Budges Lodge
Tell us about yourself and we'll reach out to plan the details of your trip
- Species - Trout
- Destination Type - Lodge or Wilderness Camp
- Fishing Style - Wading. Rivers, Creek, or Alpine Lakes
- Season - June 28 - Early October
- Fishing Days - 2-5+
- Rate - $$
Why We Go
This historic lodge is tucked along one of Colorado’s most remote rivers. Anglers can explore 20 miles of roadless river canyon on horseback and find some of the best dry fly fishing in the west.
FISHING SEASON RUNS FROM JUNE 28 THROUGH EARLY OCTOBER
-
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 generations. 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 canyon. 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. A few 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.
-
Lodge-Based Fishing Trips
Anglers staying at the main lodge enjoy accommodations in one of our historic log cabins. The original 1920s cabins have received a few
updates over the years, including basic electricity and a rustic half-bath with cold running water. A community shower with hot water is a
short walk from the cabins. We have seven guest cabins spaced throughout the lodge grounds. Each couple or group will have their own private cabin. Sheets, wool blankets, and comforters are provided on all cabin beds. Pricing is based on double occupancy (minimum 2 people per cabin), but cabins can sleep up to 6 people and are great for families.Wilderness Camps
Your accommodations include a spacious canvas wall tent with comfortable cots and pads. Bring your own sleeping bag and personal gear, and we provide the rest. Your group will be the only one in camp (minimum two anglers) and you’ll have miles of remote water to explore on foot. Next door to your private tent is our crew/cook tent, where our team will prepare great meals.
-
2-Day, 3-Night Lodge-Based Trip
Perfect for a weekend getaway, this package gives you 2 full days of fishing and 3 nights in one of our cozy cabins.
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get settled and take a walk down the river or just relax before dinner
Day 2-3: Two full days of fly fishing, accessed on horseback
Day 4: Depart after breakfast
3-Day, 4-Night Lodge-Based Trip
Our most popular package, this option gives you 4 nights in one of our cozy cabins and 3 full days of fishing, enough to explore upriver, downriver and maybe even an alpine lake.
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get settled and take a walk down the river or just relax before dinner
Day 2-4: Three full days of fly fishing, accessed on horseback
Day 5: Depart after breakfast
4-Day, 5-Night Lodge-Based Trip
Get the complete experience with 4 full days of fishing and 5 nights in one of our cozy cabins.
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get settled and take a walk down the river or just relax before dinner
Day 2-5: Four full days of fly fishing, accessed on horseback
Day 6: Depart after breakfast
2-Day, 3-Night Wilderness Camp Trip
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get organized and relax before dinner. Spend the night in one of our cabins as our packers load your gear for departure the next morning.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast at the lodge, we will load up and saddle up for the ride to your wilderness camp. After you’ve settled at camp, spend the rest of the day fishing before dinner.
Day 3: Full day of fly fishing
Day 4: Get up early and fish or just relax and drink coffee at camp before our packers arrive to load up the gear. Enjoy the horseback ride back to the main lodge. From there, you can load up your vehicle and depart for home.
3-Day, 4-Night Wilderness Camp Trip
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get organized and relax before dinner. Spend the night in one of our cabins as our packers load your gear for departure the next morning.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast at the lodge, we will load up and saddle up for the ride to your wilderness camp. After you’ve settled at camp, spend the afternoon hours fishing or just relaxing before dinner.
Day 3-4: Two full days of fly fishing
Day 5: Get up early and fish or just relax and drink coffee at camp before our packers arrive to load up the gear. Enjoy the horseback ride back to the main lodge. From there, you can load up your vehicle and depart for home.
4-Day, 5-Night Wilderness Camp Trip
Arrival Day: Arrive in the afternoon, get organized and relax before dinner. Spend the night in one of our cabins as our packers load your gear for departure the next morning.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast at the lodge, we will load up and saddle up for the ride to your wilderness camp. After you’ve settled at camp, spend the afternoon hours fishing or just relaxing before dinner.
Day 3-5: Three full days of fly fishing
Day 6: Get up early and fish or just relax and drink coffee at camp before our packers arrive to load up the gear. Enjoy the horseback ride back to the main lodge. From there, you can load up your vehicle and depart for home.
-
Getting Here
Access to Budge’s Wilderness Lodge is by high-clearance 4WD only. Stock pickups and SUVs with about 9” of clearance can make the trip, just take it slow. After September 1st or anytime snow is in the forecast, well-fitting tire chains with tensioners are required.
Most guests flying to Colorado choose to rent an SUV to drive to the lodge. Whether you’re flying into Denver or Eagle, all major rental car companies offer high clearance pickups and SUVs.
