The Perfect Family-Friendly Getaway at the Sun Mountain Lodge
Last Updated on June 26, 2024 by Kelly
The Sun Mountain Lodge has everything needed for the perfect family vacation: swimming pools, stables, miles of trails, lake access, a petting zoo, on-site dining, and sweeping views of the Methow Valley.
We recently spent 3 nights at the resort, and in this post, I’m sharing my full review of the Sun Mountain Lodge! I’m including a full room tour, lots of photos from our trip, and my recommendations for the best things to do at the resort.
If you’re looking for a luxurious mountain getaway, be sure to add this resort to your list!
Why you can trust my review: I’ve visited the Sun Mountain Lodge on more than one occasion. I’ve attending a wedding at the lodge, I celebrated an anniversary at the lodge, and most recently we visited for a family vacation. Because I’ve visited this destination multiple times, I can give you a thorough review!
Disclosure: The Sun Mountain Lodge hosted our stay in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed, as always, are my honest views.
About the Sun Mountain Lodge
Address: 604 Patterson Lake Rd, Winthrop, WA 98862
Website: https://sunmountainlodge.com/
Perched high atop a hilltop with expansive views of the North Cascades, the Methow Valley, and Patterson Lake, the resort has over 1,500 acres to explore!
The lodge is both rustic and luxurious. With roaring fireplaces and overstuffed chairs, there were plenty of cozy nooks located throughout the lodge for us to sit down and unwind.
The lodge felt quiet and relaxed the entire weekend, even though there was full occupancy. I wasn’t expecting it to feel so secluded! We honestly didn’t see too many people as we explored the property. We had the pool and hot tub to ourselves for quite awhile.
Choosing a Room
There are three different buildings to choose from:
- The Main Lodge
- The Mt. Gardner Building
- The Mt. Robinson Building
I asked the front desk staff about the pros and cons of each. Here’s what I learned:
The Main Lodge has traditional hotel-style rooms. The studio rooms have a bed, coffee station, and bathroom.
We stayed in the Mt. Gardner Building. The rooms in this building are larger and have gas fireplaces. They also have either a private patio or balcony overlooking Mt. Gardner.
The most luxurious rooms are located in the Mt. Robinson Building. In addition to a gas fireplace and a patio/balcony, the rooms also have a jetted tub.
Finally, there are pet-friendly cabins available a short drive away from the Main Lodge along the shore of Patterson Lake.
(Note: Campground with 17 lake-view spots coming soon!)
Our Room Tour
(For a video tour of our room, scroll to our section on “Video Footage”!)
We stayed in Room 104 of the Mt. Gardner Building. Our room featured a queen bed, private patio, gas fireplace, and cozy living area.
My favorite thing about the room was the view! I loved waking up to the views of Mount Gardner every morning! It was also nice to sit on the patio and watch our daughter run around.
There was also a robe and slippers in the closet, a lantern for evening walks, a coffee machine and mugs, and wine glasses with a wine opener.
The bathroom had a blow dryer, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
We visited in the spring, and there was still a slight chill in the morning, so a real highlight for me was having coffee by the fire.
I also liked that the curtains were very thick and kept the room dark. This was so helpful for us since we were traveling with a baby! We had plenty of room to set up her crib.
The keys to the room were the original keys, which I thought was a nice touch!
Activities at the Lodge
We spent 4 days at the resort, and there were tons of activities to keep us busy! Here’s a quick review of some of our favorites…
Horseback Riding
One of the highlights of our trip was watching our 4-year-old daughter ride her first horse! We went to the stables to set her up for her first ride. Our daughter first got to groom her horse by brushing its fur. Then, she got to climb up and sit on the saddle. A staff member led her around the grounds and taught her the basics. The staff were so gentle and encouraging!
After her ride, I really enjoyed meeting all the horses at the stable. The horses were so friendly! When I approached the fence, several horses immediately came up to greet me. The staff were incredibly knowledgeable about the horses. They could easily name all 28 horses and tell me their ages, breeds, history, and preferences. (They know their horses better than most people know their own family members!)
If you are interested in horseback riding, I highly recommend it! My husband and I went horseback riding there several years ago and the trails are SO beautiful!
Petting Zoo
Our daughter also got to visit the petting zoo at the stables. The staff introduced her to a guinea pig, baby kitten, goat, pig, and chickens. She even got to feed the animals. Everyone was so nice at the stables. It’s definitely worth stopping by and meeting the animals!
Swimming Pools
The lodge has two swimming pools and two hot tubs. You can find one set at the main lodge and the other set by the Mt. Robinson building. Both pools have beautiful views of the mountains and valley! When we visited it wasn’t particularly warm out, but the heated swimming pool actually felt warm. (I’ve found that sometimes hotels will say they have a heated pool and it still feels freezing, so we were grateful that the pool actually felt heated!)
Tip: I recommend watching the sunset from the hot tub!
Go for a Hike
I think one of the best things about the Sun Mountain Lodge is its access to multiple trails! There are numerous trailheads within walking distance of the lodge. There are numerous options for every level of expertise. If you have any questions about the trails, the staff at the Adventures Shop are happy to provide recommendations.
We enjoyed walking some easy trails on the property with our kids. We visited during the month of May, so the wildflowers were blooming and it was just perfection! We saw lilacs, lupines, and balsam roots.
The Patterson Mountain trail was also recommended to us as a favorite, so be sure to check it out!
Activity Room
The Cascade Room in the main lodge has two pool tables, a foosball table, shuffle board table, and a ping pong table. There’s also several cabinets full of board games, puzzles, and building blocks. We arrived two hours before check-in on our first day, and we had so much fun playing in the game room. Our daughter built block castles while we got to relax after a long drive.
