As soon as you arrive at Paws Up Montana, you can tell you are in for an unforgettable family vacation. This 370,000-acre property an hour from the Missoula airport welcomes families year-round, but in the summer months, you can book one of their luxury glamping tents. I’ve visited over a dozen glamping properties with my kids, and Paws Up took the “glam” in “glamping” to another level. Not only did we have our own camping butler who was available to bring us drinks or whisk our laundry away for washing, but our massive tent had heat and air conditioning and a separate room for my teen son.
Activities at Paws Up Montana
Paws Up Montana offers a number of inclusive packages where lodging, meals, and some activities are part of the per-person rate. Alternatively, you can build your own experience, starting with accommodations and meals and adding on activities. Families will find that the included activities are quite robust, especially if you are traveling with younger kids. You can enjoy everything from archery to nature hikes, and add on activities like horseback riding and ATV tours for an additional fee.
We did the river float and fly fishing activities, and these were the highlights of our trip. Your guide will drive you to the Blackfoot River, where you’ll get into rafts to float down toward the property. Each activity was a few hours, and we loved watching bald eagles and other wildlife along the way. My son is a huge fan of fishing, and our fishing guide could not have been more encouraging and helpful, assisting him in catching five fish!
Another activity that we enjoyed was the guided property tour, which included a visit to the Garnet ghost town. We rode UTVs to the town, where we saw well-preserved buildings that dated back to the early 1900s. Paws Up also offers this tour on ATVs for guests aged 16 and up who are looking for a bit more adventure.
We had a bit of a competition when we headed into the woods for our afternoon archery session. Blinds are set up for guests to target fake animals, which makes the experience extra fun.
Insider tip: Activities fill up, so it’s best to book them before your stay when possible. There’s some flexibility to move things around when you are on the property, but availability is limited.
Lodging at Paws Up Montana
The property has six glamping camps, with six tents each and a central lodge where meals and snacks/drinks are served. Larger groups can book multiple tents in the same camp, which gives each family some privacy and provides a gathering spot for the whole group.
My son and I stayed at Cliffside Camp in a two-person tent. To say that it was massive is an understatement. We had 975 feet of space to ourselves, which included a large main bedroom, a second bedroom with two twin beds, and a spacious bathroom. Heating/AC units were available in each bedroom, and all the beds had electric blankets for those nights when it got a bit chilly.
Our camp was on a scenic bend in the Blackfoot River, and we could walk five minutes down a path to access the water. We enjoyed getting in the river and cooling off after a long day of activities. Bikes and e-bikes were available for us to borrow during our stay, and we spent the morning hours biking between the camps and down to the river.
If glamping is not your jam, the resort has 28 luxurious homes available to rent. These sleep large groups and include a car that’s yours to drive around the property while you are there. There’s also a separate adults-only section of the property, the Green-O Resort, with private accommodations that vary from cozy cabins to an upscale treehouse.
Dining at Paws Up Montana
Parents who want to wake up to some fresh-brewed coffee can arrange with their glamping butler to have coffee service delivered each morning. All-inclusive dining for glamping guests includes breakfast at your lodge in the morning. There is also dinner every evening at the lodge with a multi-course set menu. Families looking for more variety should try out one of the other dining spots on the property.
Our favorite restaurant was Shed, where we enjoyed lunch during our stay. The mainstays of the menu are BBQ platters with pulled pork, ribs, and sides like mac and cheese. I tried the trout melt, and it was so good that I had to get it the next day as well. Huckleberries are plentiful in Montana, and we took any opportunity to order them on the menu, from huckleberry mojitos to the over-the-top huckleberry float.
Another great option for families is Trough, as it has a robust kids’ menu with wood-fired pizza and other kid favorites. Just next door is the upscale Pomp, where you have a three-course menu of local specialties. Kids are also welcome here, and we saw families ordering pizzas even though they weren’t on the menu.
Don’t miss the Chuckwagon Dinner during your stay. Dress in your best western wear (if you wish) and head over for a massive buffet of BBQ favorites with s’mores and huckleberry cobbler. Live music, axe throwing, and horseshoes were part of the fun.
Getting There and Getting Around the Property
You don’t need to worry about renting a car when you come to Paws Up. Staff was waiting for our flight to arrive into Missoula and helped us load our luggage into a comfortable shuttle van. Through a texting system, guests can request a shuttle van to pick them up from anywhere on the property. You can also pre-arrange pickups if you know you must be somewhere at a specific time.
Paws Up Montana
Online: pawsup.com
Editor’s note: This trip was paid for by Paws Up Montana but all opinions belong to the writer.