The Ranch at Rock Creek's Granite Lodge houses nine guest rooms as well as a restaurant, bar, game room and movie theater.

I’ve long argued to anyone who will listen (so probably no one), that no states in the country are as underappreciated for their natural beauty as Montana and Idaho. The oversight is likely the result of a lack of big-name attractions; no Grand Canyon, no Old Faithful, no giant redwood, just mile after mile of panoramic views that go so deep that in the winter months, it’s difficult to see where the white-capped mountains end and the clouds begin.

And it can be just as difficult to find modern luxury accommodations in that part of the world too. Seedy-looking motels, RV parks and fishing shacks are almost as abundant in the region as mule deer. When I visit my grandmother in North Central Idaho, for example, my lodging options are an overpriced and underheated log cabin bed and breakfast or a roadside motel (albeit one that offers a breakfast of all-you-can-eat make-your-own waffles). But this part of the United States is so beautiful, it demands a visit.

So The Ranch at Rock Creek, currently in its soft opening phase with a grand opening scheduled for May, is a welcome addition to the region. Located 60 minutes southeast of Missoula, Mont. and 75 minutes west of Butte, this ranch combines the charm of the Old West with modern luxuries such as a restaurant serving gourmet cuisine based on local ingredients (by a local chef), a 2,100 foot spa and the well-stocked Silver Dollar Saloon with its four-lane bowling alley.

Saddle up at the Bar at the Silver Dollar Saloon; your drinks are included as part of your stay at The Ranch at Rock Creek.

Accommodations range from a single room with two twin beds in the Granite Lodge to the Trapper Tent–a luminous tented bedroom, connected by a breezeway to a cabin with a small kitchen, a not-so-small bathroom with a rock-floored shower facing a stream, a gas fireplace, heated flooring and a wooden hot tub with a heated rock bench located right off the deck. Yes, this tent is nicer than my first (and second) apartment.

The quality of accommodations, however, don’t interfere with guests ability to experience Montana’s natural beauty. The Ranch at Rock Creek offers horseback riding, fly fishing on a creek, fishing on stocked trout ponds, hiking, wildlife watching, mountain biking  and rafting on its 6,600 acres, all of which are included as part of your stay.

Rooms start at $800 per person (based on double occupancy) and include lodging, meals, beverages (including the good stuff), as well as those aforementioned fun activities.

The Ranch at Rock Creek
79 Carriage House Lane
Philipsburg, MT 59858
888-757-2624
Info@TheRanchAtRockCreek.com

Photos: Courtesy The Ranch at Rock Creek