The history of the dude ranch dates back to the 1800s when it was common practice for ranching families to invite friends from the city to visit their cattle ranches. As the railroad stretched throughout the West, ranch owners realized they could attract flocks of city slickers (otherwise known as “dudes”) and the business proliferated.
Today hundreds of ranches offer dude ranching experiences. Paws Up is situated on a sprawling, 37,000-acre working cattle ranch. You can join authentic western ranch activities like a cattle drive where novice and advanced riders team up with seasoned ranch hands in driving a herd of cattle. Guests saddle up their horses and set out to gather the cattle and trail them to working corrals, sort them, then trail them back to their home pasture. Other ranch activities include a junior wrangler program and scenic wagon rides.
What differentiates The Resort at Paws Up from a Montana dude ranch is a commitment to luxury. Montana’s premier luxury ranch resort offers first-class service and luxurious accommodations (including private vacation homes and glamping tents) and amenities. At Paws Up, once you dismount, you’ll step into a world of incomparable creature comforts featuring gourmet cuisine, decadent spa treatments, personalized service, and amenities such as flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet, in-home laundry, heated bathroom floors, rain showers, organic spa products and hot tubs.
The dude ranch tradition is alive and well in Montana at Paws Up – offering patrons a taste of the American frontier like none other.
