Craig Lodging

FLY FISHING ACCOMMODATIONS on the MISSOURI RIVER, MONTANA

Headhunters and Craig Lodging manage the best selection of vacation rentals on the Missouri River near Craig, Montana, including the towns of Wolf Creek and Cascade. If you are planning a trip to fish the Missouri River below Holter Dam, you will find the most comprehensive list of accommodations here. Our booking manager Julie Arnold (right) is beyond familiar with all of the area options, and will help groups small and large get situated for a night - or a week - on the Missouri River. Julie also handles all of the booking for our guided fly fishing trips, so you can take of both needs in one call if you’re looking for guides and lodging.

Contact Julie at 1-406-235-1300 oremail Julie here

the Craig Trout Camp

At Headhunters, you’ll find the Craig Trout Camp, one of the most popular lodging options on the river. Consisting of 5 two person cabins, the funky Sutton Place for 4-5 trout bums, and the spacious Craig House for groups of 4 to 6, the Trout Camp puts you right in the center of Craig where you can hang out in fly shops, enjoy an apres’ fishing cocktail with your guides, and interact with the Craiglandia fly fishing community.

Looking for a riverfront property?

If you like to enjoy a few casts before bed, or maybe want to watch the evening risers while you enjoy a cigar, a riverfront cabin is many folks ideal spot. We have several riverfront options, some of which offer great views, and some that provide good wade fishing.

Stay in the town of Craig

Some folks want a quiet spot in the trees, and others want to be right in the action. Staying in the village of Craig allows you to park your vehicle for the week, and use you feet to explore fly shops, bars & restaurants, meet your guide and socialize with the incredible Craig fly fishing community.

Properties that are Pet Friendly!

Plenty of our guests bring their Dog with them when visiting Craiglandia. While not all of our properties are pet friendly, several of them are. You will need to pay a deposit or extra fee, but isn’t it worth it for Spot? Below is a list of places that allow pets.

I’m not a Chef, but I play one on fishing trips.

Many folks prefer accommodations with a full kitchen so they can cook their own meals. This is especially true during the off season when many restaurants have limited hours or are closed completely. Not all rentals have cooking facilities, so check ahead.

FAQ’s

  • All check-ins are at Headhunters at 145 Bridge Street, Craig MT. Most folks also pick up a free map of the area, and get the latest fishing intel from our staff.

  • No. Our check in time is 4:00pm, and our check out time is 10:00am. We simply are too busy and do not have the staff to accommodate late early and late times. IF you leave your bags in the room after check out time and go fishing - you will be charged for an extra day.

  • If you will be arriving late, give Headhunters a call (406-235-3447) and let us know so we can leave an envelope with directions and entry instructions on the front door of our shop. This is very common, so don't worry.

  • All of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Fishing Access Sites (FAS) have camp sites and vault toilets.

    The BLM Boat Launch & Campground right below Holter Dam is a great campsite, but also has no hook-ups.

    There are 4 private RV Campgrounds with full hookups and other amenities: Wagner Creek RV 406-235-4047 | Canyon RV 406-468-0000 | Prewett Creek RV 406-788-5360 www.prewettcreekrv.com | 7R Guest Ranch 406-235-4207 www.7rguestranchllc.com.

  • Not really. There's a couple of small hotels or "hotel style" accommodations, but no big chain hotels. Great Falls and Helena have a wide variety of Hotel chains, and - by Montana standards - are a short drive from Craig.

  • Because we represent a variety of different owned and managed lodging options, we don't offer online booking. We do - however - answer the phone at all hours if needed, and Julie is famous for her prompt replies to voicemails, texts and emails. We do prefer it if you call us between 8am and 8pm Mountain time.

  • We do not take new bookings more than a year in advance. We do this so clients that stay at a place one year have the opportunity to rebook the same days for the following year. We give the current clients one week from the time they check out to rebook for the next year. If the client does not rebook, that place is then available for other clients to book.

  • In a word, no. There is solid cellular service from Wolf Creek to about a mile south of Craig, and at Cascade. For floaters, you can get solid service from just below Holter Dam almost to Craig. The last float from Pelican Point to Cascade also has solid cellular service.

    Several businesses in Craig (including Headhunters) have cell boosters that work OK, but often don't offer much privacy and are better for quick calls.

    We recommend that you enable WiFi calling on your phone plane before you come to Craig, so that you can use WiFi, which is more prevalent than cellular service. Many remote properties in the canyon have no cell service but do have high speed/fiberoptic internet.

    If constantly being connected is very important to you, we recommend fishing somewhere else. Bozeman has excellent cell coverage and lots of coffee shops.

  • Both Great Falls International Airport (GTF) and Helena Regional Airport (HLN) are a quick 45 minute freeway drive from Craig. Great Falls is the bigger town and airport, so it has more flights each day, and more services. Either town will have what you need in terms of rental cars, hotels groceries, etc. Both Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) and Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) are 2 1/2 - 3 hours away, and have more direct flights from more locations.

  • Shuttles are available from Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman and Missoula to Craig with Helena Town Car 406-437-8585 www.helenatowncar.com

    You can also try local Cab and Uber drivers in Helena and Great Falls.

  • In Craig, you'll find the legendary Izaak's Restaurant and the newer Craig Taphouse and Stonefly Grill.

    In Wolf Creek, you'll find Lazy I Beerworks, and downstream from Craig the Missouri River Bar & Grill services the lower canyon.

  • In Montana, any bar or restaurant that serves alcohol can sell beer, wine and spirits to go, so there's no where you can't get booze. In Craig that means Izaak's and the Craig Bar (Uncle Joe's), as well as beer and wine at the Trout Shop.

    But, selection may be a problem, especially if you're particular, so...

    We recommend that you load up in Helena or Great Falls before you drive that last 45 minutes to Craig. Same goes for groceries. This is particularly important for larger groups that are staying for several days. Cascade has a good grocery store with a decent beer and wine selection.

  • Five miles south of Craig, the Canyon Store (Exxon) in Wolf Creek has the closest fuel pumps to Craig, as well as a small but good convenience store. 20 miles north of Craig there's gas at the 468 Market in Cascade (as well as groceries).

  • There are no groceries available in Craig, and only a convince store in Wolf Creek. If you need groceries, we recommend that you get them in Great Falls or Helena on your way to Craig. The 468 Market in Cascade is a good grocery store, but may not have everything you're looking for.

Need a Fishing Guide?

Nearly every visitor to Craig and the Missouri River is here for one reason. To experience the incredible fishing on our section of the Missouri River between Holter Dam and the town of Cascade. We are also in charge of all guided fishing trip bookings for Headhunters Fly Shop & Guide Service in Craig. Just let Julie know you will be needing guides along with your lodging request and she will take care of you if possible. Like lodging, our guides book up well in advance so don’t procrastinate.

Contact Julie at 1-406-235-1300 or email Julie here.

Contact Us

Please contact us with questions or if you’re ready to get something booked. If you have a request for a particular property, put it in the subject line. Julie or a member of our staff will get right back to you.

 

Finding Craiglandia

Getting to Craig and the Missouri River Canyon is easy. Craig is located right on Interstate 15, 45 minutes south of Great Falls, MT, and 45 north of Helena, MT.