Luxury, Over-the-Top Adventures in Montana

Live it up in the great outdoors and luxe it back at the ranch. No need to sacrifice creature comforts to enjoy Montana’s splendor. Let’s uncover some of the amazing adventures and lavish lodging found in the Treasure State.

By: Carrie Hamblin

Shop This Look

Photo By: Triple Creek Ranch

Photo By: Michael Chilcoat

Photo By: The Resort at Paws Up

Photo By: Pieter de Liagre Bohl

Photo By: Trevon Baker Photography

Photo By: Brian Schott

Photo By: Collective Yellowstone

Photo By: Tiffany Rose / Under Canvas

Photo By: Bar W Guest Ranch

Photo By: Yellowstone Forever / Maria Bisso

Photo By: Larry Stanley Photography

Dogsledding at Triple Creek Ranch

A deck with a private hot tub, steam shower for two, wood-burning fireplace, gourmet meals delivered straight to your door—it’s hard to leave the comfort of your luxury cabin at Triple Creek Ranch. Then you remember it’s time to hitch up the pups! Iditarod racers and their dogs will show you the ropes—and the slopes—as you learn all about managing the team before a mush in the gorgeous Bitterroot Mountain Range. Don’t forget the GoPro as you head out the door—you’ll want to remember every moment.

Refined Retreats at The Ranch at Rock Creek

Five-star, Forbes-listed Ranch at Rock Creek is there to create a bespoke experience for each guest. After filling your days with the most of Montana out-of-doors, you come home in the evening to rest easy and opulently. Relax with spa treatments or yoga before enjoying organic and locally sourced meals prepared by the Ranch’s talented chef. Finish the night with a visit to the movie theater or a bit of bowling at the Silver Dollar Saloon before retiring to your amazingly apportioned abode. Slate floors, brass fixtures, blingy chandeliers—and that’s just the bathroom! The Ranch accommodates every need (including good wifi), but you’ll probably resist the temptation to make your friends jealous on Facebook.

Get Perspective at The Resort at Paws Up

There’s a saying that the secret to an enjoyable life is about having the proper perspective. A visit to The Resort at Paws Up can help you live the expression. See the sunrise over Blackfoot Valley from the Paws Up hot-air balloon. Take a helicopter tour of the majesty of Glacier National Park. Get the adrenaline pumping by rappelling from Lookout Rock and racing through the Garnet Mountains on an ATV adventure. This resort offers so many opportunities for adventure junkies, they’ve created a Thrillionaire’s Club for folks who master their list of heart-racing challenges.

Canvas Castles at The Resort at Paws Up

When you are ready to come down from your daytime escapades, it will be to a sumptuously appointed canvas castle. Relax with a glass of house wine in your copper tub filled to the brim or on your private deck overlooking the creek, while you wait patiently for the camp butler—aka certified S’moreologist—to finish preparing the S’mores over the communal campfire. Yes, there’s a camp butler. As you’ll discover, Paws Up puts the glam in glamping.

Ski From a Tree at Snow Bear Chalets

Ever dream of skiing out your front door? Well, grab your poles, powder hounds: Your dreams are coming true thanks to the ski-in ski-out treehouse cabins at Snow Bear Chalets. There is no compromise on the majesty of the mountain surrounds or the splendor of the indoor space. These luxury cabins feature gas fireplaces, quartz countertops and cathedral ceilings. Most important, all three cabins are less than a minute from Hope Slope at Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort. Providing magnificent views of your mountain playground, your fairytale treehouse features a private deck with hot tub to soothe your sore muscles after a day carving the slopes.

Wildlife Excursions at Lone Mountain Ranch

Montana’s creatures thrive in the abundance of undeveloped and protected wilderness, making it a wonderland for anglers and animal adorers. Visit the century-old Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky for a private and guided Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing trip to acclaimed local trout streams and Blue Ribbon rivers, or enjoy a backcountry tour on horseback to Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Gallatin National Forest. One of Nat Geo’s Unique Lodges of the World, Lone Mountain focuses on sustainability and commitment to protecting the natural and cultural heritage of its area. The perfect host for a week of being wowed by wildlife.

Glamp & Go at Collective Yellowstone

High-thread-count sheets and a mountain-trendy chandelier, a spa shower with Turkish towels, hardwood floors and a private deck; this ain’t the rickety old tent from your childhood camping trips. The concierge at Collective Yellowstone will construct your days around your interests—hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting, ziplining—leaving you time-rich and worry-free. Isn’t that the perfect recipe to reconnect with nature and yourself? In-tent massages after a hard day having fun never hurt anyone.

Glamping Glacier With Under Canvas

Million-acre Glacier National Park is one of the most adventure-ready parks in the American West. Soaring mountains, rushing streams, miles and miles of trails to explore. Don’t stress about where you put that tent or that trail; enjoy Glacier to its fullest with a four-day trek with glamping resort Under Canvas. They pack your days with outdoor fun in the mountains then you relax under the stars in your private glamping tent—replete with wood stove, en suite bathroom and private deck. Meals and camaraderie included. Your expedition ends with a private, hourlong in-tent massage! Ahhh…

Saddle Up at Bar W Guest Ranch

A visit to Montana is on every equine enthusiast’s bucket list. Heck, “cowboy” may be the official hat of the state. Bar W Guest Ranch in Whitefish offers guests an authentic dude ranch experience super close to Dream Home 2019. Like speed dating in the saddle, you’re paired with a ranch horse who’s your posing partner for cattle drive and trail ride selfies for the week. Learn some moves and show your stuff at the Bar W Guest Rodeo. Sign on to Cowgirl Up! for a female-only ranch adventure package. Did we say all-inclusive? Yep—spa treatments too.

VIP the Vacay With Yellowstone Forever Institute

Yellowstone National Park houses half of the world’s geysers and hot springs, not to mention stunning mountains and canyons, dramatic waterfalls and a huge diversity of wildlife. Why risk missing something during a visit? Take an eight-hour private tour of the park through the Yellowstone Forever Institute. A personal guide designs the tour around your interests and desired activity level, and multiple day tours give you the opportunity to explore even more. Plan a winter trip to feel really special and see parts of the park normally closed to the public.

Yeehaw and Namaste at Big Sky Yoga Retreats

Leave that phone in your room; you don’t need your meditation app when you’ve got the real thing. The skies, the mountains, the forests, the waterfalls: Montana offers perfect environs for realigning yourself and deepening your yoga practice, and Big Sky Yoga Retreats is there to help. How about a little fauna with those asanas? B-LUXE Cowgirl Yoga is a retreat focused on the horse-human connection. It includes yoga in and out of the saddle, horse husbandry and riding lessons. Enjoy the mountain comfort of A-frame cabins and gourmet food as well as wine-accompanied hot-tub soaks with your new BFFs in the group. As they like to say at Big Sky Yoga: “Yeehaw and Namaste!”

HGTV Dream Home 2019: Behind the Design