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Ninepipes Lodge & Allentown Restaurant

Ninepipes Lodge and Allentown Restaurant offers majestic Rocky Mountain views. Our close proximity to Glacier National Park, the National Bison Range, and Flathead Lake offers a variety of entertainment options. Our ideal location on Highway 93 at the Ninepipes Reservoir is 40 minutes from Missoula and 20 minutes from the lake.

Here at Ninepipes, we offer a true Montana vacation experience. Let us welcome you with our Mission Valley hospitality!

Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge

Waterfowl numbers vary through the year. The Mission Valley is located between the Pacific Flyway, found more to the west, and the Central Flyway, which is over the Continental Divide to the east. So Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge rarely sees very large numbers of birds during migration. The birds seem to come in waves – such as a flock of 100 tundra swans for a few days before they move on, then the next week it might be the western grebes, then redheads, then coots, and so on. You can access the bird checklist with notes of habitat and seasons.

Ninepipe NWR closes to public access during hunting season to allow a resting area for the birds.

Read more about Ninepipes National Wildlife Refuge

National Bison Range

The National Bison Range is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It was established in 1908 and is one of the oldest Wildlife Refuges in the nation. A large portion of the 18, 500 acre Range consists of native Palouse prairie; forests, wetlands, and streams are also found here providing a wide range of habitats for wildlife. Elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, coyote and ground squirrels are just some of the mammals that share the area with 350 to 500 bison. Over 200 species of birds also call this home including eagles, hawks, meadowlarks, bluebirds, ducks, and geese.

Visitor Center

The best place to start your visit is at the Visitor Center. Here you will find informative displays and handouts, restrooms, videos, a bookstore, and staff to answer your questions. Pay entrance fees here.

Auto Tours

Prairie Drive/West Loop: a 5-mile gravel road that travels through the flats. It is open to trailers and large RVs. It goes by the Bison Display Pasture. Plan for 1/2 hour. Open year round.

Ninepipes Museum’s new exhibit  celebrates the culture and traditions of Alaskan natives through a carved ivory collection recently donated to the museum by member Hugh Magnussen in honor of his wife, Jutta. The term “cakarpeknaki” means “with respect and without waste,” which reflects the respect felt by the indigenous people of Alaska towards the animals, people and the land and speaks to the connections among these three.
This collection of Alaskan ivory artwork by various artists was acquired over a lifetime by Hugh Magnussen and his wife who passed away in 2017. The artwork is meticulously carved from walrus tusk, fossilized mammoth, and whale bone and teeth. Even though the sale of elephant ivory is banned in the U.S., Alaskan ivory can be legally collected, carved and sold by Alaskan Natives under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and has become an important part of the economy in Alaska, in which many artists depend on sales to bring in cash to support their families through the winter.
Carvings depict animals from coastal Alaska (polar bear, wolves, walrus, and caribou), Native hunters and Shaman, shipping vessels and scrimshaw. As a whole, the collection symbolizes the harsh life in coastal Alaska and the complex relationship between man and nature for survival.

PARFLECHES
Parfleche is the French word meaning rawhide container. These containers were commonly used in the everyday life of Native Americans and were usually made from elk or buffalo hide, and later cow hide. Each tribe had their own distinct colors and designs which enables us to determine the general origin of each parfleche.

Generally speaking, flat folded parfleches were used to protect, store, and carry food items such as dried meat and cylindrical types were used for carrying medicine and personal items.

Parfleches were still in use by Flathead, Nez Pierce, and Spokane tribes until the 1940s.

Wildlife and Early Encampment:

Our diorama allows you to experience life in an encampment as well as the wildlife encountered in this region, today and yesterday.  A special exhibit.

It has been through donations from people like you, who have made the Museum the special place it is today.   The Legacy Circle was created to showcase people who have made significant donations through their estate plans or as beneficiaries of life insurance policies or IRA’s.   Whether it is an annual gift, a membership or a legacy gift, your support of the Ninepipes Museum mission is critical and so greatly appreciated!

Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana staff is available during regular business hours Monday – Friday. We can be reached by dialing the main line of  406-644-3435.   The majority of our staffing for the Museum and Gift Store are volunteers.   If you have an interest in helping out, we would be delighted to visit with you.

Staff:

Jo Cheff, Executive Director
jo.cheff@ninepipesmuseum.org

Gail Crawford, Gift Shop
giftshop@ninepipesmuseum.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jake Baumann, Chairman
Bernice Hawkaluk, Vice Chairman
Jan Kauffman, Treasurer
Bud Cheff Jr.
Jim Cheff
Laurel Cheff
Sean Cheff
Roxie Davis
Bernice Hawkaluk
Rod Wamsley
Ed Gannon, Vice Chairman

Contact Us
info@ninepipesmuseum.org
406-644-3435

Vern E. ‘Bud’ Cheff, Sr. (1915 – 2011) and friend and mentor Eneas Conko (1874-1954).

Video Perspective from Joe McDonald and Bud Cheff Jr.

