Bar W Guest Ranch

An Unforgettable Week at Bar W Guest Ranch! Our family just returned from the most incredible week at Bar W Guest Ranch in Montana, and I’m still pinching myself that such an amazing place exists. This wasn’t just a vacation—we created core memories here that will last a lifetime. A Genuine Ranch Experience! From the moment we arrived, we knew this was something special. Bar W is a family-owned business, and they genuinely make you feel like part of their family from day one. This isn’t some corporate tourist trap—it’s the real deal. We experienced authentic ranch life, complete with daily horseback riding that had my son so enchanted he’s now begging us to buy him a horse so he can keep riding at home! Breathtaking Scenery & Engaging Activities! The Montana landscape surrounding the ranch is absolutely breathtaking. Every trail ride offered new vistas that took our breath away. The activities were perfectly planned and engaging for all ages, striking that perfect balance between adventure and relaxation. Exceptional Staff - The Heart of Bar W! What truly sets Bar W apart is their incredible staff. Every single person we encountered was friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in making our stay memorable. Logan deserves special recognition—he has to be one of the kindest and most patient people I’ve ever met. Whether he was teaching our boys to skeet shoot or guiding us on trail rides, his encouragement and positive attitude made every moment special. Lauren, Nolan, Josh, Maddie, Fred, Ray Ann, Mickey, Joe—literally every staff member was outstanding. But I have to give special praise to Martha Paige, Annie, and Whit, who were absolutely wonderful with our younger children. They never pressured the kids to participate in activities they weren’t comfortable with, and when our little ones wanted to throw a football instead, Whit was right there on the lawn playing with them. That kind of flexibility and genuine care for each child’s experience is rare and precious. A Place We’ll Never Forget If we could come here every year, we absolutely would! Bar W Guest Ranch has set the bar impossibly high for family vacations. This is what a true guest ranch experience should be—authentic, welcoming, and absolutely magical. Thank you to everyone at Bar W for giving our family memories we’ll treasure forever. We can’t wait to return! Highly recommended for families seeking an authentic Montana ranch experience.

We just returned home from a week at the Bar W with my son to celebrate graduation and before his military deployment. Our experience was absolutely wonderful! Pretty sure we now have to build a fire pit at home to make cowboy coffee here. We went with the Swisher package for maximum horseback riding time. The views - especially at Swisher were phenomenal! Maddie and Fred were excellent wranglers and took great care of us. The entire Bar W team were very considerate and responsive to requests and questions throughout the week. I've never been someone who travels/vacations to the same place twice. Will definitely make an exception for the Bar W.

My daughter was recently married at the Bar W Ranch in Whitefish, Montana.|The families of the bride and groom all stayed in cabins on the property for five nights. The Montana skies from the front porch of your cabin were stunning. The campfires every night were a treat - so many stories told. The accommodations were top-notch. The beds were extremely comfortable. The ranch staff works very hard and are all very friendly.|The food for the reception was buffet style and delicious. |No air conditioning in the cabins but never needed it anyway. Open windows and fresh air is much preferred.|The wedding, the weather, the memories, the location, will not soon be forgotten ( or should I say not ever be forgotten). |Thank you to Bill and Barbara, the Ranch owners and all of the staff for making this wedding and family vacation a dream come true.

Horse trail only, not a guest: This was our 2nd time horseback riding in Montana. Very friendly staff and horses and organized process.. Our group was looking for another great memory with the beautiful landscaping that Montana has to offer. If you are looking for a trail with great views, this may not be that exact place. The ranch is not very big and it’s located very close to the road. Perhaps staying at the ranch is the better overall experience, but if you only book the horse trail, you may want to reconsider.

My sister and I had an incredible time at Bar W. Booking this trip, I was a little hesitate as I didn't have any horseback riding experience, but with the help of the amazing wranglers, I was riding confidently at the end of the week. Riding was of course the highlight every day, but they had other super fun actives you could participate in as well. The kitchen staff provided excellent meals, and the staff were always making sure you were taken care of. Look no further for your next vacation!

Great experience! We did the pony ride and had a great time. My 3 year old loved playing with the goats while we waited. The ranch is beautiful.

