Whitefish Legacy Partners Acquires Former Bike Retreat Property

Through a “strategic purchase” that staves off development plans at a hub of outdoor recreation in the Flathead Valley, the creators and stewards of the Whitefish Trail on Dec. 1 acquired a 35-acre parcel in the Beaver Lakes area that will become the future Whitefish Legacy Center.

The property — formerly the Whitefish Bike Retreat located north of Whitefish directly adjacent to the trail system — had been slated for a high-density development with plans to build more than 90 units, according to Whitefish Legacy Partners (WLP), which oversees development and maintenance of the trail network while conserving high-priority landscapes consistent with the local community’s land-use preferences.

In an announcement Wednesday, the nonprofit’s leadership team said the development plans were decidedly at odds with those priorities. Instead, WLP’s acquisition of the parcel will “prevent incompatible development and honor the community’s long-held commitment to open lands, recreation and outdoor education.” The recent purchase comes more than a decade after the organization in 2014 conserved and protected 1,520 acres of Montana School Trust Lands in the Beaver Lakes area, unlocking a forested trail corridor west of Whitefish Lake and providing key linkages for recreation and wildlife.

With its investment in the property and lodge-like accommodations at 855 Beaver Lake Road, which was most recently appraised at more than $2.2 million and had been listed for sale at $2.5 million, WLP is poised to showcase its conservation successes while launching expanded education and outreach programs. The new digs also provide direct access to the nerve center of a non-motorized, multi-use trail system spanning 47 miles and connecting 15 trailheads.

“Opening summer 2026, the Whitefish Legacy Center will become the new heart of the Whitefish Trail — a place for outdoor education, community connections and gatherings, and ongoing stewardship of our protected, community shared lands,” according to WLP. “Revitalizing the property for improved public access and repurposing the existing buildings, WLP will expand its outdoor education, recreation and conservation programs for the Flathead Valley.”

Heidi Van Everen, WLP’s executive director, said the “purchase was made possible through the generous support of a small group of WLP legacy donors who share a deep dedication to the organization’s mission and the Flathead Valley.”

“The Whitefish Legacy Center is so much more than a place — it’s an investment in the character, culture, and future of our valley and the Whitefish Trail,” Van Everen said. “WLP’s vision will reflect the spirit of the community and continue our commitment as a trusted steward of local lands. We are building a new home for community connections and shared experiences — in one warm, welcoming outdoor place.”

Van Everen said the sale included the former bike retreat’s beer and wine license as well as an adjacent 16 acres of land.

The group will begin fundraising immediately to renovate existing structures, build new trail and trailhead access, and expand WLP’s education, conservation, and stewardship capacity, Van Everen said. The property features bunk lodges, eight campsites, an office and camp store, a bath house and sauna, and other amenities.

Longtime WLP board members described the purchase as a capstone to a productive year for the nonprofit, bringing it another step closer toward completing its goal to “close the loop” around Whitefish Lake, ultimately allowing recreational users to connect more than 55 miles of trail that includes a section from Smith Lake to the summit of Big Mountain. Although WLP’s plans to protect 600 acres of School Trust Lands guarding the head of Whitefish Lake stalled earlier this year when the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation re-appraised the market value of the sale at $24.3 million, placing it out of the nonprofit organization’s reach,.

“The creation of the Whitefish Legacy Center comes in the middle of an already big year for our organization,” Reid Sabin, chair of the WLP Board of Directors, said. “We continue our work to permanently protect lands and expand trails at the head of Whitefish Lake, and to improve connectivity from the Holbrook Overlook Trailhead in partnership with the Flathead National Forest and Whitefish Mountain Resort, bringing us ever closer to closing the loop of the Whitefish Trail.”

Last year, through a partnership with the Flathead National Forest, Flathead Area Mountain Bikers (FAMB), WLP and Whitefish Mountain Resort, trail work on the Taylor Hellroaring Project adjacent to the ski area began, with plans to add more than 20 miles of non-motorized trails connecting Haskill Basin to Werner Peak in the Whitefish Range.

According to public records, the Whitefish Bike Retreat property and buildings came on the market after the previous owner, a physician, was convicted of defrauding government health programs in a telemedicine scheme that netted him a six-month prison sentence and hefty fines. Court documents listed the Whitefish Bike Retreat as one of Dean’s assets available for liquidation.

As fundraising and renovations get underway, WLP will share more information about community access and programming in late spring 2026.

WLP Board Member Julie Baldridge, who along with her husband, Summerfield, has been a longtime donor and supporter of the Whitefish Trail, said the purchase exemplifies WLP’s commitment to balancing conservation and recreation with the community’s needs.

“It is inspiring for Summerfield and me to support an organization that so successfully protects our community’s character, our surrounding landscapes, and the recreation amenities and stewardship ethos that are essential to our way of life,” she said.

Interested donors should reach out to WLP staff with questions, schedule a tour of the new Legacy Center, and consider supporting WLP in year-end giving, according to Van Everen.

For more information about WLP, visit its website here.

[email protected]