Paws Up Montana

Set on a 37,000-acre working cattle ranch in Montana's Blackfoot Valley, about 40 minutes northeast of Missoula, Paws Up is a wilderness escape that trades the polish of a conventional resort for big-sky freedom without asking families to give up a single comfort. Seven miles of the Blackfoot River wind through the property, the Garnet Mountains rise on the horizon, and days here revolve around the outdoors rather than screens. Families choose between two very different styles of stay. The safari-style luxury tents are spread across six riverside camps, each one carrying an en suite bathroom, air conditioning, a private deck, and a camp chef who cooks for that camp alone. The vacation homes and log cabins are the alternative, ranging from cozy one-bedroom retreats to expansive multi-bedroom estates that comfortably absorb three generations under one roof. Whichever you pick, the ranch itself does the heavy lifting, and this is one of the most distinctive nature stays in the United States.

Mornings tend to start at the kids club, where the Kids Adventure Club gives children ages three to twelve a full day of archery, rustic cooking lessons, sapphire hunting, and pony rides while parents disappear to the spa or a guided wilderness adventure. Nanny services, including after-hours care, look after the youngest guests, and the riding stables at the Saddle Club, the largest private equestrian center in Montana, put horseback riding within reach of every skill level. Dining removes the usual friction of family travel entirely, since meals and drinks are included in the rate, children's menus run across the restaurants, and a family can eat together over a casual dinner at Trough, gather around a riverside campfire, or simply have the meal delivered to their tent at no extra charge. With more than seventy activities spread across all four seasons, from summer rafting and fly-fishing to winter dog sledding, snowshoeing, and horse-drawn sleigh rides, the only real challenge of a Paws Up stay is deciding what to save for the next visit.