We had an amazing time. My 3 boys said they preferred Bar W over Aulani (Hawaii Disney resort)! |This is not a high end experience but was exactly what we expected for the price point. (Dude ranches are so expensive!) We tried so many new things and the kids LOVED the kids’ club and activities. The food was good (but lots of beef and pork!) and the staff were amazing. If I could give one main critique it would be around timely, sensitive communication, but things worked out in the end and we all had a BLAST.

If you are looking for the best dude ranch experience with your kids, family or friends this is your place. Bar W exceeded our expectations. So many activities for the kids and adults, delicious meals, great evening entertainment and most of all the best staff around. You will feel like family from the moment you walk on the ranch and you will be crying not wanting to leave. From the wranglers to the cooks and everyone in between it’s so well done! Bar W has thought of everything to make you have such a memorable experience. A vacation we will never forget! Shout out to Whitt, Logan, Lauren, wrangler Joe, Josh and Maddie….cant name them all! The week we had holds a special place in my heart.

Went on the two hour trail ride with our family and it was a great activity to see the forest! All the wranglers were so knowledgeable and comfortable. Safety demonstration was super easy and we got comfortable quickly on our horses. My only two cons: First, I felt two hours was too long - this is my personal opinion. I was very sore by the end and I got a bit bored about halfway through. Second, it was pretty quiet the whole ride. There was no explanations or guiding, little to no conversation - which is definitely hard when you're in a line. For two hours, the silence just made it feel long. Overall, this was a great and unique experience and Bar W does a great job!

I am staying at the grouse lodge, 4 min away from here. I have a 1 1/2 year old and a three year old ( his birthday was yesterday) and today while driving around trying to get them to nap, I pulled over here to look up info on trail rides and let my son look at the horses through the truck window - I had only been there MAYBE 45 seconds, still idling, plenty distance from horses (they were not bothered and didn't even notice us ) before a man in a big white truck and trailer pulled up next to me and asked me what I was doing- I told him that my son was obsessed with horses and that I was letting him look at them through the back seat window ( meanwhile my boys are babbling "neighhh! " and " cute horse nose!" In the back,) and i asked him "if that was ok?" and this man angrily says , no it's not ok, i can't be there and I need to leave. I instantly apologized and turned around , thinking , "oh this must be residential and I didn't realize", but also immediately started crying out of nowhere from the interaction I had just had with this man. It had been a rough morning and past few days with very little sleep, and it It was an innocent stop with the intention of finding out how to do a birthday ride for my son. There are multiple signs claiming trail rides and lodging etc, so I thought that this was a business I could pull over and put their information on the sign in my phone. I am so confused by what happened today, but I'm Scared to go back. We will have to look else where . Edited to add: the more I look into this company I can see that it was in fact the owner, Bill, who I spoke to. I thought maybe it was an employee, but if the owner is scaring off business... I'm worried for them. Was it my California license plate? Again, I am so confused. We have lots of ranches and horses where we come from and most people wave and smile if you want to stop and admire them from a far . I never got to actually tell him that we were hoping for rides ( again, thought maybe he was a cater taker or something for the property) and also wanted to check and see what the age requirement was before calling the business. Maybe he doesn't like kids?or Californians? I don't get it. This is the first bad review I've left on yelp... just honestly in shock - everyone in Montana has been so kind on this road trip, and this was such an uncomfortable and unnecessary interaction with the owner.

Great Wranglers and Horses! Nice trail ride in the woods! 10min from downtown Whitefish and you don't have to be a guest to book a horseback ride.

Went for a Trail Ride and even though we weren't guests at the ranch we were made to feel very comfortable. Deb went out of her way to make us feel right at home.

I went on a two-horse open sleigh and it was so beautiful. When I arrived at the ranch in the middle of a snowy day, Cowboy John greeted me warmly and kindly took me on a tour of the ranch. I had the chance to meet a variety of horses and farm animals- which was so appreciated. At the ranch, Cowboy Joe was my guide on the sleigh and he took us through a winter wonderland on the sleigh followed by hot chocolate next to the fireplace. Overall, it was a beautiful experience.

