5 Surprising Reasons to Visit a Guest Ranch in Winter (Instead of Summer)

You might think, “Who on earth would want to go to a ranch in winter? You can’t horseback ride, you can’t fly fish, you can’t hike…” But, actually, guest ranches offer a surprising range of fun activities during the winter, as well as an unexpectedly snug atmosphere—what’s more, there are even a few ways to save some money.

I happen to be at Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana right now, an adults-only resort voted the No. 1 hotel in the world by Travel and Leisure readers this year (and No. 5 by Condé Nast Traveler readers), and thanks to a subzero cold snap, I’m seeing first-hand how fun a winter ranch vacation can be.

1. Winter sports are breathtaking.

Even bundled up in a hat, chaps, and a duster coat, I had a blast horseback riding through the snow.

You don’t have to be an extreme skier to get an adrenaline rush from snow sports. Sure, horseback riding is fun during the summer, but sprinkle a few inches of snow over the fields and pine trees of Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, where Triple Creek Ranch is located, and it becomes downright magical. The same goes for other activities you might normally associate with warm weather: archery, fishing, trap shooting, wildlife spotting. At TCR, all of these are doable—and definitely worth doing—even in the cold, and they usually come with the added benefit of a thermos of homemade hot chocolate, a personal bonfire where possible (like at the archery range), and a chauffeur to take you back and forth.

Then there are all the pulse-raising sports you can only do in winter: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and skijoring (a Norwegian sport that’s basically like water skiing but instead of water, you ski on snow, and instead of being pulled by a boat you’re pulled by a horse).

And don’t worry if you didn’t pack enough warm clothes, TCR has a trove of parkas, gloves, earmuffs, boots, hats, and other gear available for anyone to use. I’ve been hoarding hand warmers myself.

2. The indoors can be as much fun as the outdoors.

In the dead of winter, when nothing sounds better than hunkering down with a hearty meal and a bottle of wine, Triple Creek hosts special event weekends for foodies and oenophiles. And the best part? They’re available to all guests at no extra charge.

A cooking class with executive chef Jacob Leatherman. Photo courtesy Triple Creek Ranch.

For instance, the ranch hosts Cooking School weekends, when executive chef Jacob Leatherman and his sous chef, pastry chef, and sommelier offer daily, hands-on classes. In the past, cooking weekends have included visits from vintners, tastings, and wine-pairing lessons. This is no amateur-hour wine program either: Every year for the past ten, Triple Creek has won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for its cellar of more than 500 bottles. So even if you miss the vintner weekends, you can sample plenty of impressive bottles throughout your stay—all house wines, spirits and beers are free while you’re here, whether you choose to sip them with your meals (also included) or in front of the fireplace in your cabin, where your wet bar is complimentary too.

And of course, the holidays are their own special events. In addition to festive meals and parties over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, at Triple Creek, you can have your own Christmas tree (real or fake) set up in your cabin. Bring your own ornaments or decorate with the ranch’s stash once you get here.

3. Special stuff is free in the winter.

Most guest ranches offer some type of all-inclusive pricing plan, and (as at Triple Creek) many of your activities will be included in the cost of your stay—but not all. Nevertheless, thanks to seasonal circumstances or special relationships, sometimes activities that would normally cost extra are given away for free. For example, every year during January, guests each get one complimentary dog-sled ride, because the dogs are already in residence training for their races.

Every guest gets a free dog-sledding session during the first few weeks of January. Photo courtesy Triple Creek Ranch.

Off-ranch horse rides are complimentary here in the winter (usually $150 per person), and so are downhill skiing, and guided snowshoeing, fat tire biking and cross-country skiing
excursions. Triple Creek is about a half hour from a hidden ski gem, Lost Trail Powder Mountain, which remains little-known outside of Montana even though it boasts an average of 300 inches of snow per year on its 1,800 acres and 50 runs. TCR guests are entitled to as many complimentary lift tickets as they can handle during their stay, plus equipment and transportation to and from the mountain. Better yet, the staff will bring along hot drinks when they pick you up, and then drop you off at the private hot tub back at your cabin, for your own personal après-ski session.

4. Winter travel can mean seasonal deals.

Be sure to ask about special winter deals wherever you’re booking your guest-ranch vacation: The low season after the holidays can translate to savings, and add-on experiences sometimes bundle activities together at a lower price point. For example, the “Experience Winter” add-on tops off the ranch’s all-inclusive activities with a private guided snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or fat-tire biking tour for two, plus an in-cabin couple’s massage, and hot chocolate and s’mores when you arrive. And as with all stays here, the price includes all meals, all house wines and spirits, many activities and equipment, and (my favorite) chocolate-chip cookies and granola dropped off in your cabin every day.

Pintler cabin (where I’m staying). Photo by Walter Hodges/Courtesy Triple Creek Ranch.

5. There might not be anything cozier than a mountain ranch in the snow.

Which brings us to the fireplaces: Fireplaces in your cabin. Fireplaces in the lodge. Fireplaces in the cocktail lounge. Fireplaces everywhere—there’s even a nightly bonfire outside the main lodge, with s’mores.

Don’t feel like sharing? No problem. Every cabin has at least one fireplace (prepped by housekeeping every day), and most cabins also have their own outdoor hot tub on a private deck (a few of the lower-priced cabins share a communal hot tub in a wooded nook, and two ‘honeymoon’ cabins have indoor whirlpools instead). You can even order in a massage—to be enjoyed in front of the fireplace, of course—and all your meals. Seriously, if you were so inclined, you could never step foot outside your winter ranch hideaway, and you’d still have a great vacation.

View from a hot tub at Triple Creek Ranch

Contact Wendy to find the right Trusted Travel Expert to plan your trip out west.

*Disclosure: Triple Creek Ranch provided me with a three-night stay free of charge. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Triple Creek Ranch’s part, nor was anything promised on ours. You can read the signed agreement between WendyPerrin.com and Triple Creek Ranch here.