From time to time, we are lucky enough to have people from the press stay with us at the Ranch. From our point of view, the best word of mouth is from those who have experienced the Bar W first hand.
Montana is a land of cowboys and wide, open spaces. Whitefish, Montana is also home to Bar W Guest Ranch. If you're coming to Montana, you need to get on a horse and experience the west as it once was. Experience all the senses of Montana and discover why it's nicknamed the "Last Best Place."
Located 30 miles southwest of Glacier National Park and nestled in the scenic Flathead Valley along Spencer Lake in Whitefish, this intimate family ranch hosts up to 60 guests a week. The packages at Bar W Guest Ranch are for a six-night stay and rates include all meals, guided trail rides, horsemanship lessons, cattle working and all ranch activities and facilities.
Had enough hiking for the weekend? Give your legs a rest and take to the trails on horseback at the Bar W Guest Ranch. Experienced riders and complete novices alike can tag along with expert guides to see the landscape in a whole new way. Located right at the foot of Spencer Mountain, Bar W is in the heart of the most beautiful terrain Whitefish has to offer. Explore the lush mountain forest through tall larch trees on singletrack trails.
The Bar W Guest Ranch is a dude ranch near Glacier National Park, ready to treat you to true Montana hospitality from the moment you arrive until long after the sun sets. Nestled between two pine-covered ridges in an idyllic setting at the base of Spencer Mountain, the Bar W Guest Ranch is located just a stone’s throw from the town of Whitefish, Glacier National Park and Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort.
A quintessential Montana dude ranch at its core, Bar W seamlessly blends homey western lodging (like framed antlers, bear-accented quilts, and roomy glamping tents) with a full suite of cowboy-centric activities like horseback riding, cattle herding, line dancing, and cookout dinners all included in a package stay.
Meet the Neighhh-bors – Trail rides at Bar W Guest Ranch run May through October, but families can still enjoy the horses in the colder season with a scenic sleigh trip.
Bar W. Guest Ranch is just 3.5 miles from the shopping, dining, and entertainment of Whitefish — but it feels an entire world away. The ranch is wild and beautiful – the kind of place that attracts anyone who loves the outdoors.
Bar W Guests want to spend their days outdoors playing hard and building big appetites, so Chef Cody delivers down-home, family-style ranch cooking and plenty of it…
I’ve kept in touch with Marcus since he wrote to us, and he reports that he and his buddies will be traveling to Bar W Guest Ranch in Whitefish, Montana, this September. Best of luck to them on their cattle drive…
Enjoy the magic of a sleigh drawn by gentle draft horses while snuggling up with friends and loved ones. Sit back and enjoy the fresh air on a sleigh ride at the Bar W Guest Ranch. Afterward, warm up with hot chocolate and cookies.
This special package combines nature’s simplicity with western informality and provides you with a true Montana retreat to refuel your spirit and delight your body.
Picking the best mountain town in Montana is a little like naming the perfect bar or trout fly – a great way to start an argument. The town is genuinely western, welcoming, and surprisingly busy given its small populace.
This northwest Montana ranch provided us with a ranch experience we’ll long remember.If location is everything, then the Bar W Ranch has it all! The ranch is located in jaw-dropping, scenic northwest Montana, and is 23 miles from Glacier National Park. It’s also 3.5 miles from the town of Whitefish, rate one of “The Top Ten Cool Towns” by Frommer’s Budget Travel.
Picture yourself lost in the commotion of everyday life watching the moments fly by and you slowly escape to the peaceful surroundings of Montana. You picture your family smiling around a campfire roasting s’mores over an open flame as country music plays in the background and strangers become friends.
When I first arrived for the Cowgirl-Up week I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.” Schelin said. I’d never done this before. The whole atmosphere, the wranglers, the cook, the girls from all over the place have been so wonderful. We’ve become a big family.”
The beauty of Montana is that its vast wilderness really is as stunning in person as it looks in movies – if not more so. Combine the scenery at the 100-acre Bar W Guest Ranch with the friendly staff and you might start to think you’ve been transported to your own movie set.
I have been to ranches, and have always ridden horses. But riding in an English saddle around a ring and riding up mountain trails with Montana scenery in the background is quite different. Horseback riding at Bar W Guest Ranch is, well, something special. Any place that has a pet goat who acts like the family dog gets my vote from the get go.
Between Glacier National Park, Big Mountain Ski Area, Whitefish, Flathead and Spencer Lakes, travelers can enjoy every outdoor activity imaginable hiking, fishing, camping, and mountain biking to world class skiing and snowboarding.
‘Cowgirl Up,’ the extremely popular, all-inclusive girls’ getaway, is in its fourth season and is a six night getaway that takes place in May, September and October. Trail rides are not the only horsing around on the agenda. Cowgirls also learn to work cattle and learn the skill of team sorting and penning, a surprisingly fun activity that gives even the most high-maintenance city slicker a tantalizing taste of the West’s allure. For more experienced riders, barrel racing and roping are also on the menu.
“Whitefish, Montana: Where Meetings and Adventure Come Together” By: Anne Shepphird
