It all began in 1928…

 About Budge’s Wilderness Lodge

With a history going back nearly 100 years, Budge’s is a special place for many families in western Colorado and around the world. Some of our guests have been coming to stay at Budge’s for decades. Construction on the original log cabins began in 1928. Materials were brought in on pack animals from down river, over Blair Mountain or down Wagon Wheel Trail. According to legend, the trail received its name from the wheels of broken down wagons left along the trail. Take a hike from the lodge up Wagon Wheel Trail, and you'll see why wagons didn't survive the trip.

The camp consists of a main lodge, which has a living area, dining room and a large deck overlooking the river. Meals are served in the main lodge and it’s the ideal spot to socialize and relax in between activities. Additionally, there are seven individual log cabins spaced throughout the property which serve as our guest accommodations. Each cabin has a different footprint. Four of these cabins can sleep up to 4 people. Three of the cabins can sleep up to six people.

These days, guests can still expect that remote and rugged wilderness charm. Although a few basic upgrades have been made to the original log buildings over the years. We now enjoy basic electricity with overhead lights and outlets in each of the cabins. Additionally, each guest cabin has a simple half-bath with cold running water. A community shower with hot running water is just a short walk from the cabins. We provide the towels, as well as sheets, wool blankets and comforters on each of the beds. No sleeping bag required - unless you plan to strike out for one of our remote wilderness camps!

Expecting a hotel? You may be disappointed. Expecting a remote wilderness camp? You may be pleasantly surprised. Pull up a chair on the deck, enjoy an evening around the fire, and you might find yourself a part of the Budge’s family forever.

About the Flat Tops Wilderness Area

Budge’s Lodge is nestled against the boundary of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. In fact, we’re at the very end of the road, surrounded by Wilderness on three sides. Designated Wilderness means protecting the primitive and wild nature of the area. Inside the wilderness boundary, no motorized use or bicycles are allowed. Travel is by foot and horseback only. The Flat Tops is Colorado’s second-largest designated Wilderness Area, encompassing 235,214 acres. That’s about 370 square miles of wild country and wildlife habitat. Outside the designated Wilderness boundary are thousands more acres of National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. These Federally Managed public lands, including the Wilderness, belong to all U.S. citizens. This is all a part of YOUR grand western estate!

Geologically, the Flat Tops is very unique compared to the rest of Colorado. Most obviously, these mountains are flat. Several periods of ancient geologic uplift followed by periods of volcanic activity formed a hard basalt cap. Subsequently, glacial activity scoured the tops and carved large U-shaped valleys. This eventually created the area’s iconic appearance with its deep valleys, towering cliffs and flat tops dotted with hundreds of lakes and ponds. While much of Colorado is arid, reflecting the high desert climate, the Flat Tops is surprisingly full of water. In large part, this is what creates such productive fish and wildlife habitat.

For centuries, the Flat Tops was home to the Ute people, of the Yampa and Parianuche bands. Artifacts and historic sites can be found throughout the Flat Tops to this day. We would kindly remind visitors who come upon any artifacts to simply photograph them and leave them in place. As the area and its resources attracted more settlers, it became a hot spot during the infamous range wars and sheep wars. Some of the area’s historic ranching families still graze their sheep in these mountains.

In 1919 a U.S. Forest Service landscape architect named Arthur Carhart was sent to the Flat Tops to assess development possibilities. He was so impressed by what he saw, he returned to his superiors at the Forest Service and urged them to leave the area undeveloped. The Flat Tops and Carhart’s advocacy inspired the idea of wilderness on public lands. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law, and in 1975 Congress designated the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.

Budge’s Wilderness Lodge Today

Today, Budge’s Wilderness Lodge is a Colorado-owned business, operated by a fantastic team of dedicated managers, guides, wranglers and staff. But more than just the folks who work here, Budge’s is a sum of those families and individuals who have been coming to stay here for decades. It’s a historic Colorado business, with roots that go back generations.

As the current operators of Budge’s, we would like to point out that it’s not ours - it’s just our turn. Budge’s Wilderness Lodge was here long before we arrived and it will be around long after we’re gone. Our goal, in addition to providing world-class wilderness adventures for our guests, is to continue building upon that legacy, and improving it for future generations.

Giving Back

We are proud to operate on public lands that belong to all Americans. And we aim to preserve the wild places, waters and wildlife that we all enjoy. These resources aren’t here by accident. It takes dedicated funding and management. For that reason, we strongly support organizations like Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Trout Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Additionally, we work in close cooperation with our Federal and State agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. If you are not already familiar with these organizations, we would strongly recommend getting to know them and giving them your support.