I take Western lessons with Amandine. She is a wonderfully patient teacher, and is always so…read moreflexible and reliable. I've had lessons with her both on the horse I lease, and on Amandine's horse. Both great. She gave me really useful tips on the day, and sent me off with things to practice. We've been working on rollbacks and collection. Amandine also exercises many other people's horses at the ranch that I board at, both on the trail and in the arena. She exercises the horses of the ranch managers and another woman at the ranch, who competes with her horse. Everyone trusts her implicitly. Not many people are given this much trust with peoples beloved horses. She has also been really generous with me by answering my endless questions about buying a horse. She gives great advise, and has offered to help me when I go to look at horses. Amandine is really well connected in the equine world. On top of all this, she really is a sweetheart.

Amandine was absolutely fabulous!!! You'll never find anyone as brilliant and at one with her…read morebeautiful horses, and she just made the trip excellent. Not to mention, it was on the most gorgeous mountain trail I've ever seen and literally couldn't keep from marveling at! I grew up on a ranch in Texas and we had horses but this just blew me away! It was at first a slight challenge to find, as it's way up in the forest on a mountain trail but WOW, was it worth the quest! And Amandine is very intelligent and tech savvy so she just pinged us right up to her on the trailhead via my iPhone. (Our Uber driver actually didn't have much trouble finding her.) If you want the ultimate Montana horseback riding adventure, you HAVE to do this one with Amandine! We went out on a sunny September day at 6:15 and rode until 7:45 which was just perfect. I rode Norman -- the sweetest, most mellow and responsive horse you could every hope to ride. But all the horses were just fabulous. I'm already back in SoCal (yuck, in comparison!) and can't wait until my next vacay when I'm heading right back out to AR Riding and Training in Frenchtown, MT for another breathtaking ride! Thanks again you AR and Amandine!!! Y'all are wonderful.

Kip took our city slicker group of six out early morning for a nice walk about. Half the group…read morehadn't ever been on a horse before (including myself) and we felt confident with Kip guiding us along the way. Horses were great, and the scenery was perfect. Highly recommend this outfit!

We booked a half day trail ride and had the best time. Kip did an amazing job taking care of us on…read morethe trails. He clearly loves his horses and they were very reliable. Great views, great company, sweet horses and a true Montana experience. We will be back!

This is our go-to place for hiking. Known simply as "The Rattlesnake" to locals, here you can find…read morea variety of hiking trails for people of all ages. This area is gorgeous and full of natural beauty. Regardless of which hiking trail you decide to explore, you will be taken back by the beautiful Montana scenery. My family and I have been coming here for 13 years now, and it still remains our favorite spot to soak up some nature. If you are just traveling through the area and came to this review, I promise you won't be disappointed. Here's a little secret: during huckleberry season, you will find there are plenty of huckleberry bushes scattered throughout the different trails. I would suggest grabbing a handful to snack on while you are hiking. If you aren't sure what they look like, Google "huckleberry bushes." The second you taste the sweetness of one, you will know. Be sure to bring some water with you if this is your first time. Also, don't forget to take lots of pictures!

Wonderful hiking area with abundant wildlife! Fortunately we did not come across any bears!read more

Spending the day with a resident expert in her field was so extra special i can't even say enough!…read moreWenFei answered our myriad of questions perfectly and made our trip out to Bison National Park memorable! In addition to knowing all things (and i do mean all) about the local birds, including their sounds and habitats, she could also share information perfectly about the bison, the antelopes (that we saw that day) and the native grizzlies. The local donuts were amazing as well as our lunch out with some local Montana fare. All in all a superb day, chock full of information that will have your feeling like an expert too! Don't miss this opportunity!

Wenfei organized a full day trip for us to the Flathead Wilderness Area. We went driving on bumpy…read moremountain roads, hiking up the side of a mountain alongside a picturesque babbling brook and picnicked next to a sparkling lake with a view of the mountains. Our focus was photography, and our route did not disappoint on that score. We also stopped for fresh baked goods and coffee on our way out of Missoula which made the ride that much more pleasant. We are generally outdoor people but we chose to use a tour company because we were traveling with a baby and didn't know how to find routes that would be child friendly and not overly demanding. We would definitely recommend Wenfei's guiding services and have referred several friends to her Big Sky Safaris for Montana travel. In particular her being a biologist makes an outstanding enhancement to hiking - we are not very knowledgeable about birds and animal droppings, and Wenfei pointed out all sorts of interesting things for us as well as small details worth photographing that we wouldn't have noticed on our own. Wenfei made us very comfortable, gave us excellent gear advice, and spared us many hours of poring over maps to identify good areas to visit. She also was really knowledgeable about the local plants and birds during our early autumn MT trip. This was a great splurge during our MT trip and one we'd do again in a heart beat.

