Antler Lodge and Resort

Antler Lodge & Resort is located on Scenic Hwy 7, about 8 miles south of Scenic State Park in the beautiful George Washington State Forest.   Antler Lake, just south of the continental divide, is the source of the Prairie River and is connected to Beaver Lake by a small navigation channel.

Antler Lodge was built in 1936 by Fred Bentz. He was from Chicago and was an avid hunter traveling the United States and Canada thereby starting the antler collection. The lodge is adorned with antlers, inside and out.  As time went on, moose, caribou and elk mounts were added to the collection. Ski memorabilia, artifacts and collector items are also on display.

Prior to building the lodge, a fire had gone through the area leaving the landscape quite bare. Early photographs show the landscape with few trees.  Mr. Bentz built a one story lodge and eventually added three cabins. He didn’t advertise as it was a private lodge.  Guests had to bring their own food, and it’s assumed there were few, if any amenities.  The primary attraction was hunting and fishing.

At that time, there wasn’t a direct route to the lodge from Hwy 7.  To access the lodge, one had to travel north on Hwy 7 to County Rd 52, left onto County Rd 340, and finally south onto County Rd 341.

It’s unknown when Mr. Bentz sold the lodge, and has since changed ownership numerous times.  The approximate timeline is such.  Mr. Bentz sold it to the Floyd and Bobby Meilins.  They sold it to Clyde & Irene Stolzman. The Stolzman’s had the lodge for about ten years and sold it in the late 60’s to Bill & Helen Walk.  They sold it to two different families, the Pulju’s and Man’s.  They owned it together and sold it in 1980 to Ves & Pat Berzins.  They owned and manged it for 43 years. Their son, Carl Berzins, became owner in 2023.

Since its inception, the lodge has gone through many changes.  At its peak, when Berzins purchased the lodge, there were nine cabins. Today there are four.  One resource, date unknown, indicates there were seven cabins with amenities including hot and cold running water, and skellgas for stoves.  Rates ranged between $18-$30 per week.

In 1990, the main lodge had a major three level addition. The expansion included a 40’ bar, new kitchen and a second dining room with a total capacity of 120.  That expansion included an area for selling antiques near the dining area which was managed by Pat. The lodge’s dining room, Ye Olde Antler Eatery & Saloon, is open to the public.

In 1994, The Antler Lake Store & Motel was opened across the road from the lodge.  The motel has twelve rooms and the Antler Lake Store is a full service convenience store.

The location of the lodge, convenience store and motel are located at an ideal location for fishing, hunting, snowmobiling and ATVs.  With the advent of snowmobiles and ATVs, the attraction is even greater.  The Lodge is also noted for motorcyclists needing a stop for gas and good food.  The scenery along Scenic Hwy 7 is a bonus!

Although the lodge has had many good stories over the years, it would be remiss not to mention a fatal airplane crash killing three passengers and the pilot. The passengers were from Iowa, and the pilot from Missouri.  They were circling low over the lodge as a pre-arranged signal to the lodge owners that the guests would be arriving after the plane landed in Big Fork.  The Cessna 172 never made it and crashed adjacent to the lodge.