By Abbie Digel
Located near the Storm Castle
trailhead and the popular limestone
climbing area Scorched Earth, Big
River Lodge is a 19-acre property
yearning for the chance to host
guests once again. This land, resting
just feet from the Gallatin River off
of Highway 191, is one of the most
versatile properties on the market,
says Branif Scott, a Broker for Pure
West in Big Sky.
It’s true, stated the current owners,
Debbie and Dallas Mavril, who reside
in L.A. but spent about 10 summers
running the lodge as a fishing, recreation
and corporate retreat. It was
easy, Debbie said, to run the lodge
in that location because, “It was all
about the guests… Everything they
needed, we provided for them.”
Dallas grew up spending summers
fishing in Ennis and wanted
to return to Montana after he and
Debbie married. Working in corporate
Los Angeles and commuting to
Montana in the summers, the Mavrils
ran and operated the Big River
Lodge as a young couple. They
purchased the Lodge in 1998, and
in 2000, after adding three cabins
behind the primary residence, they
hosted their first guests. “It truly
was a family run business,” said
Debbie.
Because of its close location to
Bozeman, Big Sky and Yellowstone
National Park, guests can enjoy a
variety of activities, but fly fishing
is the most popular draw because of
the neighboring river. At the edge
of National Forest land, the property
consisting of a main lodge, five cabins
and a conference building.
The Mavrils had a full staff working
at the Lodge who all lived on the property.
They had four chefs manning the
large kitchen serving healthy, gourmet
food in the spacious dining room.
Guests began their evenings sipping
cocktails around the fire on the heated
patio, and ended bundled in wool blankets
in the private, intimate family cabins.
Days were filled with large meals,
long hikes, jaunts to Yellowstone,
and hours in the spa.
The appeal of the Big River Lodge is
its timelessness and rustic luxury, but
most of all it’s the variety of guests the
Lodge can host. The Mavrils began
bringing friends, and once their own
family grew, they brought up to five
families with children who all had their
own private lodging between the cabins
and main lodge.
The Lodge was also a destination for
corporate retreats, hosting big names
like CNN, Sports Illustrated, PepsiCo,
Time Inc, ESPN, AOL and Taco Bell.
With its capacity for guests and separate
conference room, it’s also perfect for
groups such as veterans, Boy/Girl
Scouts or large family retreats.
The Big River Lodge is a turn-key property,
meaning it comes fully furnished
and ready to hit the ground running,
whether it be a business venture, commercial
lodge or family estate.
realestateofbigsky.com
Available for Purchase
Christie’s Great Estates | PureWest
Contact Branif Scott, Jason Parks or Ania Bulis
800-691-8251