Did a trail ride last week. Website warns of a 225lb limit for riders but I called and they had a Belgian mix named Clifford available for me to ride (I'm 6'3, 235). Super nice people work there. Lots of horses too. . 21/2 hour ride through some state lands. Mostly forest. Glad I had a light jacket even though it was sunny and low 60s for the early October ride.

I would like to start by saying that I did not seek out yelp to leave a review. Today I received a message from yelp asking for me to review the Bar W. I am not looking to seek out. I'm cutting an pasting my review I left them on google previously. The ranch is very nice. It was under construction while we were there so that was a bit of an eye sore. All around though it was lovely. The staff was great also. This was a once in a lifetime bucket list trip for us. We did an adults only week and specifically booked this particular ranch because they do the day long cattle drive and another day ride. It had everything we were looking for in a trip. There was a HUGE issue once we got to the ranch. Well before the trip I discussed an issue with them in regards to my ability to mount a horse from the ground during the cattle drive and day long ride and that I am a plus size rider. I was told they always find a way and I would be fine. That tune changed once I got there. I was told I couldn't go on any rides off the ranch because they have no way for me to mount. This issue led me to missing the two days of riding we actually went to this ranch for. Other than these two rides , the on site rides were minimal and what I could do at home with my own horse. After the trip , I discussed the issue with the owners. They did compensate me slightly ( though not equivalent to two days of missing out and truly having our trip become a let down). After that let the matter go. Though it still hasn't been sitting right with me so I thought I should let others know the issues I had incase someone has similar restrictions that I have. If so, another ranch might be a better option. I hope the ranch has redone their site and booking staff undated in procedure in regards to situations such as this so others can feel like their trip was worth it. For many, they saved long and hard to be able to do a trip such as this and I would hope everyone gets the experience they should get.

We were planning our wedding and horses are a big part of our life and we wanted to take some photos here with a USA flag trotting on a horse. The pictures of the property looked stunning. After making plans well over 6 months out, speaking with Dawn on numerous occasions, we had made our plans, Dawn was super excited and even wanted to see the photos. When we got there they had the flag ready, the wranglers had cleaned the horses, and as we got out of the car, Barbara, apparently the owner came over in a scowl and declared "no way are you doing this here and that no one had told me about it", she was so rude. I feel bad for all her workers who have to deal with her. I feel bad for the original owners of Bar W who made it what it is and to see someone like this spoil it...some other ranches nearby all welcomed us with open arms.

Nice ride up in the mountains, majestic views. Great guides and the horses where very mild manner. I enjoyed it very much.

I booked a trip with this company last November for a trip to take this June. I paid half of the amount of the trip, $4,000 a deposit. We all know the conditions for traveling are dismal, I had to cancel the trip. It is completely out of my hands. I spoke with the owner today and he said he would absolutely not be refunding the 10% of the entire trip $800, because it is their policy. I AM A FRONT LINE RN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COVID POSITIVE PATIENTS. I saved my money for this expensive trip for a long time, and being a single mom. I tried to reason with him and said there was no loss of product on there end, it's not like the food had been purchased and they would be out the money. I said my money paid for nothing. He said "yes it did, it fed all the animals this winter" I am saddened that a front line nurse or anyone is going through this, but this was to appalling not to share.

My husband and I were looking forward to the experience here for a year leading up to our visit yesterday. Until we met one of the new owners, BARBARA WETZEL. She is feared by her employees and a toxic human being. I'm a business owner as well, and was appalled by her style of communication. Dave and Janet, the original owners of the ranch should feel horrible about this acquisition. Think of a toxic CEO in NYC, that is BARBARA WETZEL. And to a customer. Myself. If she keeps this up, she'll lose employees, that's just how horrible top down management goes. I hope those folks find a better work environment. With that said, the wranglers were kind and communicated to me with respect and empathy and, Dawn, who is the main point of contact when you call in is soooo kind and welcoming. I'd love to give zero stars for this weekends experience. I will not recommend to others. Find any other ranch.

Dave, I am sorry, you have your facts and dates wrong. The employee was kicked off of the ranch on April 21, 2020. The governor lifted the stay at home order effective either April 26th or 27th, 2020. The employee planned to return to work on that day. It is for the best after all.

