About Rainbow Valley Lodge
There are places you visit once, and there are places that become part of your family’s story.
Rainbow Valley Lodge has welcomed travelers to Montana’s Madison Valley for generations. Located one mile south of downtown Ennis on US Highway 287, the lodge has long been a favorite destination for anglers, Yellowstone visitors, outdoor enthusiasts, and families looking to experience the wide-open landscapes that make Southwest Montana unforgettable.
Whether you’re here to cast a fly on the legendary Madison River, explore Yellowstone National Park, or simply slow down for a few days beneath Montana’s endless skies, Rainbow Valley Lodge offers more than a place to stay—it offers a place where mornings begin on the river, afternoons are filled with adventure, and evenings end beneath Montana’s endless sky.
Why Guests Return Year After Year
For many guests, Rainbow Valley Lodge becomes more than a place to stay—it becomes part of a tradition.
Some return every summer when the Madison River comes alive with trout rising to evening hatches. Others gather family and friends for Yellowstone adventures, horseback riding, hiking, and scenic drives through one of the most beautiful valleys in the American West.
Children who once skipped rocks along the Madison River now return years later with children of their own. Fishing partners reunite each season. Families reconnect around breakfast before heading out for another day of adventure.
It’s these traditions, shared experiences, and unforgettable Montana landscapes that keep guests coming back year after year.
Experience the Madison Valley
The Madison Valley has a way of slowing life down.
Sunrise arrives quietly over the mountains as mist drifts above the river. Days are spent casting to wild trout, photographing wildlife, exploring Yellowstone National Park, or wandering the historic streets of Virginia City. Evenings bring spectacular sunsets, star-filled skies, and the kind of peaceful silence that’s becoming harder to find.
Whether you’re visiting for your first Montana vacation or returning to a place that already feels familiar, the Madison Valley offers an experience that’s difficult to describe until you’ve lived it.
More Than a Place to Stay
Rainbow Valley Lodge is designed to be your home base for discovering Southwest Montana.
Stay in comfortable lodge rooms, spacious suites, cabins, or vacation homes. Start each morning with a complimentary continental breakfast before heading out to fish the Madison River, explore Yellowstone National Park, visit Lewis & Clark Caverns, or spend the day discovering local shops and galleries in Ennis.
With the O’Dell Creek Fly Shop on site, knowledgeable local staff, and one of Montana’s most convenient locations, everything you need for an unforgettable vacation is close at hand.
Montana Hospitality
The best vacations aren’t measured by how many miles you drive or how many attractions you visit. They’re remembered for the quiet moments between adventures—the morning coffee before heading to the river, conversations shared after a day on the water, and evenings spent watching the last light fade across the Madison Range.
That’s the experience we’ve always hoped to provide at Rainbow Valley Lodge.
Whether you’re here for world-class fly fishing, Yellowstone National Park, or simply to experience the beauty of Southwest Montana, we look forward to welcoming you to a place that many of our guests have been proud to call their Montana home away from home.
Meet Your Hosts
For Ed and Jeanne Williams, Rainbow Valley Lodge has always been about more than providing a comfortable place to stay. It’s about creating an experience guests will remember long after they’ve returned home.
Whether you’re visiting for world-class fly fishing on the Madison River, a family vacation exploring Yellowstone National Park, or simply a quiet Montana getaway, Ed and Jeanne take pride in helping every guest make the most of their time in the Madison Valley.
Need recommendations for a scenic drive? Looking for the perfect local restaurant? Wondering where the trout are rising or which Yellowstone route offers the best wildlife viewing? They’re always happy to share their local knowledge and favorite places.
Their philosophy is simple: treat every guest like a friend, offer genuine Montana hospitality, and create the kind of welcoming atmosphere that encourages visitors to return year after year.
Over the years, countless guests have become lifelong friends of Rainbow Valley Lodge. Some have been visiting for decades, bringing children, grandchildren, fishing partners, and lifelong friends back to experience the same Montana landscapes that captured their hearts years before.
Their greatest reward is seeing first-time visitors become lifelong guests, returning year after year with family, friends, and new stories from the Madison Valley.
Ed and Jeanne look forward to welcoming you and helping you create your own unforgettable Madison Valley memories.
History of a Madison River Fishing Lodge
In the summer of 1957, construction of the Rainbow Valley Motel began in Ennis, Montana.
The motel opened in 1958 with 7 rooms and the owner’s quarters in what is now #10. Rooms were $8 per night! The Motel was named for the numerous double rainbows commonly seen in the valley and for the numerous rainbow trout in the Madison River.
The Hebgen Lake Earthquake struck in 1959, prompting the owner of the new motel to sell in 1960.
The Storys purchased the Motel in 1960 and owned it until 1973. During that time, they added 4 more rooms and built a two-bedroom home.
In 1973, Bill and Karen Dringle owned and operated the Rainbow Valley Motel. During that time, they added 6 more rooms, two more bedrooms, and a bath to the owners’ quarters, and a swimming pool.
Don and Laurie Swynenburg bought the Rainbow Valley Motel in 1984 and owned it until 1989.
In 1989, Ed and Jeanne Williams purchased the Motel. They built rooms 29-34 in 1994 at the height of the Whirling Disease epidemic, which struck the rainbow trout in the Madison River. Expanding a bit, they purchased an adjoining 4.3 acres in 1997. In 2004, they built on the lodge and O’Dell Creek Fly Shop, offering flies and supplies to guests and visitors. Adding off-property cabins allowed for larger groups to enjoy the Madison River valley and the unequaled hospitality Ed and Jeanne offer today. Their goal is to be Montana’s favorite fly fishing lodge, offering the best accommodations and service.
