Paws Up Montana

The Resort at Paws Up is one of the best-known luxury ranch resorts in the West: a 37,000-acre working cattle and bison ranch at Greenough, about 35 miles east of Missoula, with 10 miles of the Blackfoot River, the river of A River Runs Through It, running through the property. It opened as a resort in 2005 and can host up to about 275 guests.

There are two ways to stay. The luxury homes, from Meadow Homes to the larger Wilderness Estates and Big Timber Homes, are open year-round. In season, the resort’s glamping camps, six camps of six tents each, pair canvas tents with private bathrooms and a dining pavilion at each camp.

Activities range across the whole ranch: horseback riding from the Saddle Club, cattle drives with the ranch hands, fly fishing on the Blackfoot, whitewater rafting, sporting clays, rappelling and more than 100 miles of trails. Winter brings snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding and ice skating. Spa Town is a cluster of tents linked by a boardwalk, and the year-round Kids Corps of Discovery program covers ages 3 to 12.

Paws Up is not fully all-inclusive. Nightly rates include three meals a day for two adults, airport transfers from Missoula and transport around the property, but guided activities and spa treatments are charged separately, a nightly resort fee and Montana lodging tax are added, and the bar is à la carte. The resort is gratuity-free. Ask for a quote with your preferred activities included to compare it fairly with all-inclusive ranches.