Alternatives to Togwotee?

[Sleddingfarmer]

It’s been almost 10 yrs since my group and I have been out west. We are coming back this coming winter, we’ve always done a week at Togwotee for the ease and simplicity since we fly in and rent. However looking at pricing from this past winter there was more sticker shock than we already expected.

Just looking for some other options that kinda have an all inclusive type package similar to Tog and we can ride from right out the door without renting a vehicle/trailer. If it matters we’d probably be out early to mid February.

We enjoy the terrain around Tog and if we end up somewhere else would like it to be similar. Limited research so far has yielded west Yellowstone/island park, beaver creek in N. Utah and perhaps rocking M in Alpine. One of the guys has a family member that lives and works at a place in steamboat springs.

Would love any suggestions. Thanks

 

[stahlecker]

Steamboat Lake Outpost has cabins and Polaris rental sleds. West Yellowstone has several rental places and a bunch of lodging options. I haven't ridden Togwotee area yet but have enjoyed Steamboat and West. I'd probably recommend West as the better option. More rental and lodging available. I also enjoyed having places to get a hot meal while out riding.

 

[christopher]

It’s been almost 10 yrs since my group and I have been out west. We are coming back this coming winter, we’ve always done a week at Togwotee for the ease and simplicity since we fly in and rent. However looking at pricing from this past winter there was more sticker shock than we already expected.

Just looking for some other options that kinda have an all inclusive type package similar to Tog and we can ride from right out the door without renting a vehicle/trailer. If it matters we’d probably be out early to mid February.

We enjoy the terrain around Tog and if we end up somewhere else would like it to be similar. Limited research so far has yielded west Yellowstone/island park, beaver creek in N. Utah and perhaps rocking M in Alpine. One of the guys has a family member that lives and works at a place in steamboat springs.

Would love any suggestions. Thanks

If it's been TEN YEARS since the last time you were at the Togwotee Lodge, you will be in for a BRUTAL wakeup call.
It ain't the same place at all.

The riding in and around Tog are great when the snow is good.
But the facilities just aren't as much "FUN" as they were a decade ago.

Long Gone are the Jacuzzis for the group soak after a long cold ride.

Gone are the Fireplaces in the cabins

Gone is the great big fireplace in the main lodge down in the pit

The bar is still solid and the restaurant has been totally over hauled and rebuilt.

We still go once in a while, but it just has a different "Vibe" than it used to have in the past..

===

As for West Yellowstone.
There is no comparable lodge in West or Island Park.
You will be staying in something much more commercial Motel/Hotel.
But..
There is great Ride In and Ride Out, and the surrounding mountains offer some excellent varied riding every bit as good and often far better than Tog.

 

[gonehuntnpowder]

Sadly enough Togwotee Mountain Lodge is nothing like it used to be. It used to be the PREMIER snowmobile lodge on the Rocky Mountain West. These days the rooms are beat down and the service is marginal as best. This year would have been the 10th in a row there. We are trying to figure out where to go this year.

 

[Betterview]

Crooked Creek Guest Ranch or the Lineshack on Union Pass Road near Dubois Wyoming are good options. They both have gas and food and bar. Are less than a mile from each other. There are sled rentals available, They are on the Continental Divide trail and are about 50 miles South and East of Togwotee by trails.
There are also some very nice VRBO Rental Properties in and near the Crooked Creek subdivision. Easy acess to the Togwotee and Brooks Lake riding areas, but very gooding riding right near there and further South with far less trafic.

 

[christopher]

Sadly enough Togwotee Mountain Lodge is nothing like it used to be. It used to be the PREMIER snowmobile lodge on the Rocky Mountain West. These days the rooms are beat down and the service is marginal as best. This year would have been the 10th in a row there. We are trying to figure out where to go this year.

Sad but true.
for me its all about the CURRENT OWNERSHIP..

 

[Cinno]

Crooked Creek Guest Ranch or the Lineshack on Union Pass Road near Dubois Wyoming are good options. They both have gas and food and bar. Are less than a mile from each other. There are sled rentals available, They are on the Continental Divide trail and are about 50 miles South and East of Togwotee by trails.
There are also some very nice VRBO Rental Properties in and near the Crooked Creek subdivision. Easy acess to the Togwotee and Brooks Lake riding areas, but very gooding riding right near there and further South with far less trafic.

I second the union pass area. Been there the last two years. We stayed at a VRBO. Ate at the Crooked Creek Ranch several times and it was great. Mostly back country meadows and trees which we like more than straight up hill climbing.

Cinno

 

[Sleddingfarmer]

Thanks for the replies so far.
That’s disappointing but not surprising to hear the change in Tog after being bought out whenever that was.
My gf and I were there early sept of 19 but it was slow and we only spent a day on a SXS but didn’t notice much change.
Spent a little more time last night looking and certainly I’m liking what I see for the w. Yellowstone and island park areas.
Thanks

 

[christopher]

Thanks for the replies so far.
That’s disappointing but not surprising to hear the change in Tog after being bought out whenever that was.
My gf and I were there early sept of 19 but it was slow and we only spent a day on a SXS but didn’t notice much change.
Spent a little more time last night looking and certainly I’m liking what I see for the w. Yellowstone and island park areas.
Thanks

If we have decent snow, then its hard to beat the riding that WY and IP have to offer you.
Hotels, Motels, and Cabins Galore!.

