Ranch at Rock Creek

Nestled in one of Montana’s most pristine valleys, The Ranch at Rock Creek offers year-round unique vacations on an authentic 19th century homestead. Here, you can balance Western adventure with lavish all-inclusive amenities. Start the day with inspired Ranch cuisine, then learn to fly fish on a Blue Ribbon trout stream. Experience awe-inspiring views from The Top of the World on horseback and drift off in a bespoke glamping tent under the Big Sky.

The 29 one-of-a-kind accommodations, which can host up to 75 guests, are thoughtfully woven into the The Ranch’s vast landscape. Ranging in size from one-bedroom suites to five-bedroom homes, offering four distinct styles of lodging: Granite Lodge suites, a converted Historic Barn, Luxury Homes and Canvas Cabins for glamping. The design echoes home more than hotel – with deluxe amenities, custom furniture and decor that showcases a distinctive Western heritage.

Lodge Rooms
The Granite Lodge’s nine ranch accommodations weave luxury, style and authenticity into your Montana adventure. Appointed with custom-made furniture, woven textiles, frontier antiques and lavish linens, our Granite Lodge rooms find design inspiration in iconic western themes, such as the great turn of the century railroad hotels and the classic guns that helped win the West. No two rooms are alike, although most upper-level rooms offer views of the Rock Creek valley. Some rooms may be combined to form a two-bedroom family suite that includes twin beds and pull-outs.

 

Montana Glamping

Luxury camping goes hand in hand with all-inclusive experiential travel. The wilderness glamping experience enhances your ability to appreciate and reflect upon the majesty of Montana’s scenery– whether you’re sipping your afternoon coffee while watching eagles alight on the cottonwoods or enjoying a cedar soaking tub underneath a glistening nightscape.

The Ranch glamping structures, “canvas cabins,” were designed to be easily removed and have minimal impact on the environment, providing a highly sustainable way to travel. With The Ranch’s designation as a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World, the Ranch is always mindful of being responsible stewards of the land. Meanwhile, our Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star services and amenities enrich the experience, making it the ultimate luxury glamping experience.

The Barn

The remodeled 19th-century barn houses an important piece of Ranch at Rock Creek history. Often billed as “rustic,” a barn was actually the original rural luxury. It cost more than a home and stored a ranch’s wealth, in the form of livestock, equipment and feed. This original structure was lovingly restored to three unique accommodations that can be booked separately or in concert to house a large group.

Once the hayloft of the original homestead’s barn, the 700 sq. ft. Loft contrasts the original exposed-rafter ceilings with luxurious amenities. The combined bedroom and sitting area offers a king bed and queen pull-out sofa. The bathroom features a marble tiled shower, with a built-in bench, and an elegant two-person slipper tub overlooking the wildflower lawn and Pintler mountain range. A large television, DVD player, indoor gaming table and outdoor porch make it an ideal place to socialize with friends and family. Enjoy pastoral elegance with chandeliers, leather upholstered furniture and woven textiles set against rough-hewn wood and natural light.

Cabins & Homes

The Ranch offers luxury one-bedroom cabins to 3-bedroom homes to accommodate couples to large family groups. Each are uniquely designed. Layouts included Western style bedrooms/suites king or twin bed configurations, en-suite bath and private access to the back deck. Some  include a full kitchen and a comfortable living area warmed by a large stone fireplace. Each room also has a day bed that serves as a reading nook and extra guest accommodations.

Horseback Riding

With 6,600 acres to explore and miles of trails, there are always new adventures for all riding levels. Flat creekside trails are best for beginners while treks to peaks and rolling pine trails are enjoyed by intermediate to advanced riders. After you get fitted with boots and a hat, our wranglers ensure you are comfortable on a horse that matches your experience level. They give a basic lesson on natural horsemanship skills, horse tendencies and rider safety. The small group size ensures we are not a nose-to-tail property. There are opportunities for trotting and loping on all trails, contingent on rider ability and comfort level. Longer half and full-day rides are offered for intermediate and advanced riders when scheduled in advance.

