Riding high at Triple Creek Ranch – a luxury retreat in Montana

We arrived at Triple Creek Ranch at dusk, just as the snow began to shimmer. White lights buried beneath snow-covered pine boughs glowed. Up ahead, the grand Main Lodge was a welcome sight. After my journey–a delayed flight and a rough connection, arriving at Triple Creek Ranch, I felt like a cowhand being welcomed to the Big House. The hugs from my friends and a lovely glass of wine were a homecoming to a place I’d never been.

There were smiles all-round, from the front desk folks to the activities director to the bartender. But most noticeably, from the guests. Later, I discovered that guests who go to Triple Creek Ranch come back again and again. The Ranch has bookings through 2030. Couples leave their saddles and cowboy hats there. They know the chef, the guides, the wranglers, and the horses. Sure, the home away from home hospitality gets repeat guests, but the real draw is the pure luxury of the place. That, and the great Montana outdoors.

Montana high

Nestled in the Montana Rockies, Triple Creek Ranch is surrounded by 700 acres, yet butts up against two million acres of designated wilderness and National Forest land! The sister property, CB Ranch, a working ranch that guests can access through various activities, sits on another 26,000+ acres. Marketing language says it’s “A Montana Hideaway,” but I say it’s God’s Country–towering trees, rivers, valleys, and pastures; Mother Nature herself is there for you to embrace. Triple Creek Ranch helps you figure out how.

Suppose you hanker for a ranch experience in Montana with comfort, ease, and pampering. In that case, this adults-only resort is the place, but add to that learning and adventure activities. The Pre-Arrival Concierge can build an itinerary for your stay that might include dog sledding, horseback riding, frontier skills (think ax throwing and fire starting), a painting class, leather crafting, cross-country or downhill skiing, or the executive chef’s cooking class. And that’s just in the winter!

Giddy up!

I met Chief after styling myself in the most authentic Western cowgirl outfit I will EVER wear, all provided by Triple Creek. Donned in chaps, a duster coat, and a riding helmet (okay for pictures, it was a cowboy hat), I said hello to Chief, put my boot in the stirrup, and swung onto his back. He was a wide paint horse with an unruly mane and a habit of nuzzling your pockets for treats. We set out on the trail, nose to tail, with Maddie from East Texas as our wrangler guide.

The trail had been established, so the horses had semi-packed snow under hoofs, but the snow would have been belly-deep if they broke trail. This was a one-of-a-kind experience for me. Feeling miniature amongst the gigantic pines, at times hearing nothing but the muffled pounding of hooves on snow, smelling horse (and horse poop), crisp air, and pine, my chest swelled, and I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving. Maddie kept up a light banter with a yay-ess ma’am to my questions, accommodating us with stirrup adjustments and trail pictures. It should be noted that she was wearing white curly fur chaps made by her rancher father. In another life, I wanted to be Maddie.

Horsin’ around

While I’m relatively comfortable around horses, my friend Linda said she was nervous about the ride. Maddie and the other wranglers matched horse and rider with intuition and expertise. They introduced the rider to the horse and told us a little about them. My friend Linda’s ride on Ryley was without incident. Never underestimate what the right outfit can do for your confidence. Once Linda was bedecked in Western gear, she was, indeed, ready to ride.

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Kitchen with a view

Chef Jacob (Jake) Letherman, the Ranche’s Executive Chef who has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York, was our cooking class instructor, and we would meet him again later in the week for the Chef’s Table experience. It was a casual class, and cozy soups with secret ingredients were on the menu. Add a fennel bulb and parmesan rinds to your creamy tomato soup. Finish the smoked turkey soup with store-bought gnocchi and deglaze the mirepoix (a new French cooking term for me) with sherry wine. Other takeaways? Top off the soup with truffle oil, citrus, or sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper throughout, and taste, taste, taste! The class agreed that we had the best French Onion Soup of our lives the night before. Chef said the secret was to cook the onions until they almost dissolve (but not quite).

The cooking class took place in Triple Creek’s Stage Stop cabin, one of the luxury ranch homes available for guests, that overlooks a horse pasture. The class was momentarily distracted by a herd of elk running past the window. Our iPhones panned from pot to pasture to catch the herd. Such is a cooking class at Triple Creek.

