Red Pole Ranch

7/8/17 Avoid. Management is driving this beautiful place into the ground. The views and grounds were fantastic, and it’s a great location near Yellowstone and Cody. But we booked four cabins for our group of 20, and when we arrived, management had clearly double booked. We were two cabins short. The manager yelled at us belligerently. One family had to stay at the Super 8 in Cody for a night at $240. We were meant to be there for a week, but they flew back to Texas the next day because there were no vacancies anywhere. The cabins had no sheets or linens on the mattresses. My sister spent the afternoon cleaning and making the beds. There were flies, gnats, and spiders inside. We understood that guests had to take out their own trash, but towels weren’t restocked. As we were leaving, another family of 10 was banging on the office door, trying to reach the owner. She eventually came out. The man said he’d reserved two cabins and paid in full, but the manager told him there were no vacancies. When he asked for his money back, she said she could get it to him, but it would probably take a few days. The family left without their money. Avoid this place until something changes.

The view from our window was lovely, with the river and hills in the background. We only stayed one night on the way to Yellowstone, and I wish we’d had longer. Patty, the owner, was so nice. We arrived late at 23:30, and I worried we wouldn’t get our key. She’d taped it to the office door with a sweet note congratulating us on our wedding. She was even nicer when I spoke with her in the morning. The beds were very comfortable, the showers were amazing, and the cabin decor was charming. I’d highly recommend staying here.

There are lots of animals around, and the view is amazing at this wonderful place right by the state park. It’s a little far from Yellowstone park, but the views along the drive make the extra 40 minutes worthwhile. The host left an interesting book and cute animal toys in each room. I strongly recommend it!

I’ve been looking forward to seeing my brother again. I haven’t seen him since he was two, and we’re planning a wonderful, emotional reunion on Thanksgiving. I’d been calling lodges to find a cabin so he could get the full Western experience. People at several places were kind and tried to help me find somewhere still open this late in the season. My call to Red Pole lodge went very differently. The woman asked how many people, and when I said five, she was short with me and said they had nothing that could hold us. I started to ask if they had two cabins, but she interrupted to ask who was in the group. I said my husband, children, and brother. She cut me off again to ask if we had pets. I said I had a dog but we didn’t have to bring it. Before I could finish, she said they never take pets, said goodbye, and hung up while I was saying, “Wait a minute.” I tried calling back, but she never answered. I’ll never stay at this lodge, and I’ll make sure the Park County community knows how rude she was.