Equestrian therapy and perfect for a kiddo with cerebral palsy. Staff is great for families with…read morespecial needs that want to give their children a real experience. We have done the meet and greet experience and trail rides. This is the best place to get your kid on a horse if visiting the Missoula area or local.

I loved everything about our ride today! My horse was amazing, so gentle and sweet and such an easy…read moreride. We went all around the property through the fields. up into the mountains and even crossed a river! That was so fun!! Riding on the back of a horse through water is the best!!! All the horses are Tennessee walkers and the ride guides are very knowledgeable if you're in Missoula and looking for something to do this is a great daytime adventure. I believe our ride was about two hours.

Welcome Creek may not strike you as a very welcoming place, at least not at first glance. It's not…read moreunwelcoming, exactly, but it makes an impression - an intimidating impression. It's steep, rocky, rugged, and wild. Once you cross the swaying suspension bridge from the trail head parking to the other side of Rock Creek, you're really entering another world, in which humans rarely tread. As far as wilderness areas go, this one is tiny at just over 28,000 acres, but it doesn't feel tiny when you are there. It's a single watershed, a clear mountain creek whose headwaters are high above in the Sapphire Range, where snows linger into late spring and early summer. A rough hewn trail follows the creek all the way to the top of the dividing ridgeline. To the East is picturesque Rock Creek, brimming with trout fishermen. To the West over the ridge is the Bitterroot Valley. In between are wilderness, deep canyons, steep mountains, dense forests, and diverse wildlife. It's not a place that many people explore, and recent wildfires have rendered the landscape even less inviting. It looks and feels frightening. But these feelings are initial ones only. They will fade away, and what remains is an appreciation for the protected wildness that is Welcome Creek. You really are the leave-no-trace visitor here, and you'll know it. Whether you are clambering over fallen trees, negotiating a rocky talus field, or scrambling atop boulders to get a better view, the wilderness value of this place is abundantly evident. If you linger long enough, you'll detect the small things that reveal a healthy forest in the process of healing itself, hiding the traces of its gold mining past, and slowly replacing the burnt trees and scorched hillsides with new growth and green foliage. The sounds are minimal, but majestic. The wilderness can be a welcoming place, if you open your eyes, calm your mind, and respect the limits of man in a place that is not his alone to possess. The plants and animals can have Welcome Creek as a sanctuary. I'll play the role as guest, any day.

Perfect! This place was great - food, horses, staff! Great place to relax! Excellent for groups!…read moreHighly recommend this Ranch!!

Spent a week at Rich's Ranch July 2025 for myself and 21 year old daughter. This was our 5th dude…read moreranch experience at varies ranches around MT and WY. In a nutshell, the owners and staff are very nice folks, our cabin was clean and comfortable, however we both thought there are better dude ranch options out there if you're looking for a full week stay. They cater more as an outfitter guiding 7-10 multi day pak trips, which leave and arrive at various times during our week stay. The guest that stay at the ranch, are more of an afterthought. They allow guests to stay & ride for just a couple nights/days and then continue on with their Montana vacation. If you're looking for a 2-3 night stopover, sleep in a cabin and ride a horse a few times this is your place! If you're looking for a full week stay at an authentic dude ranch there are better choices. We had a good time, and the scenery from the lodges patio is beautiful, but the quality of the lodge, food, cabins, barn corral area, spring fed ponds were furthest from "authentic dude ranch" of the five ranches we have visited.

Had the most awesome 2 hour trail ride last Sunday at Cheffs!…read moreBailey, our trail guide was so good with her knowledge and told some great trail stories! Did someone say Bear?? Bailey spotted a Black Bear on the trail ahead of us, and after staying still, it went on its way. What a bonus experience! Highly recommend this Ranch and all of their friendly and accommodating staff! Can't wait to go back!

This place was awesome! David our guide did a great job. We loved the 2 hour horse back riding tour…read moreand would come back again. Kaylee was very accommodating and greeted us with a warm welcome. Very nice family. The ranch is beautiful and the views were wonderful. Thank you for a great time!

What a cool place. We came at the end of the season and had the entire place to ourselves!…read more To say the meals are incredible is an understatement! Ribeye caps, fresh ground burgers and beef short ribs! All out of this world. And Leah's salad was the best! Accommodations exceeded our expectations. Our cabin was perfect! The owner, Steve is an excellent host and could not be more attentive. We will be back to this 10 star guest ranch! Mike & Brenda

Stopped in this local place today to check out the wedding venue and ended up having lunch there at…read moretheir tiny Vintners grill. Let me tell you the lunch was phenomenal. All they serve is a burger or pizza so we had the highland burger with the side salad. One of the most delicious burgers we've ever had. Seriously good. Cooked to perfection and their homemade sauce just elevated it. And the salad... wow!! Spring mix, gorgonzola, apples and mixed nuts. Amazing, we live in Alberton and this is going to be our new go to lunch spot

Very very Professional. Lots of knowledge in hauling horses…read moreand the care of them keeps in contact very good haulers