The 87-year-old Izaak Walton Inn in Essex, Montana, will cease operations on or about March 6, 2026, following layoff notices issued to staff on Feb. 13, according to the Flathead Beacon. The property, which had been rebranded as LOGE Glacier after Washington-based LOGE Camps acquired it in December 2022, now faces closure alongside other properties in the company’s distressed portfolio. The notice to employees stated that “the site will be closing its operations in the near future. As a result, your employment with LOGE Glacier … is expected to conclude on or about March 6, 2026.” The shutdown affects the main hotel, converted caboose cabins and restaurant at the historic railway lodge located 30 miles east of West Glacier.
The closure stems from severe financial distress within LOGE Camps, which purchased the inn for $13.5 million after the property had been listed four years prior with an asking price of $17.95 million. In November 2025, the board of directors learned that CEO Cale Genenbacher had used company funds to repurchase a hotel property from a lender who had foreclosed on it earlier that year, despite telling the board the property had been successfully refinanced. An email to LOGE investors on behalf of LOGE Holdings, the Radify Fund, LOGE Preferred Equity and special purpose entities explained: “Following this discovery, the board learned that there were other instances where the representations that had been made by the CEO were not accurate. In short, the real estate portfolio controlled by the entities above was in significant distress.” The board accepted Genenbacher’s resignation in late November 2025.
The restructuring timeline moved rapidly after the board’s discovery. On Dec. 28, 2025, directors determined “that it was in the best interest of all creditors, investors, employees and vendors to retain the services of a Chief Restructuring Officer and Insolvency Counsel.” By Jan. 8, 2026, LOGE Holdings had retained Eric Camm with Turning Pointe, LLC as chief restructuring officer. Four days later, the company retained Bush Kornfeld as counsel. An email to investors noted: “Together, we have partnered with the LOGE CFO, Brett Stewart (who started in November 2025), to continue working through the many issues that have come to light.”
Warning signs preceded the formal closure announcement. Less than one month before staff received layoff notices, the PistenBully machine LOGE was leasing to groom cross-country ski trails was repossessed, according to two people with firsthand knowledge of the forfeiture. The company had already encountered financial stumbling blocks in 2023 when interest rates surged following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, jeopardizing financing. Those delays meant the inn did not reopen until the winter 2024-2025 season.
A follow-up email from the LOGE Holdings board to investors explained the decision to wind down operations: “The board did not make this decision lightly, but this was required due to a lack of cashflow at the property level and the inability to continue paying required operating costs. The company is doing everything in its power to look for ways to continue maximizing value in these properties but cannot risk additional liability that would come from missing payroll obligations or other obligations to critical vendors. Right now the dates of the winddowns vary by property, and there is a chance on a few of the properties that a winddown can be avoided, but for now this is a necessary course of action to further limit liability.” LOGE representatives had not responded to requests for comment as of publication. Other LOGE properties facing closure include the Entrada Hotel in Bend, Oregon, and a hotel in Missoula.
The Izaak Walton Inn holds a distinctive place in Montana history. Built in 1939, the property was named for Sir Izaak Walton, a 17th-century sportsman who authored books on fly fishing. Great Northern Railway owner James J. Hill’s decision to build the rail line over Marias Pass prompted the need for lodging in Essex, and the inn remains the final flag-stop station for Amtrak’s Empire Builder passenger train as it skirts the remote southern border of Glacier National Park. Originally constructed out of pressboard for railroaders, the property stands as one of the few hotels open year-round near the park. LOGE was only the fourth owner in the property’s history.
The closure arrives just over a year after LOGE unveiled extensive renovations to substantial fanfare. The company had invested heavily in renovating the three-story hotel, bar and restaurant, including guest rooms, while pledging to retain historic character and charm. The building was painted blue and cream during its most recent renovation. Larry Epstein, a longtime Essex resident who grew up in Cut Bank and spent childhood summers and winters visiting grandparents at their cabin built in Essex in 1929, told the Flathead Beacon in December 2023: “It was built for railroaders, and prior to [former owner] Sid Goodrich buying it the place was a wreck. The pipes were bad, there was a bullet hole in the ceiling. I’m impressed with how much work the new owners have accomplished in just the past couple months. They’re on it.”
The shutdown will reverberate through Essex, a community of approximately six dozen year-round residents that depends on the tourism and employment the inn provides. The property’s year-round operations distinguished it from seasonal competitors, offering economic stability to local workers and businesses across all four seasons. The elimination of one of the few year-round lodging options near Glacier National Park concentrates the region’s vulnerability to future disruptions.
The property’s future remains uncertain. While the board indicated that a winddown might be avoided at some properties, no specific indication suggested the Izaak Walton Inn falls into that category. LOGE representatives had not responded to requests for comment, leaving questions about potential new ownership or operational continuity unanswered. For now, the 87-year-old landmark that has welcomed railroaders, skiers, hikers and train passengers across nearly nine decades faces an abrupt conclusion to its current chapter.