My wife and I visited the Bar W ranch in September 2021, for one of their cattle drive weeks. I'll note here that Bar W is under new ownership. The new owners, Bill and Barbara, are absolutely lovely, down to earth folks who are investing heavily in expanding and improving the ranch. The prior owner (Dave) happened to be present for the first few days of our adventure. While I hate to cast aspersions, I'll just say that after interacting with both the old and new owners, I'm absolutely convinced that every part of our Bar W experience was better, and will undoubtedly continue to improve, under the leadership and guidance of the new owners. The ranch is beautiful, and the new owners are expanding fast with needed construction projects ongoing during our stay. The main lodge is exactly as you would picture, comfortable and homey, with western memorabilia and mounted animals throughout. The accommodations were clean and well maintained. General Manager,Jill Rivoli, and her staff were consummate professionals, and warmly welcomed everyone like family. Jill demands exceptional customer service from her staff, and they definitely delivered under her superb leadership. Head wrangler Lindsey is exactly the sort of steely eyed, no-nonsense head wrangler and horsewoman every ranch needs. From the first moment she spoke, I knew she was a master of her craft, and also knew that she would do everything possible to ensure the safety of the guests and their assigned horses. She confirmed her horse selections with rides in the arena and a trail ride around the ranch. Even first time riders should feel VERY comfortable on this front, as all the horses we saw (and rode) were very well trained and very well taken care of. Under Lindsey's exceptional leadership and keen eye, all of the wranglers we encountered were exceedingly qualified and hyper focused on guest and horse safety. Let's get this out of the way now. If you want to go on a "vacation", where your every whim and desire is catered to, while you are ensconced in luxury with daily cheese and wine hours, the cattle drive week is NOT for you. This is designed to be a very rustic and authentic experience. Living out of tents, dealing with the unpredictable elements, VERY limited access to running water and a SINGLE toilet for upwards of 25-30 people is not for everyone. I suspect that for many folks, the single toilet alone is a deal breaker. While I think we all had our doubts going in, the single toilet was never an issue, as there was plenty of time before and after the daily rides to let biology run its course. Master of the open range where the cattle drive occurred was Chuck DeBoo, who for the past 36 years has owned the roughly 5,000 acres where we stayed, all within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. There is not a single picture or brochure that could do justice to the absolute beauty of this area. Cresting the first hill, there are no words to describe the majestic view of rolling green hills and valleys stretching to the horizon in every direction. I wasn't even aware that such virgin expanses, (without manmade structures littering the landscape), still existed in America. Over the course of several days we gathered his herd, sorted them, wrangled those that needed vaccinations and such, and eventually drove them several hours away to a new pasture. I hesitate to even attempt to put into words how amazing those few days were. I'm not particularly religious, so I won't equate those wonderful days to a religious experience, but I will admit to feeling an intangible, undefinable, serene sense of participating in something greater than myself as we pushed that herd of cattle across an ocean of green. There was something beyond cathartic about this experience, and for anyone who has accumulated the normal stress of everyday life, I defy you to come away from this experience and claim it left you unchanged. But was everything "perfect" you might ask? Seems like I don't have a single bad thing to say so far. I can't say that everything was "perfect". There were a few minor quibbles, or things I might change if I could spend Bill and Barbara's money indiscriminately. But to pick any single moment of our week and suggest how it might have been "better" is, in my mind, to miss the forest for the trees. For my wife and me, the sum of this experience far exceeded our expectations, and allowed us to LIVE a once-in-a-lifetime authentic adventure that can't be duplicated through a television or iPhone screen. If you've read this far, stop second guessing and do yourself a favor - immediately book this trip. Skip the "vacation" you might be planning, and go live and experience an adventure you will never forget.

Wow!!! What a beautiful property!!! We took a 2 hour guided horseback tour which was amazing. Our guides were friendly and helpful. The horses were nice and calm and easy to ride. The property is simply spectacular and they have 80 horses on the property. They have lodging accommodations and in wonder they have sleigh rides. I would definitely recommend this place.

