The Ranch At Rock Creek

Great for children aged 4 and over

Whether it’s pretending to be cowboys or learning to be outdoor explorers, Montana has limitless ways for kids to realize their dreams – and at The Ranch at Rock Creek, we always enjoy sharing this unique part of the world with them. We encourge families to participate in our guided outdoor activities together. The Ranch is a wonderful vacation spot for families with children of different ages because of the array of activities that are available.

Flint's Forest Rangers is available as a featured activity for children ages 4-12. These supervised, fun and educational sessions take place in the morning and afternoon throughout the week. Each day features a theme, from Rivers & Ponds to Cowboys & Horses to Ranching History.

Minimum age children can ride

8 and over

Arts & Crafts

play-doh, coloring, sketching, Decorating cookies, popsicle stick creations, tie dying, face painting, nature walks, swimming and so much more

Activities

hiking, biking, picnics, supervised swimming, Sand castle building, cooking class, and more

Games

scavenger/treasure hunts, board games, horseshoes, soccer, bowling, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, pool table, ring toss, hula hoop, shuffleboard, and more

Baby Sitting

From age 0 to 12. Hourly cost $Varies.

Baby Sitting Provided By

Must be pre-arranged.

Environment

The Ranch is proud of its responsible stewardship of the ranch land and Rock Creek. Rock Creek is one of few American waterways that has earned the Blue Ribbon status. Our guides and guest practice catch and release at all times to preserve this viable fishery. The freestone mountain stream boasts seven species of fish: Westslope cutthroat, rainbow, cut-bow, brown, brookie, bull and the Rocky Mountain whitefish.

Community

The Ranch at Rock Creek is dedicated to serving the Granite County community and surrounding area through the support of local organizations and events that improve the lives of our fellow citizens. We host prom for our local high school every year and host the annual fundraiser event for our local hospital foundation.

Conservation

The Ranch is unique because our sustainability path has actually been in our property’s plans since The Ranch opened. Our location and role as a working ranch means that we naturally partner with our neighbors and nearby ranches in the area. We naturally coexist with our surroundings by the activities that we offer, the food that we prepare and the accommodations that we have built for our guests.

In 2014, Activities Director Patrick Little founded our Clark Fork Cleanup effort. Volunteers from The Ranch at Rock Creek and partner organizations have removed three tons of trash and recyclables from the Clark Fork River. In 2016, we removed 800 lbs. of trash from Rock Creek. In 2019, we partnered with the Westslope Chapter of Trout Unlimited to install fish screens on irrigation diversions on our four miles of private access on Rock Creek. Installing a screen at the headgate, prevents fish from getting stuck in the ditch. In the process of installing a fish screen, the irrigation infrastructure used to divert water from the stream is typically updated to the latest technology.

Our team has successfully eliminated single-use plastic water bottles across property. We used to buy 40,000-50,000 plastic water bottles a year. Now, we use refillable, glass water bottles and stock all accommodations with these bottles only. In addition, we have replaced all plastic straws with Hay Straws, which are biodegradable straws made from the bi-products of wheat production. The amenities in our bathrooms are now housed in refillable, multi-use bottles, instead of the single-use plastic shampoo and conditioner that are still common in many hotels.

Our entire team has worked hard to decrease vehicle traffic by carpooling to work (for those of us who live in Philipsburg) or walking (if we live in staff housing). To promote this initiative, we all got together and rebuilt the walking path between staff housing and The Ranch, which is just about a mile long. We ask our guests to also consider walking and biking around property to get to meals and activities, as opposed to requiring rides.

Following the Homestead Act of 1862, people over the age of 21 were allowed to claim a federal land grant in the Western territories. As was typical, The Ranch originally began as a mining claim. Nearby Philipsburg came to life during the silver mining boom of the late 1800s. Sapphires were first discovered in the Rock Creek drainage in 1892.

Along side the mining boom, Utah cattle baron Fred Burr introduced cattle ranching to the Flint Creek Valley in the 1850s - a pursuit that has persevered through the decades. In the late 1800s, this land was homesteaded by WW. Shaffer and P.W. White.

It has changed hands through the decades, but has operated continuously as a working cattle ranch during that time. In the 1940s, The Ranch was purchased by F.S. LeGrow. Subsequent owners include a former member of the Roosevelt administration, named Hobson, businessman Bucko Staninger, military officer Paul Burdette, Donna and Dean Strand and Max Watson. Current owner, Jim Manley, spent 20 years looking for the perfect ranch, following his childhood love of the frontier West. Manley searched for specific qualities in a ranch, including a river running through the property and a nearby ski hill. In 2007, his search for the perfect ranch ended. After several years enjoying The Ranch with family and friends, he decided to share the experience with others. He added many wonderful features and it soon became the all-inclusive luxury guest ranch it is today.