A Hotel We Love: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Western culture is having a major moment, and there are few places that will immerse you in it better than The Ranch at Rock Creek. This Philipsburg, Montana resort has it all: gourmet dining, dozens of outdoor activities and impeccable service. Let’s get into it.

Details of My Stay:

At one point or another, the West beckons for us all. Montana has been on my list for a long time, as has The Ranch at Rock Creek. I’m an outdoorsy person — to an extent. I like to hike, fish, kayak and ski, but at the end of the day, I want a hot shower, a fancy cocktail and a plush bed. From what I’d heard about Ranch at Rock Creek, the resort ticked all of those boxes and more. So my husband and I set out for a three-night stay at the property last month. 

Every day at The Ranch at Rock Creek is set up the way I usually schedule my vacations: breakfast, activity, lunch, activity, happy hour, dinner, drinks. Before you arrive, you’ll have a call with a Ranch ambassador to discuss preferred dining times and activities you want to prioritize. From there, they’ll build you a schedule for review.

Let’s talk dining first. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Buckle Barn, which is essentially a large dining hall with both indoor and outdoor seating. But because we stayed in the Granite Lodge across the road, we opted to eat breakfast in the great room of that space, where coffee and pastries were served every morning. The menu was the same for all four lunches we experienced, save for a special soup and sandwich every day. And every day, we ordered the smoked chicken with pepita romesco and salsa matcha because it’s one of the best chicken dishes ever made. Dinner took place on our side of the creek in the Granite lodge dining room, and the menu changed every night. The food was seasonal and delicious. 

The beverage part of the F&B program was my favorite. Every day before dinner, you can sidle up to the Granite Lodge bar and order drinks from the very skilled bartenders manning the stick (shout out to Ace and Emma!). They can make you almost any classic, but you have to try the signature cocktails as well (including a barrel-aged Old Fashioned that switches out the spirit every month or so). Every night after dinner, we went to the Silver Dollar Saloon for more drinks and games like pool, shuffleboard and bowling (yes, they have a small alley that is so awesome).

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Now about those activities — I had the absolute time of my life! Every activity (save for anything with horses) at the Ranch is coordinated through the Rod & Gun Club, so we spent a lot of time in and out of that building. Our first activity was archery, which I’ve loved since I was a wee Girl Scout. This was my first time shooting a compound bow, and our instructor Richard could not have been a better teacher. We loved our time with him so much that we requested him for sporting clays the next morning, which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. It was my first time shooting a firearm and I was nervous, but it was such a safe and professional situation, my mind was completely at ease. I even broke four clays, which I was not expecting to do. Not too shabby for a first-timer!

Montana is the only state with major sapphire deposits, so The Ranch at Rock Creek offers sapphire mining as one of the activities. We sifted through gravel for two hours and found about 10 sapphires, which we’re soon going to have cut and polished. Pretty much the coolest souvenir ever. Obviously there are tons of nature activities around the Ranch. We took an hour-long hike with a guide one morning, and later that day, we went on a UTV tour to explore parts of the Ranch that aren’t accessible by foot. On our last morning, Dayne took us fly fishing in Rock Creek, which was one of my favorite experiences of the stay. Everything is catch and release, but we each caught two fish — great success!

On the last night of our stay, we attended a Saturday night dinner and dance at the Buckle Barn. What. A. Time. There was a huge barbecue spread with all the fixins, and a live band played on the patio outside while some of the Ranch ladies led us in line dances. I boot scooted until the music stopped and am yearning for another chance to strap on my Luccheses and get back on the floor (luckily NYC has quite a few venues where this is possible).

What I Liked:

• The room: We stayed in the Remington, a lovely room on the ground floor of the Granite Lodge, which was conveniently located next to all the bars. The room was spacious and comfy, done up in dark wood, leather and warm, Western tones. The shower was one of the best ever — the water pressure nearly blasted me through the wall and, yes, that’s a good thing. 
• The bikes: The Ranch is very walkable, but it is big, so each person is assigned a bike when they arrive to use for the duration of their stay. Living in NYC, I never get to ride a bike because it’s dangerous as hell and I’m super clumsy. Riding around on those dirt paths every day made me happier than I could have ever imagined.
• Private activities: The best part about all of the activities is they are private. For example, I’ve been to resorts where they offer archery, but they are group classes, meaning you have to wait your turn while other people take theirs. And look, I can share, but it’s so much better when you don’t have to. It makes the experience that much more luxurious.
• Daily Champagne: Starting around 11:30 or noon, the staff puts a bottle of Champagne on ice in the great room of the Granite Lodge. The bottle changes every day, so you get to try new bubbles all throughout your stay. We’d typically grab a glass after lunch while on our way to the afternoon activity (as long as said activity didn’t involve firearms, of course).
• The all-inclusive nature: The Ranch at Rock Creek is all-inclusive, meaning you don’t have to worry about paying for meals, drinks or activities during your stay. Gratuity is also included for extra carefree feels.
• The personal touches: Even though my beloved dog Spaghetti had to stay behind for this trip, that didn’t stop the staff from asking about him multiple times. On our last night during turndown service, a little jar of homemade dog treats and a Ranch at Rock Creek bandana with his name on it were placed on the bed. It was such a sweet, thoughtful gesture I’ll remember always. Overall, the service was impeccable, truly worthy of five stars. You really can only say that about a handful of properties, and this is one of them.

In Closing: 

You’d be remiss to find a better meeting of natural beauty and five-star service than at The Ranch at Rock Creek. The staff is absolutely wonderful and quick to ensure that no detail is left to chance. If you want to live out your wildest cowboy dreams without roughing it whatsoever, make your way to Montana ASAP.

Photos courtesy of Max Schwartz and The Ranch at Rock Creek

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