Montana has long been known as a place to get away from it all but you don’t have to forgo luxury for a rustic retreat. Three Montana destinations are among the top luxury resorts in the country – The Ranch at Rock Creek, The Resort at Paws Up, and Sage Lodge. Each has its own style and experience to offer. Below is a summary and comparison of each.
For the best overall experience, The Ranch at Rock Creek stands out. They offer Forbes Five-Star service and attention as well as Relais & Châteaux level culinary experiences that vary throughout the week and with each season. Their all-inclusive pricing covers the widest range of activities in all seasons as well as meals and beverages and a long list of amenities. The Ranch is also the smallest property and therefore offers the most personalized experience.
Larger groups and families will find the space they need at The Resort at Paws Up. Accommodations are clustered in locations around the sprawling property to provide everyone with their own space while staying close together. Each type of accommodation is a unique experience and there are miles and miles of The Resort to explore. They also have the largest event spaces which include an auditorium, exhibition hall and arena.
Sage Lodge offers a more laid back, casual experience for couples and small gatherings. The Lodge is a smaller property than the other two, however its location in the center of one of the best valleys in Montana makes it a superb option. Paradise Valley, Yellowstone National Park, and the surrounding towns have multitudes of activities and places to explore with the Lodge offering a luxurious base camp to come back to each day.
The Ranch
at Rock Creek
The Resort
at Paws Up
Sage
Lodge
About The Ranch at Rock Creek
Year Opened: 2010
Size: 6,600 acres
Number of Activities: 40+
Affiliations: Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ranch, National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World, Relais & Châteaux
Best for: the most all-inclusive and luxurious ranch experience
About The Resort at Paws Up
Year Opened: 2003
Size: 37,000 acres
Number of Activities: 50+
Affiliations: Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star ranch
Best for: a sprawling ranch with plenty of room to roam
About Sage Lodge
Year Opened: 2018
Size: 1,200 acres
Number of Activities: 20+
Affiliations: Columbia Hospitality
Best for: access to Yellowstone National Park just 35 minutes away
Photo Credits: [left] The Ranch at Rock Creek [Middle] The Resort at Paws Up [Right] Sage Lodge
Ranch at Rock Creek’s Location: 20 miles outside of Philipsburg, approximately an hour and a half from Missoula or one hour from Butte
The Resort at Paws Up Location: 35 minutes northeast of Missoula in Greenough
Sage Lodge Location: Pray, Montana; approximately one hour from Bozeman and about 35 miles north of Yellowstone National Park
The Ranch at Rock Creek Lodging:
- 29 Accommodations
- 7 Luxury Homes ranging from 1 – 5 bedrooms
- 10 Glamping Canvas Cabins with 1 – 2 bedrooms
- 1 Historic Barn with 3 individual or combined accommodations
- 9 Granite Lodge Suites
Max occupancy: 75
The Resort at Paws Up Lodging:
- 64 Accommodations
- 28Luxury Homes ranging from 2 – 4 bedrooms
- 36 Luxury Safari-Style Tents arranged in 6 different camps with 1-3 bedrooms per tent
Max occupancy: 275
Sage Lodge Lodging:
- 38 Accommodations
- 4 Ranch Houses with 4 bedrooms
- 34 Lodge Rooms with standard rooms and suites
Max occupancy: 200
Photo Credits: [left] The Ranch at Rock Creek – Cattail Cabin Interior [Middle] The Resort at Paws Up – Pinnacle Camp and Pavilion [Right] Sage Lodge – Lodge King
The Ranch at Rock Creek Dining:
- 3 Restaurants
- 4 Bars
- Seasonal dining events
The Resort at Paws Up Dining:
- 3 Restaurants (tent camps each have a private chef who cooks breakfast and dinner at the camp each day)
- 1 Bar
- Seasonal outside dining events in the summer
Sage Lodge Dining:
- 2 Restaurants
- 2 Bars
Photo Credit: [Left] The Ranch at Rock Creek – Breakfast at the Ranch; [Right] The Resort at Paws Up – Cedar Plank Salmon
The Ranch at Rock Creek Summer Activities:
Included: fly fishing, horseback riding, trap and skeet, rifle range, pistol range, sporting clays, ropes course, hiking, mountain biking, archery, disc golf, master naturalist class, photography workshop, geocaching, Little Grizzlies Kids Club, pool, hot tub, fitness center, yoga, meditation, Art in Nature classes, Frontier Skills class, bowling, darts, billiards, karaoke, shuffleboard, sapphire mining, Ride Along with a Rancher, wildlife viewing, Respite on Rock Creek, weekly Ranch Rodeo
Additional Cost: Floating and fishing trips, ATV tours, High-Mountain Adventures, specialized yoga sessions
The Resort at Paws Up Summer Activities:
Included: archery, fitness center, geocaching, nature hikes, pony rides, tennis, painting, photography, and jewelry and wilderness workshops
Additional Cost: arena lessons, ATV tours, backcountry tours, canoeing, cattle drives, cow croquet, downhill mountain biking, fat tire electric bike tours, fly fishing, Garnet Ghost Town Tour, Go-Karts, helicopter tours, horse whispering, carriage rides, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, Kids Corps of Discovery, .22 rifle range, paintball, rappelling, river adventures, sporting clays, team penning, bike park, Sky Line Aerial Adventure Park, wagon team driving, Day trip to Island Lodge at Salmon Lake for fishing, jet skiing, kayaking, paddleboarding, paddleboats, swimming, pontoon boat tours, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and waterskiing
Sage Lodge Summer Activities:
Included: staff-led on-property activities including fly fishing on the Lodge pond, hiking, mountain biking, axe throwing, stargazing class, yoga, live music, yard games, board games, crafts for kids
Additional Cost: Yellowstone Tours, fly fishing lessons and trips, fly tying lessons, guided hikes, guided mountain biking, horseback riding, llama treks, scenic river float, whitewater rafting, kayaking, helicopter tours, hot air balloon rides, art classes, photography sessions and many additional area attractions
Photo Credits: [left] The Ranch at Rock Creek [Middle] The Resort at Paws Up [Right] Sage Lodge
The Ranch at Rock Creek Winter Activities:
Included: horseback riding, Ride Along with a Rancher, trap and skeet, frontier skills, sapphire mining, Art In Nature classes, meditation, downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice skating, sledding, fat tire biking, hiking, master naturalist class, photography workshop, rifle range, pistol range, sporting clays, yoga and meditation sessions
Additional Cost: Ice Fishing, specialized yoga sessions
The Resort at Paws Up Winter Activities:
Included: cross-country skiing, curling and broom hockey, snow tubing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, geocaching, nature hikes,
Additional Cost: arena lessons, biathlon, Blast Mountain, cow croquet, dogsledding, downhill skiing, skijoring, sleigh rides, snowboarding, snowmobiling, horseback riding, fat tire electric bike tours, foundational horsemanship, helicopter tours, horse whispering, hot air ballooning, rifle range, sleigh rides, sporting clays, and team penning
Sage Lodge Winter Activities:
Included: staff-led on-property activities including hiking, snowshoeing, fly casting lessons, axe throwing, and stargazing class
Additional Cost: Yellowstone Tours, fly fishing lessons and trips, fly tying lessons, guided hikes, helicopter tours, hot air balloon rides, art classes, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, photography sessions and many additional area attractions
