The Ranch at Rock Creek

Things that they did well: Activities! The guides were very nice and helpful! Morgan was an amazing conversationalist! For pistols, it felt like I was getting a private lesson, with them giving helpful suggestions about my form and was very encouraging while also stressing the safety aspect of everything. I hadn’t shot a gun in over 10 years, and by the end of the activity I was almost shooting as good as back then! Majority of the staff were very nice, easy to engage in a conversation. The farmhands, activity guides, and maintenance workers were the most enjoyable to talk to and be around! Very nice and down to earth! I can’t say a negative thing about them! Things that could use improvement: The first night while at the ranch (2/17/25), the food was amazing, and I could tell they were trying their best to be mindful of my gluten allergy (I am celiac) and my boyfriend’s radish allergy. This meal set a very high bar for the rest of the stay and for a 5 star Forbes establishment (which is borderline 1 or 2 star Michelin star quality). The bread was delicious for being gluten free! I really can’t understate how phenomenal the dishes were and the quality of the entire service. The second night was a total 180, and we later found out that both the executive chef and the sous chef had left the property for the remainder of our stay. I feel like if we are paying more than cruise ship suite prices for our stay, we should have been told about this at check in or before our second dinner. I can understand that emergencies happen, but for both chefs to leave in the middle of our stay to be replaced by a subpar chef and be told after the fact, that just isn’t standard for the amount being paid for at a luxury resort. In terms of specifics with the visiting chef, the second night was meant to be Italian inspired. The first two courses came out together, so the timing was a bit off and I told the waiter to tell the chef to take their time and that we would like to enjoy each course at a slower pace. Due to it being Italian night, I was not able to have the pasta dish (scallop filled ravioli), but had the same risotto from the night before (which I didn’t mind). The pasta my boyfriend had contained some form of radish (might have been from the same family from radishes) and also had portions of scallop shell in it. We didn’t want to make a scene about the issue since the allergy was a fairly new one to him, but just inquired about the contents of the sauce. The waiter had stated that no such family members of the radish were in the sauce. Therefore, we left it at that and requested some Tylenol or an antihistamine for the reaction he was having to the dish. Another dish we had issues with during the second night was a red cabbage and citrus salad but it was very acidic, extremely bitter, and had the after taste of bile. When talking to the waiter about it, apparently several of the staff had stated to the chef prior to the service that it was too bitter and that it didn’t have any balance to the dish. The desert contained a chocolate ice cream that had a bunch of freezer burn on it. The third and final night, was very conflicting on my end and was the least enjoyable. Before we were seated we were told the dining room had a weird smell to it, likely due to an animal dying in the walls or under the floor, or that the wood outside the building was rotting. Therefore, they asked if we would prefer a private dining room or to sit in their cocktail/bar area for dinner. On our end, this didn’t make any sense considering that we were the last to be seated out of the 3 couples on property at the time and the other two couples had not been told this and were already seated enjoying their meals. It felt like they were trying to segregate us from the other guests because of the honest feedback we made about the food the night before. We chose to sit in the main dining room, but I could tell the staff were more impatient with us than before. It was alpenglow inspired courses, and therefore German cuisine. There were several issues with the dishes. This consisted of the salad and the beets specifically not being washed, they had lots of grit on them which was not enjoyable. The second issue I had was that when the entrée was served, I asked if the schnitzel and the pheasant were gluten free and not cross contaminated, because the schnitzel looked as if it was deep fried rather than in a separate frying pan (which would be traditional); and, the pheasant looked as if it had been grilled slightly with a teriyaki sauce (which most contain soy sauce, and therefore gluten). I was reassured the pheasant was just confit with just pepper and salt and that it was just the pheasant fat I was tasting, and that the schnitzel was put in a separate fryer… which is still cross-contaminated unless they completely emptied and scrubbed it that day and then refilled it just for my schnitzel… my boyfriend at that point was a bit fed up with the excuses, and told the waiter that the chef needs to work on his fundamentals and that this was a bit of a let down considering that Ranch at Rock Creek is on the Forbes list of hotel and resorts. Furthermore at this point my stomach was not at all happy with me. Needless to say we did not end up staying for dessert. That night I ended up breaking out in a full body celiac rash, as well as the other complications associated with celiac (i.e., gastrointestinal pain and ‘gluten fog brain’). I can understand how some chefs may not have been taught to deal with a food allergy or celiac, but I do expect them to admit if they accidentally made a mistake. We tried being as polite as we could throughout all the critiques that we made, since they asked how we felt about each dish. The fact that the staff lied multiple times to my face to try and keep the peace was quite upsetting when I was paying thousands of dollars per night to be there. I am forgiving when I am told straight up that there was a mistake, and they apologized for it, but the fact the employees kept stating multiple times that there was no gluten or other allergens in the meal, is just absurd and not befitting of the standard of being on the Forbes list. (The only other way for me to encounter this level of a reaction full body is if I had been cuddling with a cat during the whole dining experience and their fur got everywhere, or they put cat saliva in the food.) I was never asked how I was after that dinner (despite being covered in hives/rashes) and we left first thing in the morning the next day. Upon checkout we were hit with a $900 charges for pet fees that we were not told about when we brought our 3 dogs (therefore $100 per day per dog). Upon booking they should have informed us about their pricing for bringing our dogs, but instead we were handed a bill last minute at checkout. Also, upon check in we were charged $600 what they stated was for mercantile, etc, or other charges that we would charge to our room. These things need to be stated ahead of time and before arrival. The $600 was used towards the $900, and so I had to pay the difference for the dogs. Therefore, multiple charges on my card, which is a bit odd and confusing, but I guess this would slightly make sense if I needed to get a fishing license, which can cost up to $300 out of state, but that isn’t one of the activities that we did. The accommodation (we stayed in the tracker cabin) was also very nice and mostly clean. There was a bit of mold/algae in the shower alongside the windows and the top covers had some hair and dust all over it. The hot tub, which I believe was called a natural cedar tub, was caked in algae in some areas and had nickel sized chunks floating around the water. Even the thermostat was caked in the algae. I can understand the appeal of a natural looking hot tub, however the texture of accidentally touching algae is not a pleasant one and I do not know anyone that particularly enjoys the slimy texture. We were also given a loaner vehicle, because we were told we could not use our personal vehicle and that it had to be valeted. The car was not cleaned out, smelled of cigarette smoke, had glass bottles of water (that had exploded due to the cold and therefore broken glass everywhere), receipts, a canister of cigarette butts, and even nasal spray from the previous people that had used it. Upon delivering said items to the front desk, we were given a half-hearted apology and told we still had to use the loaner vehicle. Overall, the cabin was still pretty and the sound of the creek was delightful.