Mountain Biking

The Ranch’s extensive road and trail system affords an array of solo and group biking adventures. All guests receive a mountain bike upon check-in for easy transportation between the Granite Lodge, the Rod & Gun Club and accommodations. All able guests are encouraged to walk or bike during their stay using the trails and pedestrian bridge over Rock Creek.

The Ranch also offers the opportunity to try one of Western Montana’s favorite sports—cross-country mountain biking. Options range from an easy pedal along Rock Creek Road to a more challenging trail that hugs the hillsides and traverses the sagebrush flats of our 10 square mile ranch. Join our General Manager Jon Martin on a cross-country ride across this trail during your stay. As an avid cyclist, he’ll guide you through this 2-3 hour adventure while sharing information about The Ranch’s landmarks. In addition to traditional mountain bikes, The Rod & Gun Club has e-bikes and Specialized fat tire bikes. Fat tire bikes are available for use year-round, and are an enjoyable way to traverse our snowy tracks and trails.

Hiking

Guests love the thrill of riding Montana on horseback or on a mountain or e-bike, but we also recommend exploring our diverse eco-system on foot. Follow the Eastern valley through pine forests and rhyolite outcroppings to summit Paradise Peak. Hike the Western hills through wildflower meadows to Mary Beth’s Peak and Top of the World. The trails along Rock Creek are ideal for a short stroll, while avid backpackers can appreciate The Ranch’s 20+ miles of trails as an advanced hiking resort. Get outfitted with hiking boots and a trail map at the Rod & Gun Club. Schedule a guided hike for an in depth look at the flora, fauna and history of The Ranch. Try Geotagging, a hiking activity that uses GPS coordinates to find Ranch landmarks.

Fly Fishing

Whether you’ve dreamed of Montana fly fishing for years or you’ve yet to cast for the first time, you will not be disappointed by the opportunities on our namesake Rock Creek. Four miles of private access and pristine river frontage on this freestone mountain stream boasts seven species of fish: Westslope cutthroat, rainbow, cut-bow, brown, brookie, bull and the Rocky Mountain whitefish.

Rock Creek is famous for its salmonfly hatch starting in late May and lasting into July, as well as additional hatches including mayflies, golden stoneflies and caddis fly. Our licensed and trained fishing guides are excited to share their professional expertise and personal passion for fishing. They go above and beyond to ensure that your fishing experience is both enjoyable and successful.

Winter Sports

As the United States’ only charter member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World collection, our Montana winter resort rivals the chalets of Aspen, Chamonix and Turin as a winter getaway. Stay in the cozy Granite Lodge or make one of our luxury homes or cabins your private ski chalet. Delight in Chef Drage’s dining experiences, like tasting menus, Dutch oven dinners and other hearty, healthy fare. Enjoy bonfire happy hours with mulled wine and hot cocoa.

There are few destinations that have all the best winter sports waiting outside your door). Enjoy included downhill skiing and snow-boarding excursions to Discovery Ski Area with our ski concierge, as well as year-round activities, like shooting sports, horseback riding and bowling tournaments in the Silver Dollar Saloon. There’s also sledding, hockey, snowmobiling, ice skating and cross-country skiing.

Ranch Ropes Course

The Ranch ropes course can be a fun day out with the family or a transformative personal experience. Our course was built in 2014 with state-of-the-art construction below a Rhyolite outcropping. After a safety orientation and equipment fitting, the rest of the adventure is entirely customizable to the user’s comfort and abilities. Those who don’t wish to complete the course are invited to enjoy the view of the spectacular Sapphire Mountains atop the platform or watch the excitement from terra firma.

The course has 19 elements—six lower elements and 13 elevated elements. The lower elements are ideal for corporate or family team building, challenging the group to work together to achieve a target. The 13 elevated elements include three zip lines, rope bridges, 35-foot challenges and the leap-of-faith. This exciting outdoor activity can be more than a few hours of fun; it can be the tie that binds groups and families together.

 

Other Activities:

Mining

Meditation and Yoga

Kid’s Club

Photography Sessions

Fitness Room

Spa

Archery & Shooting Sports

Rodeo

Bowling