The Ranch at Rock Creek

Rock Creek runs for four miles through this valley, and the ranch owns every acre either side of it. The original homestead buildings survive at the centre of the property, surrounded by a small settlement of barn lofts, log cabins, glamping canvas cabins and a handful of standalone homes — around thirty accommodations in total, never more than a hundred or so guests on six thousand acres.

Everything is folded into the nightly rate: three meals, wines and spirits, and an activity roster that shifts with the calendar. Summer brings fly fishing on private water, horseback riding, sporting clays and archery; winter turns the same ground over to cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and a small private ski hill with its own rope tow. A restored 1880s barn houses a saloon, bowling lanes and a stage for live music.

The Granite Spa occupies a timber building by the creek, and the kitchen leans hard on Montana producers. It is remote — the nearest commercial airport is Missoula, roughly ninety minutes away — which is precisely the appeal.