Historic Hungry Horse lodge has new name, new owners

The former Crooked Tree Motel in Hungry Horse has a new name and new owners. Today it is Beargrass Lodging and RV Resort. The new owners are Duane and Donna Byrd.

The Byrds bought the resort from Henry Broers in April.

It’s one of the oldest resorts in Hungry Horse. It was built in 1947 by Alvin and Margaret Nash, prior to the construction of the Hungry Horse Dam.

“We’ve worked really hard on upgrades,” said Duane Byrd during a tour last week. “We’ve freshened things up.”

The resort on Highway 2 has 12 rooms and 26 RV sites. It also has a pool that is currently undergoing renovations, Byrd said.

The attractive rooms have hardwood flooring and several units have full kitchens or kitchenettes with a mini-fridge and microwave.

The rooms are impeccable.

“We’re really big on cleaning,” Byrd said.

The resort has a gift shop full of Montana-made gifts and items.

The RV sites are treed and set away from the highway, making it a quiet place.

For the Byrds, it’s a homecoming. His family owned the first grocery store in Martin City decades ago. Duane owned and operated a KFC franchise for 30 years in Hayden, Idaho.

By selling the franchise, the couple were able to move back home. Donna is a registered nurse as well as helping out with the resort.

“She’s the brains, I’m the laborer,” Duane said with a laugh.

Duane was also the Belton Chalet manager for about five months prior to it being sold to Pursuit last year.

With coronavirus concerns, business dropped off at first, but people are returning now that Glacier National Park is partially reopened.

To learn more about the resort visit its website at beargrasslodging.com.