Tamaracks Resort, located in Seeley Lake (Montana) is the perfect outdoor getaway full of amazing winter things do like snowmobiling, skating, XC skiing, fat biking, and more!
We first stumbled upon the small town of Seeley Lake last summer on a road trip from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to Glacier National Parks. There was great camping, hiking, and boating here and it easily became a bucket list stop between Grand Teton and Glacier. We loved it so much, we decided to come back in the January and see all the adventures the area has to offer in winter.
In this blog, we are sharing all the great things you can do in winter at Seeley Lake and if you stay at Tamaracks Resort, most of these things can be done right from your front door.
Disclosure: Our experience at Tamaracks Resort was compensated to us free of charge in order to create this post however the opinions expressed in this blog are, and always will be, truly our own.
Where is Seeley Lake
While nearby winter destination, Whitefish Resort, is well-known to most outdoor lovers, very few people know about the magical, secluded nature haven of Seeley Lake.
Seeley Lake is located along highway 83, about an hour north of Missoula, Montana. Getting to Seeley is easy if you fly into either Missoula or Glacier International Airport in Kalispell because from either airport, it’s only an hour and a half drive.
Seeley Lake to Missoula, Montana
Driving timee: 1 hour via Highway 200 to Highway 83 North
Seeley Lake to Kalispell, Montana
Driving time: 1 hour 30 minute via Highway 35 to Highway 83 South
Where to Stay in Seeley Lake
Finding a destination where you can do so much from the front door is really what makes this a hidden gem. We were excited to team up with Tamaracks Resort in Seeley Lake to share with you our favorite things to do in the winter.
The owner, Jeff, as well as all the super friendly staff ,made our stay at Tamaracks Resort absolutely perfect and will be a trip we talk about for years to come.
Being from Southern California, we are total newbies to winter adventure. Sure we’ve gone skiing the past 3 seasons, but this was a completely different experience. I felt like a kid going to summer camp, except it was winter and my best friends were with me.
At one point we had two people fishing, two fat biking, two people ice skating, and one person in the cabin. The crazy thing is that we could all see each other and rotate between activities if we wanted.
At Tamaracks there are no excuses, you always have something fun you can do!
There is an adventure for everyone at Tamaracks Resort, so you don’t need to feel bad if you are a hardcore cyclist and your family is sitting inside with nothing to do because that won’t be the case.
Tips for Staying at Tamaracks Resort
Tamaracks Resort has grown to become the HIT spot to stay in the summertime.
At the time of writing this in January 2021, they’re already almost full booked for summer 2021 for both cabins and campsites!
It’s highly recommended that whether you want to stay at Seeley Lake this winter or next winter, you book your cabin ASAP! Their cabins are absolutely incredible and it’s not hard to see why they’re in such high demand!
Click here to browse winter cabins and book a stay.
What We Loved Most About Staying at Tamaracks Resort
On our last day, we had the opportunity to do yoga in Tamaracks’ winter spa, which also offers massages. It was a wonderful setting to do yoga and a perfect time to reflect on our adventures.
Yoga provides an opportunity to get in touch with your breath and figure out what is going on inside. What better opportunity to do so? We would encourage anyone to set up a private class or attend a class.
Yoga is for everyone and the class that we did gave us an opportunity to stretch out sore muscles and express some gratitude for our experiences.
The cabin was spacious and quaint, plus we had tea and coffee ready for after class. The massage room is everything you’d expect from a massage room with perfect ambiance and feng shui. Getting a massage while staying at Tamaracks would be the epitome of what we are always preaching move with intention and then practice good self-care
Related blog: Ski and Ride at Whitefish Resort
7 Winter Things to Do at Tamaracks Resort In Seeley Lake, Montana
1 | Snowmobiling in Seeley Lake
This was our first time to go snowmobiling and our entire family, even Danny who usually doesn’t love so much adrenaline, loved snowmobiling.
We started off at the trailhead. The staff at Tamaracks Resort brought the snowmobiles to the trailhead and off we went. There are dozens of well-marked trails that take you back into the Mission Mountains. We all had some experience riding quads but don’t let prior experience deter you, anyone can snowmobile.
You choose your own adventure when you rent these toys. I like anything that all of us can do at once. Most snowmobiles can carry two people and have plenty of horsepower to spike your adrenaline.
We loved stopping and taking pictures of the untouched landscape. The sky is the limit in this iconic area. You can rent snowmobiles to different locations and snowshoe or even backcountry ski. Or you can simply take a picnic out to have an amazing experience with someone you love. I’m also going to throw this one out there because I thought about it while staring at the mission mountains, but it would be an amazing place to propose.
