Campsites: 8
  • 1 Ride-In Campsite for up to 4 riders - available for riders riding into the WBR (no turn away policy) ($25/Person)
  • Cost: $50 per site (max 4 guests per site)
Campground Amenities:
  • Bike wash station
  • Basic tools and bike work stand
  • Bathhouse with running water, toilets, food storage  and hot showers (bring your own soap and towels)
  • Laundry available ($10 laundry fee - must checkin with Office Staff for availability)
  • Cell service available near office
  • Dog friendly
  • Picnic area
  • Free WiFi
  • Parking
  • Campsites can accommodate 20-25ft trailers (no generators except with permission from Office Staff during the day)
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General Bike Retreat Amenities

  • Secure receiving and storage to ship bikes/gear to the retreat
  • Hound hostel dog kennels - free for overnight use; day use charges apply
  • Bike skills area (jumps, wooden features, berms, rock garden and logs
  • Pump track
  • Property bike trails
  • 9-hole disc golf course (under reconfiguration- 2022)
  • Ridge Deck
  • Local trail information - Let us help you find a great local ride
  • Cell service available near office
  • ​Winter - Groomed Fat Bike Trails

Other Services

  • ​Shuttle Service - to/from Glacier Int’l Airport (FCA); Whitefish Amtrak Station; City of Whitefish; Custom. Custom shuttles available for pickup and/or drop-off for multi-day bikepacking trips. Scheduled Banff Shuttles available for summer season.  Scheduled Local Ride Shuttles to some local favorite trails available for summer/fall seasons.
  • Camp Store w/ clothing, snacks, nutrition, bikepacking bags, essential items, Beer and Wine
  • Bike Rentals - Kona hardtail 29’ers, Kona full suspension, and Kona fat bikes for half and full-day rental; adult and youth sizes available for summer season. Winter fat bike rentals available - MUST CALL to reserve.
  • Paddleboard Rentals
  • Bikepacking Bags - Oveja Negra bikepacking bags available for sale and rental.

Local Trail Networks

Mountain Bike Trails:
  • The Whitefish Trail - Immediate access to 36+ miles of trail right from the Whitefish Bike Retreat
  • Spencer Mountain - 13 miles of wooded singletrack freeride trails
  • Whitefish Mountain Resort - 30 miles of lift-accessible trail
  • Pig Farms - 47 miles of wooded singletrack
  • Tally Lake Area Trail - 115 miles of single and doubletrack trail
  • Alpine Trail #7 - 50+ miles of jaw-dropping high alpine trail
  • Herron Park - 25 miles of singletrack
  • Lone Pine State Park - 7.5 miles of singletrack
  • Fernie, B.C. - hundreds of miles of world-class trail
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road - in Glacier National Park (paved)
  • Many other dirt and road options available
ACA Routes: The Whitefish Bike Retreat sits adjacent to three ACA bicycle touring routes and makes a great rest spot.
  • Great Divide Route - 2,768 miles
  • Northern Tier Route - 4,295 miles
  • Great Parks Route - 2,519 miles
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Special Events

Partial or entire facility rentals are available. Please call us at 406.260.0274 for more info.
  • Weddings
  • Retreats, Gatherings and Family Reunions
  • Product Launches (Salsa Cutthroat launch)
  • Photoshoots (Private Property Requiring No Special Permitting)
  • Team Events
  • ​Group Events
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Notable Media Mentions

  • Outside Bozeman Online - Weekender Retreat To The North - Fall Mountain Biking In Whitefish (October 2018)
  • Glacier Country Blog - Destination Adventure With Whitefish Bike Retreat (March 2018)
  • The Path Less Pedaled - Going-To-The Sun Video (June 2017)
  • The Path Less Pedaled - Shop Visit (June 2017)
  • Outside Online - For the Love of Bikes and Camping in Northwest Montana (August 2016)
  • Outside Magazine Buyer’s Guide - Destinations: Whitefish (Summer 2016)
  • RoamRydes.com - Episode 9 (March 2016)
  • MTBVT.com (October 2015)
  • Big Sky Outdoors (September 2015)
  • Men’s Journal - On Tap: Montana (Sept 2015)
  • Singletracks.com - 8 Must-Visit Mountain Bike Getaway Resorts (August 2015)
  • Hike Bike Travel - A Mountain Biker’s Paradise (May 2015)
  • Blister Gear Review (November 2014)
  • The Daily Inter Lake - Fat and happy: Cycling becomes a new winter sport (February 2014)
  • Pinkbike - Destinations (November 2013)
  • FreeHub Online - The Whitefish Bike Retreat, Montana’s First and Only (October 2013)
  • Flathead Beacon - Oasis in the Woods (August 2013)
  • FreeHub Magazine - A Trail Runs Through It (Fall 2013)
  • Women’s Adventure Magazine - Bike Packing (Summer 2013)

Image Galleries

We have a selection of high resolution photos available for media use. To get access, please contact us at info@whitefishbikeretreat.com.

For custom image requests, please contact us at info@whitefishbikeretreat.com.

Location

 Click Address for Directions
​ 855 Beaver Lake Road
Whitefish, MT 59937
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Book Now

Contact Us

406-260-0274
info@whitefishbikeretreat.com

Quick Links

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Directions & Contact Info
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Press Room
  • Home
  • The Facility
    • Blackout Dates 2023
    • COVID-19 Guidlelines
    • Our Story
    • Accommodations >
      • Lodge
      • WBR Cabin
      • Campground
    • Shuttles >
      • Banff Scheduled Shuttles
      • Local Shuttles
      • Glacier Park Shuttles
      • Custom Shuttles
    • Retreat Activities
    • Area Activities
    • Bike Amenities
    • Rentals & Other Services
    • Testimonials
    • Blog
    • In The News
    • Property Map
  • SUMMER ACTIVITIES
    • Kids Days, Spencer Skills Days, Guided Tours, Lessons >
      • Instructors/Guides
      • Guided Mountain Biking
      • Private and Group Lessons
      • Kids Days
      • Spencer Skills Days
    • Dual Sport-ADV Riders
  • WINTER ACTIVITIES
    • Snowboarding, Skiing, Snowshoeing & Snowmobiling
    • Winter Fat BIking >
      • Winter Gear Hunt
      • Fat Biking Information
  • Local Trails
    • Mountain Bike Trails >
      • Whitefish
      • Flathead Valley
      • Glacier National Park
    • ACA Bike Touring Routes
    • Whitefish Tamarack Forest Loop
    • Red Meadow Pass Loop
    • Western Wildlands Route
    • Road Biking Routes
    • Trip Ideas
  • Events
    • Weddings
    • Retreats & Corporate Events
    • Event Request
    • Upcoming Events
  • CONTACT
    • Directions & Contact Info
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Release Waiver
    • Sponsors & Partners
    • Employment
    • Press Room
  • Book Now
  • New Page