Tip: Grab a drink from the bar and play a game of pool.
Visit Patterson Lake
Just a short drive from the main lodge is Patterson Lake, which is still on the property of Sun Mountain Lodge. (This is where you can find the cabins!)
During our stay, kayaks, rowboats, and stand-up paddle boards were available for rent. There was also a floating dock for fishing or swimming. (During the winter when the lake is frozen over, you can even ice fish in a hut on the lake!)
There’s also a playground and lots of grassy areas for kids to run around.
Library Room
In the main lodge there’s a cozy library room filled with books, relaxing armchairs, and a fireplace. If you’re looking for a quiet spot to unwind, this is a good place to visit.
Relax by the Fire
There are several places you can visit throughout the lodge that have fireplaces. We had a gas fireplace in our own room, but I really loved that there were wood-burning fireplaces in the main lobby, in the library room, and in another seating area in the main lodge.
There was also a gas fire pit table directly outside the main lobby. We purchased a few s’mores kits at the front desk and they were happy to light the fire for us. It was the perfect place to enjoy the mountain views!
Spa
The spa was under renovation when we visited, and we are excited that the new spa will be open soon! I heard that there will be a sauna, which sounds heavenly. I booked a massage during my most recent visit, and it was the perfect way to truly relax on vacation.
Tennis and Pickleball
The resort also has tennis and pickleball courts. The courts were nicely maintained and located just steps away from the main lodge.
Events
The lodge hosts a variety of events. During our stay, there was a Meet the Winemaker event featuring Lobo Hills wines, which is one of our favorite wineries in Woodinville. We got to enjoy a wine tasting narrated by the head winemaker!
Dining at Sun Mountain Lodge
One of my favorite aspects of the weekend was all the delicious food we ate!
There are two dining options on site. These include the Wolf Creek Bar & Grill and The Dining Room.
Fine Dining
The Dining Room has received numerous awards and accolades over the year. A wall of windows provides immaculate views of the mountains. Reservations are definitely recommended. We had several meals at The Dining Room, and each one was outstanding.
We had dinner two nights at The Dining Room, and the Lobster Raviolo and the Washington Beef with Sun Dried Tomato Risotto were my favorites!
We also had brunch twice at The Dining Room. I think my favorite part about vacation is having a relaxing breakfast. Sipping coffee while enjoying the view was the best way to start the day. Each morning our server brought out freshly-baked pastries while we waited for the breakfast entrees to be served. (This was my daughter’s favorite part of the morning. She loved trying all the pastries!) I really appreciated that even after we were served pastries, our server brought us out a warm blueberry scone because it was fresh from the oven. It was the little touches like that really impressed us!
The breakfast entrees really hit the spot. We had fluffy pancakes, French toast, omelettes, and huevos rancheros. We also had fresh juice shots that helped to energize us for the day! I’m already daydreaming about breakfast at the Sun Mountain Lodge!
Casual Dining
For casual dining, check out the Wolf Creek Bar & Grill. The view was just as spectacular! It was a real treat to dine here. We experienced breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Wolf Creek Bar & Grill, and all of our meals were fabulous.
Tip: The bar has an extensive drink menu. We recommend trying one of the signature cocktails! The warm beverages were perfect to sip outside by the fire.
Visiting with Kids
The Sun Mountain Lodge is both luxurious and family-friendly. There were plenty of other families with young children there, so we felt like we fit right in.
Here are some reason why the Sun Mountain Lodge is the perfect place to stay with kids:
- There were two playgrounds: one by the main lodge and one down by the Patterson Lake cabins.
- There was also plenty of open green spaces to run around. We played chase and brought our soccer ball.
- We also really enjoyed spending time at the pool! (Our daughter could have stayed in all day!)
- The Activity Room had lots of games to keep our little one busy. We played lots of ping pong! We also found a donut board game that we brought to the restaurants to keep us occupied during meals.
- The stables, petting zoo, and pony rides were a real hit! Watching my daughter ride her first horse was such a special memory from this trip.
- Roasting s’mores by the fire was one of our daughter’s favorite things from the entire weekend!
Fine Dining with Young Kids: I was a little nervous to have a fine dining experience with two little kids in The Dining Room, but thankfully the restaurant was very family-friendly! We made our dinner reservations for 5pm, and there were several other families with little kids and babies. It was also nice that the Cascade Room was located just steps away down the hall. When our baby was being a little fussy, we were able to take her for a walk down the hall and play in the Activity Room for a few minutes.
Video Footage
We created a YouTube video with lots of footage from our trip. In the video you’ll also see our full room tour!
Nearby Activities
Winthrop
The western-themed town of Winthrop is located just 20 minutes away from the Sun Mountain Lodge. We visited Winthrop on our way back home, and we highly recommend stopping at Sheri’s for lunch and some ice cream. Be sure to grab some sweets from their candy shop too! We also played some mini-golf before our drive back home. If you have more time to spare, I recommend walking to the river. It’s such a peaceful spot.
Lake Pearrygin State Park
A popular spot to visit nearby is Lake Pearrygin State Park. My husband and I visited Lake Pearrygin a few years ago, and it’s definitely a popular summer swimming spot. A lot of people visit for water sports, camping, and fishing.
Summary
If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination in Washington State, I wholeheartedly recommend staying at the Sun Mountain Lodge. I loved that everything we needed was on the property, so we didn’t need to leave the resort once. We made family memories that I will treasure forever. If you have any questions about our stay at the lodge, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We definitely plan on coming back!