We started off on trail L and headed up to the warming hut. I thought the best section was when you leave the warming hut and go west to incredible views of lakes and mountains.
2 | Winter Fat Biking
This was also our first time to go Fat Biking. We love mountain biking and so fat biking was a natural fit for us.
We had such an incredible time taking the fat bikes up the snowy forest service roads and around the groomed trails on the property at Tamaracks Resort
The bikes handled the snow beautifully and the gearing on the bikes is set up to climb anything. Dual suspension for impact absorption combined with 21 gear and composite frame make these bikes great for anything you’d like to throw at them.
You have a couple of options when you rent a fat bike at Tamaracks Resort. If you are new to MTB or Fat Biking you can have an amazing ride around the lake or the network of well-maintained trails around the property.
We chose to ride up one of the many fire access roads accessible from the resort. It was an amazing workout and provided even more connection with nature.
Haven’t ridden a fat bike? Fat bikes are mountain bikes with oversize tires, by adjusting the inflation you can impact the traction. The size of the tires and adjustability gives you the opportunity to ride a bike easily on snow.
3 | Cross Country Skiing
If you stay at Tamaracks Resort in Seeley Lake, you can rent cross-country skis at the resort and ski across the frozen lake.
Skiing on fresh corduroy is a great way to get into nature, have a great conversation with your friends, or laugh together while trying to learn.
Cross country skiing is fun for the whole family and unintimidating enough for everyone to try. If you are looking for a little more challenge there are endless nordic trails a mile from the resort that also double as fat biking trials.
Cross country skiing on flat, groomed trails is pretty easy to learn. If you can walk, you can cross country ski.
4 | Winter Snowshoeing
On the west side of Seeley Lake, on of the best winter things to do is snowshoeing the various fun trails. I can’t say enough about the diversity of activities on the resort property.
Snowshoeing gives you a chance to hike easier through the snow and get into untouched nature.
The blanket of fresh powder provides an amazing opportunity for nature viewing and photography.
The fresh footprints of all sorts of wildlife create opportunities to get in touch with your senses and provide beautiful learning opportunities for you and your children. Best of all, anyone can snowshoe!
5 | Ice Fishing
This was our first time going fishing and what an amazing experience we had. The staff at Tamaracks Resort was so helpful in getting us set up with 3 types of ice fishing.
Tamaracks provides ice fishing “in style”. They set up a warming hut with chairs, a propane heater, and a cleaning station.
We are an extremely active family and haven’t spent too much time fishing but it provided a perfect balance for all our activities.
I guess growing up without fishing we didn’t realize it’s more about the process of connecting with nature and calming your soul.
We get it now and it was awesome to feed the family from Jiraiya’s first catch!
We didn’t have much luck with the first day, but on our second day, our son Jiraiya caught a huge pike that fed the entire family that night. The experience of catching this prehistoric looking fish was great. Jiraiya was so proud to put dinner on the table.
It’s always great as a parent to see that persistence pays off. You can say it all the time but when your kids live it, the lesson won’t soon be forgotten.
Jeff, the owner at Tamaracks Resort, was awesome! He helped us clean our first catch and taught us how to clean it ourselves for the next time.
If you’ve never tried ice fishing it’s definitely something you need to try.
6 | Ice Skating on Seeley Lake
Location, location, location. How can you go wrong ice skating right next to the ice hut with views like this of the mountains?!
While some of the family was fishing, others had the opportunity to go have fun learning how to ice skate.
Skating on a lake can be a bumpy prospect but it’s well worth it to experience skating on an actual lake.
7 | Campfire under the Stars
No winter experience at Tamaracks Resort is complete without having a campfire overlooking the frozen lake.
One of the best nights we had was when Tamaracks Resort set us up with a campfire overlooking Seeley Lake complete with smores.
We have had many campfires through our travels, but never a campfire surrounded by snow on a frozen lake.
Victor got the fire going good and hot and we came out to watch the stars and enjoy great conversation. Isabelle got out the guitar and we sang along to our favorite tunes.
If this sounds like it’s too good to be true that because it will feel like it. At Tamaracks Resort you feel like you are being treated like family and because of that, you can unwind like this is your own little slice of serenity.
Book your stay now at Tamaracks Resort and start making some unforgettable winter memories!
Hope this inspired your next winter getaway! If you have questions about winter in Seeley Lake or staying at Tamaracks Resort, please let us know in the comments below!
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- Grand Teton to Glacier National Park Road Trip
- Ski + Ride Whitefish Resort
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- 25 Things to do in Colorado in the Winter (Besides Ski)
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