BEST GUEST RANCH UNDER THE BIG SKY!!! What an incredible experience! The Bar W Guest Ranch went above and beyond to make my stay exceptional. Clean comfortable accommodations in a picturesque setting, knowledgeable, helpful staff made my Adults Only week one to remember. I traveled alone but never felt that way thanks to the incredible hospitality the staff offers, but I can see how the ranch would also be the perfect place for couples, girlfriend getaways, and family vacations. The food was plentiful, good, and healthy and they make adjustments per the guests' preferences or dietary concerns. I rode to my heart's content, which is what I came here to do. The horses are gorgeous and healthy and treated well. I was a little rusty, not having ridden in a while, but the staff had me feeling confident after the first day. I would definitely recommend the Bar W to anyone looking for an exceptional quest ranch experience. I loved it so much, I hope to come back next year!

Worst trail ride experience I've ever had. The wranglers were literally silent the entire two-hour ride. Not a word of narration, local history, information about the ranch, the trail, the landscape, the wildlife. Nothing. The wrangler in front of occasionally talked to her friends but that's it. They didn't put the youngest riders near the wranglers which I've seen done on every other trail ride I've done. They didn't even make sure families were together, which might have helped with the boredom of the silent ride. The trail was not too great either. First half mile was up a gravel road by the highway and then along a large power line. Again - it would have improved the experience if someone would have even told us where we were and what we were looking at. The wranglers never moved up and down the line to check on riders the entire two hours. At one point something caused my husband's horse to rear up. He was fine / his hat fell off. But again - no one rode up to check anything. To her credit, the wrangler at the end got his hat. But when we got back to the ranch she said the horse reared up bc my husband's hat fell off and hit his hind quarters. But it was the rearing up that caused the hat to fall off. Finally, when we finished and got back to the stables, they gave no instructions - should we get down on our own (I did) or wait, (some others did). I would never book another ride here, much less an experience at the dude ranch. Go with Swan outfitters or another outfit.

The people running the email account are the worst. I've asked them several questions that have gone unanswered, it takes them forever to reply to emails at times, and they can't seem to explain inconsistencies on the website. My questions really aren't that difficult to answer and I hate the unnecessary back and forth (i.e. reply to my ENTIRE email the first time not only part of it). If the accommodations/activities are half as disorganized and frustrating as the inquiry/reservation process, steer clear of this place!

Me and husband have been Raving full time for a year and needed a place to stay for a month. We chose Bar W ranch in Auburn, Al. It did not disappoint. The owners/host were accommodating and extremely friendly. Their land was beautiful and the park was quiet and providing a much needed home away from home atmosphere. We will definitely stay here again and strongly recommend this place to anyone. Thank you so much for your hospitality. We will be back.

There aren't enuf words to express how truly amazing this place is for fun and relaxation. Let's start with an incredible staff! The office worked with me for weeks to get just the right schedule that fit my life. They picked me up from airport, carried my bags, escorted me to my room and told me to check in after I got rested and freshened up. WHAT?! Where does THAT happen. When I got to the office I realized my boots weren't a good fit for the activities. I asked for a trip to town to buy more, of course they would take me but instead said "why buy, just wear ours", then the Owner's daughter loaned me her boots for a week. WHAT? Who does THAT! At the big house I was greeted by cooks and house keeping. Anything I need, " why Ma'am, just ask". Wow! I expected horseback riding, but I never expected what happened next! I had difficulty mounting & riding because of age and lack of agility. Ha! That wouldn't stop the Wranglers from ensuring I would ride. They got me up & down safely, trained me in safety techniques & skills, changed out my horse to properly fit my needs. And did it all with a smile, laughter, and love. WHAT? Who does That! It continued far more than horseback riding. They took us to a Rodeo, whitewater rafting, skeet shooting, bow & arrow, cattle penning, rope wrangling, fishing, boating, campfire with a professional singer, guitar player. It just kept going. I needed some down time so what did I find? Yep, hammocks, sleeping, & reading under the Big Montana Sky. I knew that altho I was alone in the wilderness I was 100% safe because the Owner made sure the Staff had open eyes on all guests all the time, without an intrusive presence. WHAT? Who does that? Finally, let's move to breaking of the bread. All guests ate like a family & truly bonded. Several of the male guests were always willing to help me when my knees gave out, the wonderful youth treated me like their Auntie; I was in- love with them all and felt the love right back. There is just something about eating and playing together that creates beauty. There is just not enuf wonderful things I can say about the Ranch, you just have to experience it!

