This summer, my husband and I hosted our family and closest friends for five days at Rising Wolf Ranch. So many times since we have been home we have said, “Thank God we found that Ranch!”

The Ranch property is absolutely stunning. Even our most urban of friends found themselves fishing in the river, wandering off on long hikes and losing hours staring at the mountains from the hammock. Even if you never made it over to Glacier National Park, you would leave your stay at the Ranch understanding how majestic and special this corner of Montana is. We booked the Ranch based on a few photographs and when we arrived to see that it exceeded our expectations.

The historic lodge is something out of a day dream. If you’re anything like us, you will love the history and rustic beauty of the building. Antlers and classic books and fireplaces — it has everything you’d want in a mountain lodge. Teddy Roosevelt would have been right at home!

Many of our guests were “city slickers” who hadn’t spent a lot of time roughing it in the great outdoors. But the Ranch House was modern and comfortable enough to put them right at ease. And it’s close to plenty of hikes inside and out of the park, with a wide range of lengths and levels of difficulty. We saw a enormous grizzly bear on the property, and a moose in the marshes around the beautiful Two Medicine Lake.

All of our guests were crazy about the staff and owner, too. Jim is incredibly accommodating (he actually lent me his personal house to get ready for my wedding away from the crowd and let us cut some gorgeous flowers from his garden!) and knowledgeable. He added so much to the experience for us.

I cannot recommend Rising Wolf Ranch enough. It’s beautiful and offers an incredible value compared to so many of the other lodges and homes we looked at. If you’re looking for a place that really fosters a sense of community and a personalized group experience, this is it.

Erica Ulstrom