Rustling up an appetite

I was surprised to learn that Chef Jake works alongside only five to six cooking staff for Triple Creek’s dinner service. He creates a different menu each night and is aware of guests’ food preferences or peculiarities before they sit down. He gives those guests several choices as an alternative to the regular menu. Although a regular menu, it is not!

Roasted bison tenderloin with black trumpet mushrooms, celery root purée, and melt-in-your-mouth herb-roasted carrots in a port wine reduction was a cowbell-ringing winner for me. Each night, choosing one dish over another on the menu was delightfully challenging. No matter–food and beverages (including alcoholic drinks) are included in your room rate, and you are welcome, even encouraged to taste whatever suits your fancy. Do partake in the morning pastries.

The Chef’s Table experience

As for the Chef’s Table experience, this is a six-course tasting menu, different and slightly elevated from the dining menu, with bespoke wine pairings. Set in an alcove with a stage view of the kitchen, the dishes danced before us in a choreographed feast for the senses. The courses were so artfully plated that I couldn’t decide if the food looked or tasted better.

A romantic afternoon with myself

Triple Creek has so many (all-inclusive) activities that you may be tempted to fill up your itinerary, but take time to dig deep into your cabin and relax. My cabin, one of only 25 private cabins on the property, called Piquett (pronounced “picket”), was named after a French trapper who settled near a creek at the base of nearby Piquett Mountain. This sounds as Western romantic as the cabin was: king-sized log post bed, wood-burning fireplace, private deck with hot tub, double steam shower, and every amenity-goodie you could shake a rope at. I lit a fire, ate a homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookie with a side of popcorn-granola-M&M trail mix and herbal tea, went for a jacuzz, and then doubled down with a steam shower.

Western art galore

Triple Creek Ranch is renowned for its art collection, and Piquett was curated perfectly. The outdoor scenery marries well with the indoor art and the cabin’s design choices. The entire resort is an ode to Western nostalgia and chic living.

It is the pampered property of Barbara and Craig Barrett and was named the top-ranked hotel in the world Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards (2014) and Best Resort Hotel in Montana (2023). As a Relais & Château property, it must pass muster with their stringent hospitality standards, and it more than does.

While the grand lodge and luxurious cabins were expected, the extensive Western art collection spoke to the resort’s sophistication and surprised me. The art is faithful to Western themes, with traditional and contemporary pieces in different mediums, including bronze, paintings (from watercolor to oils), sketches, scratch art, and more.

There is a risk in collecting Western art of choosing pieces that might seem cliche or cartoonish. Triple Creek’s collection, procured and curated by Craig Barrett with the assistance of Catharine Reed, certainly romances the Old West–gunslingers, cattle drives, branding, and prospecting. Native Americans are respectfully represented throughout, both men and women on horseback and in repose. The collection is so refined, museum-worthy, and elevated that you feel invited to a distinguished art collector’s living room. And if you are there while the Barretts are in residence, you might be! Every Wednesday, all guests (66 at capacity) are invited to cocktails and art tours at their fabulous Ranch home.

The world of Western creative arts has become such a draw for guests and artists alike that Triple Creek hosts artists in-residence throughout the year to demonstrate and teach their craft. The Barretts have mentored artists, helping them get “discovered” at Triple Creek and beyond.

For turndown service each night, along with some lip-smacking salty-toffee chews, a little postcard of a painting explaining the work on the reverse side was placed on my bed. During my stay, Jeremy Winborg was the artist in residence, and each night in the Rooftop Lounge, you could see and speak to him as he made progress on his latest painting.

Whatever you like

Triple Creek Ranch also hosts Vintner weekends, Cowboy School, and Puzzling weekends with Stave Puzzlemasters. I’ve never heard of Stave, but I’m alone in this. Apparently, the resort fills to capacity for Stave-crazed puzzlers!

Home on the range

Montana is truly the epitome of Western culture and beauty. At Triple Creek Ranch, the hospitality team, guides, and wranglers make you feel welcome, at ease, and confident enough to do some Western round-up activity that may not have been in your comfort zone. The special weekends, classes, and adventure offerings make staying there memorable and fun. The bespoke art collection, beautiful cabins, Lodge and Lounge, set this ranch resort apart from the rest. Triple Creek Ranch isn’t just a hideaway—it’s a place you’ll want to return to and call home.