Lone Mountain Guest Ranch

Located just seven miles from the lifts at Big Sky ski resort and twenty miles from Yellowstone, this historic ranch offers one-week packages (Saturday through Saturday) for adventurous vacations in the summer and prime Nordic skiing in the winter.

• The secluded alpine setting, with easy access to all of Big Sky, the Gallatin River and Yellowstone National Park
• The variety of activities, including horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, Yellowstone Park tours, whitewater rafting, zip lining, hot air ballooning and world-class skiing
• Winter-time in the area. From a network of perfectly groomed Nordic trails to idyllic sleigh rides, winter on the ranch is quiet and magical

The 19-cabin Lone Mountain Ranch is not a luxury resort by a far shot, but it offers an enchanting entree to Montana's adventurous pursuits. While other classic ranches tend to focus on horse-related activities, the family focused Lone Mountain Ranch offers a menu of activities with broad appeal — from sunrise yoga and naturalist hikes to kayaking, mountain biking and backcountry fly fishing.

Tucked amidst lodgepole pines, the cabins at Lone Mountain Ranch are rustic but comfortable. Some date back to the 1920s and ’30s and charm guests with their handsome woodwork and stone fireplaces. All of the cabins have standard bathroom amenities and varied sleeping arrangements for couples, families and larger groups. The Ridgetop Lodge, set away from the heart of the ranch, has six bedrooms, each with a private bath, and is perfect for larger groups or guests seeking more privacy. A meal on the stone terrace at the Ridgetop Lodge, beneath the shadow of Lone Peak, is an unforgettable experience.

The well-organized activities program enables guests to get a real sense of the local culture through off-property excursions like farmer’s market visits, rodeos and outdoor concerts. The variety extends to the ranch’s stellar kids’ program — think riding and ropes courses for kids, geocaching and overnight backpacking trips for teens. In sum, Lone Mountain is ideally suited for families during the summer season, when seven-night stays required. In winter, with skiing and snow sports the primary focus, the ranch hosts longtime guests and locals alike for quick getaways and leisurely vacations.

The ranch prides itself on inventive, farm-to-table cuisine. From elk osso buco to bison strip steak with Carolina grits, meals are relaxed and decadent without being gluttonous. Drinks are served on a copper-topped bar in the cozy saloon where guests can linger indoors or out, amidst a grove of aspens. Locals come to listen to live music or simply watch the snow fall, hot toddy in hand. The sleigh-ride dinners are not to be missed: guests are whisked up the mountain for dinner prepared on a wood-fired cook stove in an old-fashioned cabin illuminated by kerosene lanterns.** **

Adventurous families who want to experience the charm of a dude ranch. The programs are Saturday through Saturday, and meals are served family style, so this is truly old-school atmosphere that some will love and others will not.

The ranch is an hour’s drive from the airport in Bozeman, Montana.