 

[Trashy]

If you don’t mind going a little further west and a bit north, you could check out grizzly lodge in BC. It’s pretty unique. You can fly in and rent, the lodge is remotely located up in the mountains.

 

[JH@CM]

Depending on timing of your trip window, there are many options besides Togwotee Lodge. Everyone is right, it's not the same since Aramark bought the lodge.

If you do love riding the Togwotee zone, lots of lodging options exist as mentioned including many toward Dubois and Brooks Lake Lodge.

One of the challenges of the continental snowpack and typical weather patterns of the Tog zone is that during mid winter, there's often a lot less snowfall than in other nearby zones like IP/West, Alpine/Afton, etc. This also breeds challenges for slope stability with persistent slabs on compelling aspects/elevations.

Depending on your group's skills/sleds/fitness there are many other good places to ride. You mentioned Steamboat, there's also Grand Mesa in Colorado at high elevation that usually gets good snow. If you need rentals, want to fly, and prefer to be guided in a new area that narrows things a bit but there are tons of options there too. Sahen Skinner and Dan Adams run great operations in Alpine and Afton.

Good time to be planning as the summer heat is on!

 

[christopher]

If you don’t mind going a little further west and a bit north, you could check out grizzly lodge in BC. It’s pretty unique. You can fly in and rent, the lodge is remotely located up in the mountains.

A LITTLE BIT????????
Dude, that was the UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY!

But aside from that fact that its in a foreign country, it IS A FANTASTIC DESTINATION.

IF you are able to get a reservation!!!!!!!!!!

Home - Grizzly Lodge

No crowds, no nonsense. just great backcountry snowmobiling. Canada's true backcountry lodge for the snowmobiling community.

grizzlylodge.ca

 

[Trashy]

Might be 90 mins further. They’re flying.

 

[gonehuntnpowder]

I want to be able to leave the lodge on the sleds, but we always take tools, parts, extra sleds so we can’t ride in. I stayed years ago on Union Pass. That was good. More trail ride than Togwotee. For part of out group Island Park/West Yellowstone is local, but I still think that is where we are gonna go.

 

[thomasfrank]

It’s been almost 10 yrs since my group and I have been out west. We are coming back this coming winter, we’ve always done a Slope Game week at Togwotee for the ease and simplicity since we fly in and rent. However looking at pricing from this past winter there was more sticker shock than we already expected.

Just looking for some other options that kinda have an all inclusive type package similar to Tog and we can ride from right out the door without renting a vehicle/trailer. If it matters we’d probably be out early to mid February.

We enjoy the terrain around Tog and if we end up somewhere else would like it to be similar. Limited research so far has yielded west Yellowstone/island park, beaver creek in N. Utah and perhaps rocking M in Alpine. One of the guys has a family member that lives and works at a place in steamboat springs.

Would love any suggestions. Thanks

If you're open to a bit more of a drive, consider Snowbasin or Powder Mountain in Utah. Both offer fantastic terrain, and while they might not have the same level of convenience as Togwotee, they could be worth considering for the potential savings and different riding experience.

 

[boondocker97]

You'll ride a lot more trail getting in/out of town in West Yellowstone than at Togwotee. And it's ROUGH from the tourist renters pounding it!

 

[MI1M600EFI]

You do have to do some trial riding, but I'll second Island Park and West Yellowstone as a good ride locations because they're fairly group friendly, with a couple restaurants and bars to hang out in as well. You can fly into Bozeman or perhaps Idaho Falls...
My group usually rents a house through VRBO so we can all be together. There are several rental outfits in West and IP. We've had good luck renting (and buying) from Highmark if they're still in business. If you haven't been in the park in the winter, I recommend a day trip on a snow coach of some kind. The snowmobile tours are painfully slow and there were a lot of "issues" on the rides my friends have gone on, delaying things further... The vans get you to the sights without drama, and don't make you depressed to be riding a snowmobile with a group of non-snowmobilers, many of whom have physical and mental health issues...

We also ride Alpine WY which could work if you drive from SLC.
Dubois has a few options as others pointed out, and an AWESOME military vehicle museum for a mid-week break when everyone is tired...
Snowies is still my favorite riding area. I think you can stay and rent from the Albany Lodge...

 

[turbo800]

It’s been almost 10 yrs since my group and I have been out west. We are coming back this coming winter, we’ve always done a week at Togwotee for the ease and simplicity since we fly in and rent. However looking at pricing from this past winter there was more sticker shock than we already expected.

Just looking for some other options that kinda have an all inclusive type package similar to Tog and we can ride from right out the door without renting a vehicle/trailer. If it matters we’d probably be out early to mid February.

We enjoy the terrain around Tog and if we end up somewhere else would like it to be similar. Limited research so far has yielded west Yellowstone/island park, beaver creek in N. Utah and perhaps rocking M in Alpine. One of the guys has a family member that lives and works at a place in steamboat springs.

Would love any suggestions. Thanks

If you love the terrain of Tog, you'll love the terrain near Beaver Creek Lodge. Meadows, Hills, Drainages, groomed trails.
It's local to me, we ride that terrain in different spots every weekend.
There a couple of places to eat close in Bear Lake (10 min) during the winter, but most close down after summer.
Lots of places to eat in Logan, which is only 30-40 min down out of the canyon.
Not sure how many rooms are at the Lodge, but its big. Ride in, ride out.
Sometimes you'll see Bret Rasmussen's big trailer parked there, doing riding clinics.