We had a wonderful stay. So many little things were done right, and it made all the difference. It should have come as no surprise that a team which puts so much passion into the care and well being of their animals would be so thoughtful and attentive to their guests. The cumulative impact of hundreds of great decisions by the team at the Bar W made our trip something we will never forget. I can not recommend the Bar W highly enough.

Just got back from a week at Bar W - Adults only week. Due to Covid, we had a small group but met such great people and had so much fun! Everyone made us feel welcome from the moment we stepped on the ranch. From Wesley's tour to Braxton and Mark helping with our luggage. The kitchen staff was phenomenal including Mitch and Adam who served us and even played guitar for us one day. Lindsay is awesome running the Barn - we had many great trail rides with her, Logan, Jorie, Emily, Heath, Wesley, Patsy and especially bad-ass Leah!! Loved Leah - and learning about skijoring. Logan has the patience of an angel. Patsy's sweet demeanor taking our temps and ox levels everyday. Lindsay, Alyssa, Wesley and Chris made our cattle drive awesome!! First time for a cattle drive and I loved it!! Erin did a great job of accommodating our needs. I loved the evening activities- especially skeet and bow shooting. One of the best was Wild Wings - being able to see falcons, hawks and owls up close and personal was amazing. Loved the screeching barn owl AND the little Western Pygmy Owl. Truly had a wonderful time!! Wishing it would never end!!

Planned a trip here with my grad school friends for a week. Wow!! What an amazing experience! We had never done a trip like this so didn't know what to expect. Bar W did a great job of pairing us with just the right horse and planning rides based on our abilities. Day two was THE BEST!!!! We learned to lasso and actually got in the corral with some cattle and roped them!! (The cattle MAY have been very trained! ;-)) THEN we got on horses and "herded" the cattle from one pen to another. SO MUCH FUN!!! Loved this place and would love to return. TIP: watch the room they schedule you in when you book. Some rooms don't have bathrooms. Some are in different "cabins" where you have to walk to another house for meals, etc. TIP 2: Don't be afraid to ask for anything. They will accommodate you! ;-)

Between the horse ride and the wagon dinner, we had the best time!! The crew was attentive and wonderful! You dont have to stay on the ranch to enjoy the horse back riding or any other activities they offer. They make you feel very welcomed along with the guests there. We highly recommend this ranch to everyone! Thanks Bar W for a wonderful evening, we will be back to the ranch when we return to Montana! Love the San Diego Girls!

My family decided on a vacation to Whitefish to spend half a day horseback riding. None of us have much experience with horses, and when I called the Bar W I told them that. They laughed and said not to worry. I was a bit apprehensive but it turns out we really did not have any need for concern. Our trail guide was a young woman from Pennsylvania who gave us a quick tutorial on horses and helped us whenever we felt uncomfortable or that we couldn't control our rides. She led us through some beautiful Montana woods in a state park that adjoins the ranch and brought a light lunch for us in her saddlebags. She even helped us mount and dismount! Our half-day ride ended up being a great, low-stress way to see parts of the Montana woods that we wouldn't have experienced otherwise. I highly recommend the Bar W.

My kids have been swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, to Disneyland, slept in a teepee under the sequoias... but hands down their favorite trip ever was our stay at Bar W. Months later they talk about weekly. The staff was warm, food good and memories will last a lifetime.

Had scheduled a sleigh ride, but ended up with a wagon ride due to the lack of snow. Really nice people, but not worth the $$. The bulk of the ride was along the paved road we drove in on-not quite the scenic ride I was anticipating.

While visiting friends in MT we decided a sleigh ride would be great fun for the group with all the snow! The "sleigh" is a modified wagon and was not the sleigh we expected and no jingle bells. The ride advertised as 45 minutes was only 30 minutes at best. The staff was very attentive and friendly however we feel this was disappointing for the price.