The Resort at Paws Up

This sprawling 37,000-acre Montana ranch, home to a free-roaming bison herd, melds its deep cattle-ranching heritage with ultra-luxury lodging and extensive year-round outdoor adventures.

The Resort at Paws Up spreads across 37,000 acres of Montana's Blackfoot Valley, a landscape historically traveled by the Nez Perce, Flathead, and Blackfeet nations before becoming a hub of fur trapping and logging. In 1997, Dave and Nadine Lipson purchased the working cattle ranch, named it Paws Up after the enthusiastic greeting of their dogs, and opened it as a luxury resort in 2005. Today, the property operates both as a high-end wilderness retreat and a working ranch, complete with a resident herd of Black Angus cattle and a free-roaming herd of approximately 200 bison. The resort features no central lodge or traditional hotel rooms: instead, guests stay in one of 28 private luxury homes or 36 safari-style glamping tents scattered across six distinct camps, including River Camp, Cliffside Camp, and Pinnacle Camp.

Accommodations are split between year-round timber homes and seasonal glamping tents available from late May through early October. The luxury estates, which include the multi-bedroom Wilderness Estates and Big Timber Homes, are outfitted with vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces, and private outdoor hot tubs. Each home rental includes a complimentary Lexus NX or RX SUV for navigating the ranch's 100 miles of dirt roads and trails. The glamping tents represent the pinnacle of rustic comfort, featuring king-size beds, heated slate floors in en-suite bathrooms, and dedicated camp butlers who stoke morning fires and curate evening s'mores boards. The resort is famously dog-friendly, welcoming canine companions for a nightly fee and offering specialized pet services. For guests with mobility needs, Paws Up provides ADA-compliant timber homes designed with ramps, roll-in showers, and wide entryways.

Culinary experiences at the resort center around locally sourced ingredients and refined ranch fare. Pomp, the premier fine-dining restaurant named after William Clark's nickname for Sacagawea's son, serves dishes like local elk loin and wild-caught salmon, while Trough offers casual, Western-inspired breakfast and lunch options. The historic Bull Barn, a 9,000-square-foot former livestock auction house, now serves as a grand venue for events and weddings. Wellness is anchored by Spa Town, a collection of six white treatment tents pitched in a quiet meadow during the summer, featuring heated massage tables, outdoor hot baths, and a glass-enclosed yoga studio. From October through May, these services transition indoors to the historic Morris Ranch House, a restored 1908 farmhouse that originally housed ranch hands.

Outdoor recreation at Paws Up spans more than 70 guided activities across every season. Guests can participate in authentic cattle drives, herding Corriente cows across open pastures, or explore the property's equestrian center, which includes a progressive mustang rescue and rehabilitation initiative with 12 gentled mustangs. The fabled Blackfoot River, running directly through the property, offers world-class fly-fishing for cutthroat trout, alongside whitewater rafting and kayaking. Additional warm-weather pursuits include go-kart racing, an aerial ropes course, and a world-class sporting clays course. In winter, the landscape transforms for snow-tubing, dog sledding led by Alaskan huskies, and riding agile MoonBikes, ensuring the ranch remains an active wilderness playground year-round.

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