Bar W Guest Ranch

Bar W is a small guest ranch just west of Whitefish in northwest Montana, about 4 miles from town, 16 miles from Glacier Park International Airport and 23 miles from Glacier National Park. It was established in 2005 and has been owned by Bill and Barbara Wetzel since 2021. With room for only about 32 guests, it is one of the most intimate ranches on our list.

The ranch itself covers 140 acres around Spencer Lake, but riding extends onto thousands of acres of neighboring state and public land. There are about 80 guest horses, rides are kept to a maximum of ten riders with two wranglers, and lessons are available from beginner to advanced. Bar W is open all year: family weeks in summer, adults-only and cattle-drive weeks in spring, adults-only weeks in fall, and sleigh rides in winter. Kids have the Cowpoke program for ages 2 to 6 and the Outlaw program for ages 7 to 12; trail rides start at age 7.

Guests choose between rooms in the main lodge, log cabins with kitchenettes, glamping tents with private bathrooms, and covered wagons fitted with a full bathroom. Stays are six nights, Sunday to Saturday, and the rate includes lodging, meals, activities and the riding package. Airport shuttles ($55 each way), gratuities and Montana lodging taxes are extra.

Published nightly rates range from about $450 to $850 per adult depending on season and lodging, with lower children’s rates. Confirm current pricing with the ranch.