Part 1 Family Stories
Cross Cultural Perspectives on Growing up on the Flathead Reservation

Part 2
Cross Cultural Perspectives on Growing up on the Flathead Reservation

Part 3
Cross Cultural Perspectives on Growing up on the Flathead Reservation

BUD’S STORY
Bud Cheff Jr.’s ancestors first came to what is now Montana in the early-1800’s from Ontario, Canada.  His French and Iroquois grandparents settled on the Flathead Reservation in 1907, and became good friends with the tribal families that were their neighbors. Bud’s dad went on hunting and gathering trips in the Montana wilderness with these family bands from the time he was a small child.  He learned the old ways, and spoke Pend’ Oreille fluently.  Bud Jr. was born in his grandparent’s log house at the foot of the Missions Mountains in 1936.  Growing up on the family ranch and traveling on those same old Indian hunting trails was an ideal childhood for Bud.  As he put it, “I grew up with a foot in both cultures.”  He spent many happy hours listening to the elders telling stories, and worked hard to memorize them as a child.  In later years he recorded some of them.

When he was 9 years old, Bud and his sister Ola found a war club in a cave near Glacier National Park and he became interested in collecting artifacts as well as stories.  Later, a fire burned his childhood home, destroying the war club, and other treasures.  These experiences led him to realize the importance of preserving the history and personal stories of Flathead Reservation.

When most people are beginning to contemplate retirement, Bud instead fulfilled his lifelong dream and built Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana with the help of his wife Laurel.  His father, Bud Sr., and many other friends and family contributed time, effort, donations and snippets of history.

Join Bud as he shares stories and historical accounts of the Mission Valley, and keeps us up-to-date on what is happening with the wildlife on the ranch!

THE MAKINGS OF A HISTORY PACK RAT

In the summer of 1946 I was almost ten years old.  Our family was traveling from Ronan, Montana to the new town of Martin City. The town was named for my great, great aunt Vina, and uncle Joseph G. Martin, as the town was built on part of their homestead land.  As we were traveling through the Bad Rock Canyon we had a flat tire on the folk’s 1936 Chevrolet car.  To change the tire Dad had to jack the car up, take the wheel off, then take the tire off the wheel, and take the tube out, and patch it. Then put it all back together, and pump it up with a hand pump.  Then put the wheel back on the car, let the car down, and take the jack out.  This was a lengthy process, and while he was doing this my sister Ola and I climbed up on the mountain cliffs above the road.  Ola was three years older than me, but we were best pals.  We found a cave-like rock crevice and we climbed into it.  Ola spotted an object sticking out of a big pack rat nest in the back of the cave.   Through the years I have found many amazing things in pack rat nests.  We got on our hands and knees as the ceiling was low in the back. We dug the object out, and were surprised and excited when we realized it was an Indian war club.  It was bone dry in the back of the cave, which was probably why our find was still in good shape after all the years.  Finding the war club sent our imaginations racing as we had heard the Elders telling of the battles that took place in this canyon in the old days between the Blackfoot and the Flathead Indians.   We could almost hear the fight, war cries echoing from the canyon in our minds.  We were really excited as we hurried back to the car.  Dad was waiting on us, but forgot that he was unhappy with us when he saw what we had.  Finding the war club in that old pack rat nest triggered my life long quest for old artifacts, and the stories they tell.  I guess I’ve got a bit of pack rat in me.

Bud Jr.

For those that are not familiar with pack rats, they are grey in color with soft fur, and a furred tail.  They are a little bigger than a pine squirrel with a cute face, large ears, and big eyes.  They are a night animal, and are vicious little devils.  They make a nest out of sticks, grass, leaves, moss, or most any thing they can find.  Some times their nest will be as big or bigger than an old-fashioned wash tub.  They will carry anything that catches their eye and hide it in their nest.  They are especially fond of bright or shiny objects.  As a boy I used to find a lot of lost things in their nests.

The volunteers at the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana are its biggest fans! Their contributions to the success of the museum are greatly appreciated by our visitors, staff and the board of directors.

Let us know what kind of task you’d be interested in tackling, what days and hours you have available, and we will work with you to make sure your skills are put to good use.

Are your interested in:

Docent – starting or guiding individuals and tour groups through the museum?

Gift Shop – helping gift shop managers with pricing, stocking and sales?

Grounds keeping – helping keep the grounds in good shape with bush and tree trimming, and other landscape duties?

Office Work – keeping track of museum demographic information, able to work with Excel spreadsheets on a personal computer?

Event Planning – working with staff to pull all the details together for upcoming events?

We are always looking for qualified volunteers to help us fulfill our mission. Complete the application form below and let us know of your interests and skills.  Thank you for sharing your time and talents with us!

Call 406-644-3435

Thank you for contacting The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana.  I am delighted that you have interest in our Museum and I look forward to serving you.

Jo Cheff

We so appreciate your reaching out to us with questions, comments, with a membership and with donations.   Please feel free to contact us below.   We look forward to hearing from you and especially hope you will stop by and see us!

Address: 69316 US-93, Charlo, MT 59824
Phone: (406) 644-3435
Email: info@ninepipesmuseum.org

Please use this form for general communication.

Making a gift to benefit Ninepipes Museum during your lifetime or after you are gone is a wonderful way to create a lasting legacy and keeping our historical traditions preserved for many generations.  Please let us know if you would like more information about our legacy circle!