If you not have a high-clearance vehicle or prefer not to drive the high-clearance 4WD section, we offer pick-up at a point that’s about 8 miles from the lodge for $440 round trip per vehicle (max 4 passengers). This requires driving on improved dirt roads for about 28 miles.
If you’d prefer to avoid dirt roads altogether, we offer pick-up at the Eagle County Regional Airport for $650, round trip per vehicle (max 4 passengers).
Fishing Licenses
A valid Colorado fishing license is required for all anglers ages 16 and
up. This is not included in the cost of your trip. Youth under the age
of 16 are not required to purchase a license. Fishing licenses can be
purchased online from Colorado Parks and Wildlife or at any license vendor throughout the state.EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Guided fly fishing trips include fly rod, reel, flies and tackle, or guests may bring their own.
Guided trips do NOT include wading boots, waders or wet wading socks. Guests may bring their own, or we have rentals available in Men’s and Women’s sizes:
Wading Boots: $32 per day
Neoprene Wet Wading Socks: $15 per day
Waders: $48 per day
-
Lodge-Based Fishing Trips
On lodge-based trips, anglers come down to the main lodge each morning for a hearty breakfast. After breakfast, we gather up our fishing gear and a sack lunch. We load the gear onto a packhorse or mule, then saddle up and head off into the wilderness for a day of fishing. Late in the afternoon, we ride back to the lodge, where our crew will have appetizers waiting, followed by a home-cooked dinner. Relax on the deck with cold beverage, play a game of cornhole, or return to your own cabin for some peace and quiet. "
Wilderness Camps
The wilderness camp experience allows anglers to access the most remote stretches of river or high alpine lakes. Guests fishing out of one of our remote camps will spend their first night in a cabin at the main lodge. The next morning, we will load gear onto packhorses and ride to the wilderness camp. Our team of wranglers will drop you off at camp, along with your fishing guide(s) and camp cook. Once the wranglers leave with the horses, you’re left in the stillness of this wilderness outpost. This is home for the duration of your stay.
Each day of the trip, you’ll enjoy a hot breakfast in the cook tent. Then you’ll set out on foot to fish the river or nearby alpine lake, depending on the camp location. In the evenings, your cook will prepare a hearty dinner. You’ll have ample time to relax and enjoy the surroundings of the Flat Tops wilderness. On the final day of the trip, our packers will arrive with the pack animals and saddle horses for the return trip back to the main lodge.
-
Families with kids who are too young to ride, or those who would simply rather not get on a horse, we offer fully guided fly fishing trips on foot. While the minimum recommended age for horseback riding is 12, younger kiddos and adults alike can enjoy a hike along the river to some of our favorite nearby fishing spots. Our guides are excellent teachers, making this a great experience for anglers of any skill level, including first-timers. Kids 11 and under are eligible for discounted rates!
These adventures are based out of the main lodge, and include our classic, log cabin accommodations. In the mornings, come down to the main lodge for a hearty breakfast. Then, you and your fishing guide will hike a trail into the wilderness for a day of fishing. We provide a sack lunch for the journey. Upon your return to the lodge, you’ll be welcomed by appetizers and a home-cooked dinner. After dinner, gather around the campfire or play a game of cornhole on the deck as we share stories from the day.
-
Please Inquire
-
Physical Requirements
In this remote and rugged wilderness area, anglers can expect steep
banks, thick willows, high altitude, extreme weather, slippery stream
beds, and overall challenging conditions. We have a few spots with
easier river access that are good for young kids or those with limited
mobility. However, most of the places we fish are like this landscape -
rugged and wild. The weight limit for horseback riders is 250 lbs. Upon booking, please fill out our Health and Medical Questionnaire so that our guides and crew can do their best to create a fun and memorable experience.Catch & Release Policy
We ask that all guests staying with us at the lodge practice catch and release fishing. This helps maintain the quality of the fishery for
everyone. We also ask that guests staying in remote camps practice catch and release, returning cutthroat, rainbow, and lake trout immediately. If guests staying in wilderness camps wish to keep a fish or two to cook over the campfire, we ask that you only keep brook trout under 10” and in strict accordance with Colorado Parks & Wildlife bag and possession limits. Not only are brook trout the best eating fish in these waters, but high populations of small brookies compete with native cutthroat trout. Removing a limited number of smaller brook trout is the best way to help manage these waters while enjoying a wild-caught harvest.Gratuities
Tips are customary and certainly appreciated. We recommend tipping 20% of the cost of your trip. On fully guided trips, it’s customary to tip the guide roughly 1/3 of the total tip amount and divide the remaining 2/3 between wranglers and lodge crew (cooks and housekeeping). Cash is preferred and we have envelopes available at the lodge.