Regions
Surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains, Bozeman, Montana sits in the Gallatin Valley with plenty to see and do throughout the year. From winter adventures to warm summer days, visitors can enjoy miles of trails for hiking and biking, excellent fishing, museums, local arts and culture, and easy access to some of Montana’s most beautiful landscapes. With Yellowstone National Park just a short drive away, it’s easy to see why so many people fall in love with the area.
If you’re planning a trip to Bozeman and looking for a place to stay that offers more than a typical hotel, consider a local dude ranch. Dude ranches offer a chance to experience the American West through horseback riding, outdoor adventures, Western hospitality and comfortable cabins or lodges. Take a look at these ranches near Bozeman and start planning your Montana getaway.
Elkhorn Ranch Mountain Trails
Ranches Near Bozeman, Montana
Sweet Grass Ranch
Big Timber, Montana
The Sweet Grass Ranch has been family owned and operated for six generations as a working cattle ranch and guest ranch. Located in the Crazy Mountains miles from public roads, guests experience the heart of Montana in a way that will always be cherished. From down-home cooking, horseback riding, cattle work and more, everyone who comes here will have the vacation of a lifetime.
Hawley Mountain Ranch Lodge
Hawley Mountain Ranch
McLeod, Montana
Guests keep coming back year after year to the Hawley Mountain Ranch, and it’s no surprise why. The ranch offers horseback riding on over a million acres, a scenic float trip down the Yellowstone River and a trip to an abandoned ghost town from the gold mining days. With a small capacity, guests take away lasting memories and lifetime friendships!
Elkhorn Ranch
Gallatin Gateway, Montana
Elkhorn Ranch is a family-oriented dude ranch where people of all ages come to enjoy horseback riding and outdoor activities. The ranch offers a mix of shared and independent activities for families to experience the Western lifestyle for memories you won’t soon forget. With fishing, hiking, swimming, Yellowstone trips and more, the youngest children up to grandma and grandpa will have a blast.
Mountain Biking at Lone Mountain Ranch
Lone Mountain Ranch
Big Sky, Montana
Located just outside Big Sky and about 18 miles from Yellowstone National Park, Lone Mountain Ranch offers a classic Montana ranch experience surrounded by the Gallatin National Forest. Guests can spend their days horseback riding through mountain trails, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking or exploring Yellowstone with a guided trip. After a day outdoors, return to the ranch to enjoy comfortable cabins, hearty meals and the peaceful setting of the Montana mountains.
Hidden Hollow Hideaway Cattle & Guest Ranch
Townsend, Montana
Cattle work is available all through the summer at the Hidden Hollow Hideaway Cattle & Guest Ranch. From large cattle drives during the spring and fall as well as short cattle drives to move the herd from grazing areas, guests love the opportunity to be a cowboy at this ranch. And with only eight people max on the ranch, you’ll discover personal attention by the staff for the complete experience of Western life.
Upper Canyon Outfitters Cattle Drive
Upper Canyon Outfitters
Alder, Montana
Upper Canyon Outfitters is truly an outdoorsman’s paradise. They offer fishing packages that are wonderful for anglers of any level. The ranch offers personal experts to ensure some of the most memorable catches of your life. Specialty fishing and your guide’s knowledge of the area allows you to walk out to where the fish are. You’ll be set to enjoy the Montana mountains and the great company of your travel companions. Not only is there great fishing, but the ranch also offers incredible horseback riding, hunting and other outdoor activities for you to enjoy!
Mountain Sky Guest Ranch
Emigrant, Montana
Nestled in Paradise Valley with the Absaroka Mountains as a backdrop, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch offers a memorable Montana getaway just a short drive from Bozeman and Yellowstone National Park. Horseback riding is at the heart of the ranch experience, with rides ranging from arena instruction to scenic mountain trails. Guests can also enjoy fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, rafting, wildlife viewing and guided Yellowstone excursions. With comfortable accommodations and plenty of ways to explore the outdoors, Mountain Sky makes it easy to experience Montana’s Western landscape.
Parade Rest Ranch Horseback Riding
Parade Rest Guest Ranch
West Yellowstone, Montana
Just 15 minutes from Yellowstone National Park the Parade Rest Guest Ranch is the closest ranch in Montana to this famous destination. They offer summer tours into the Park on the lower and upper loops as well as trips to Jackson Hole and the Grand Teton National Park. While you are staying at the ranch you can also enjoy horseback riding lessons and mountain trail rides ranging from one to four hours, so everyone in your group can have the trail riding adventure they are looking for!
Hubbard’s Six Quarter Circle Ranch
Emigrant, Montana
Hubbard’s Six Quarter Circle Ranch offers an upscale and personal experience as a working cattle ranch. From moving cattle from pasture to pasture, checking fences or throwing salt, guests get involved in whatever ranch activities they would like to do; as well as riding on 25 square miles of wilderness on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. You would never forget the memories made at this ranch!
Pack Trip at Nine Quarter Circle Ranch
Nine Quarter Circle Ranch
Gallatin Gateway, Montana
For more than 65 years the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch in Montana has been a magical place for guests to come and enjoy the finest Western hospitality. The ranch has raised and trained appaloosa horses for generations and guests love to hear the stories of each horse and watch the babies grow! The cowboys here invite everyone to enjoy ranch life at its finest. If you would like to experience this way of life and outdoor activities like horseback riding, fishing, hiking and campfires, then this just might be the perfect place for you!
Covered Wagon Ranch
Gallatin Gateway, Montana
Covered Wagon Ranch is a unique horseback riding destination that has backcountry trail riding into the Gallatin and Madison mountain ranges and into Yellowstone National Park. You’ll experience exclusive trips into these places that are bucket list locations for many people. The best part about this is that the crowds and large buses of people are far away. The cabins at the ranch offer a special experience as well, they are the original cabins from the homesteading days in the 1920s and provide a cozy and rustic-chic stay complete with wood-burning stoves.
Contact the Dude Ranchers’ Association
For more information about places to say in Montana and beyond, reach out to the experts of dude ranch vacations at the Dude Ranchers’ Association. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to book the vacation of a lifetime.