What a fantastic experience! The incredible care and attention to detail was that of a Michelin experience. We have dined in many Michelin restaurants and the dining experience at the Ranch was just that! We are well traveled and this experience was at the top, so much so we are looking at returning in fall. The exceptional care from the conversations with the executive chef regarding the delectable themed experiences for dinner, the wonderful pastries and sweet treats and desserts, incredibly designed craft cocktails, and kind and gentle guides to support the fabulous array of activities and excursions, the front desk, transporters and anyone we met along the way; it was clear they were there to ensure our experience was outstanding. The setting is wonderful if you enjoy nature, a crackling fire, and happy attentive people who are ready at every moment to ensure the experience was memorable….the intimate atmosphere, incredible dining experience and variety of activities, made this trip beyond memorable. Thank you for this soul enriching inclusive experience! What an adventure!

Most unbelievable time i have spent on a vacation in the longest time. Top to bottom authentic Montana decor and great service everywhere. Excursions were the BEST. Food was top notch as well. Confusing menus, but I found if you eat it, you’ll be impressed.

Having traveled the world and stayed in 5 star hotels/resorts everywhere, this one still seems to stand out above the rest. It's truly an "experience", not a hotel. You're paying for lodging, but that wouldn't justify the price, for me $6000 per night- kind of strange writing that, it certainly is expensive. But you get 2 activities per day- with a private guide per couple. Mine including snow shoeing, hiking, shooting, snowmobiling fishing, and others. Then the meals are all experiences (included), and activities, drinks. Our accommodation was very nice- had a nice indoor porch overlooking a stream, a sauna, and a great bed. The people you meet- probably due to the price point- are extraordinary. You're all there together many times- enjoying the included experiences, so you naturally get to know each other and everyone, including the owner Jimmy, is kind and engaging. Meals were beyond good, they're truly amazing. I found breakfast to get extremely good, lunch was the best and extraordinary, and dinner nice but not always my style. Still great experience wise. The activities all run smoothly, and they do try to work with you to make changes on the schedule if possible and cater to your desires and needs. Very customer friendly- we had a couple little requests, about room cleaning times, meals, activity issues, they generally all say yes. The culture of the place, the vibe you get, is all extremely positive. Life is experiences- and while you don't exactly pamper yourself in a high end resort here- you don't have pure luxurious lodging- you leave with something different and something better- as long as you are into that. I was cold pretty much most of the trip, always a little uncomfortable walking 10 minutes to get coffee in the morning through snow, but still managed to love it. Couple small negatives- my room really had no thermostat, and no one really explained how to make it warmer or colder, and I asked many times. Also the enclosed porch had large build in heat lamps- well, they never worked, and I asked about 100 times. Also the spa/masseuse snuck in an extra $50 CBD massage on me, would've never asked or requested for such a ridiculous supplement, but I saw it on my folio, I wasn't crazy about that. Otherwise I'll be back in a different season- top 2-3 places I've been in my lifetime. Wow.

A really wonderful experience all around. I had been hearing about this ranch for years from my brothers and sister, and finally had a chance to go and experience Montana. It was a fabulous experience in winter. The landscape looked beautiful as ever and the lodge was so warm and cozy with the fireplace going all the time. The food was delicious and never disappointed us. The guides were all so nice and helpful (Cassidy, Wayne, Emma, etc. so many I can't remember all the names but ALL top notch). From shooting to horseback riding to fly fishing, nothing disappointed. We also had the opportunity to go skiing at a local resort which was fantastic by all accounts and we were surprised by an outside BBQ in the snow after skiing. Wonderful! Next time, I would ask to do cross country skiing as I noticed others doing this through the beautiful pine trees. I would also give ice fishing a try. Looking around the ranch, there is very impressive infrastructure in place which must have cost a fortune to build and maintain, and no doubt that contributes to the very pricy room rates. Thanks to the people of Montana for the great opportunity to visit your beautiful state. A once in a lifetime experience not to be missed.