Darby, MT. Montana’s legendary Triple Creek Ranch, a celebrated Relais & Chateaux mountain sanctuary with five-star food, wine, and service, has been named to the Travel + Leisure 2023 T+L 500 list of the best hotels in the world, announced in the May issue.
Triple Creek Ranch is part of the quintessential American West and is celebrating its 30th year of ownership by Barbara and Craig Barrett in 2023. Surrounded by four million pristine acres of National Forest in the Bitterroot Mountains, Triple Creek is tucked away among towering lodge pole pines on 600 acres bordering the Bitterroot River’s trophy waters. It’s a luxury guest ranch that offers seclusion and a sublime, all-inclusive experience for just a handful of guests.
The Ranch features 25 luxurious western-style log cabins with wood-burning fireplaces, log frame beds, and peaceful views, each cabin a unique and private woodland retreat. Many of the cabins have their own alfresco hot tubs. A museum-worthy collection of Western art from the owners’ collection can be seen throughout the cabins and the main lodge.
Famed for its inventive cuisine, award-winning wine cellar, and stellar service, the dining room is helmed by Executive Chef Jacob Leatherman, who fuses his classical French training with the flavors of the American West. Triple Creek’s wine cellar has earned a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence each year since 2012.
THE GREAT MONTANA OUTDOORS
The array of Western activities (many are included in the rate) elevates a stay at Triple Creek Ranch to an authentic Montana experience. Guests can take a horseback ride, join a cattle drive or explore the nearby 26,000-acre CB Ranch on horseback. Fly fishing is enormously popular at this Orvis Endorsed Lodge, with a local outfitter providing guided drift boat trips on the trophy waters of the adjacent Bitterroot River. Hiking, mountain biking, shooting, archery, and ATV adventures are among the other activities. The Ranch’s Logging Camp is a tribute to Lewis & Clark, who passed through here on their way Westward, and to the spirit of early Montana homesteaders. These sessions allow guests to try their hands at archery, hatchet throwing, slingshot, 2-man saw, and fire-by-friction. The tranquility of the Ranch can be enhanced with yoga & guided meditation sessions.
While summertime is busy, shoulder season and winter are some of the best times to get to know Montana. Start with horseback riding in freshly fallen snow, snowshoeing, or dog sledding. Head out cross-country skiing on the Continental Divide or go alpine skiing at the nearby Lost Trail Ski Area, which straddles the Montana – Idaho border and was recently named one of Montana’s best resorts by US News & World Report. The Ranch provides complimentary equipment, tickets, and a packed lunch for these ski excursions.
WINE & ART
Triple Creek is famed for its Vintner Events with acclaimed winemakers from Chappellet Winery, Hill Family Estates, and Chateau Montelena, among others. Tastings and dinners with the winemakers set these weekends apart. The Ranch has become well-known for its Artist in Residence programs and Artist Workshop Weekends, featuring talented painters and sculptors such as Nancy Cawdrey, Jason Rich, and Brenna Kimbro. A highlight every year is the Stave Puzzle Weekend, where guests solve the challenges of hand-made creations from the country’s foremost jigsaw puzzle company.
When Craig and Barbara Barrett bought Triple Creek 30 years ago, their goals were straightforward. They set out to create the world’s most luxurious adults-only ranch getaway, a place to enjoy and share with friends, and to preserve Triple Creek Ranch as an iconic treasure of the American West. Under their stewardship, Triple Creek has repeatedly won the world’s top hospitality awards and was previously singled out as the World’s Best Hotel by Travel + Leisure. Visit www.triplecreekranch.com for more details.
