Now accepting reservations for March 1 to November 1, 2027. Check dates
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Reservations 406 821 0894

The white barn glowing under a full moon on a snowy night, mountains behind

Darby, Montana · Bitterroot Valley · Est. 1880

A storiedMontanagetaway.

With Trapper Peak framing your sunsets and the Bitterroot River at your doorstep, Chief Joseph Ranch is a working family cattle ranch, a guest ranch, and the real western backdrop for the Dutton Ranch.

Plan a stay

Check availability

Cabin
  • The Fisherman Cabin
  • The Ben Cook Cabin
Guests
  • One guest
  • Two guests
  • Three guests
  • Four guests
  • Five guests
  • Six guests
  • Seven guests
  • Eight guests
Season March 1 to November 1, 2027 · Ranch and set tour included

The Ranch

Long before the cameras, this ground was home.

The Salish lived in this valley for hundreds of years. The Nez Perce followed the same trail each season to hunt bison in the Big Hole, and in 1877 Chief Joseph led his people across this land.

Settlers homesteaded the property in 1880. In 1914 an Ohio glass magnate, William S. Ford, and federal judge Howard Clark Hollister bought the 2,500 acre orchard and spent three years raising a lodge from local log and stone. In the early 1950s it was renamed in honor of Chief Joseph. Today it is a family home, a working cattle ranch, and a guest ranch.

Read the full history
The Ford-Hollister Lodge built from local log and stone
The Ford-Hollister Lodge, designed by Bates & Gamble and featured in Architectural Digest.
The ranch barns and silo in 1935, with the Holstein dairy sign
  1. 1805

    Lewis and Clark travel the northern Bitterroot on a native trail.

  2. 1877

    Chief Joseph leads the Nez Perce across the ranch.

  3. 1880

    Homesteaded as the Shelton Ranch. Water rights follow in 1884.

  4. 1914

    Ford and Hollister buy 2,500 acres and build the lodge and three barns.

  5. 1935

    May Ford and her daughters open one of the West’s first guest ranches.

  6. Today

    A working family ranch, and the Dutton Ranch on screen.

A rider crossing the green meadow toward the white barns, with the hills of the Bitterroot Valley behind
Experience the West while feeling at home.
Summer on the ranch

Stay

Two cabins. A whole valley.

Each cabin is private, fully equipped and set on the working ranch. Meals are not served, so you cook on your own schedule. Every reservation includes a guided tour of the ranch and its filming sets.

Exterior of The Fisherman Cabin at Chief Joseph Ranch
No. I

The Fisherman Cabin

Seen on screen as Lee Dutton’s cabin

Sleeps
Up to 8
Beds
1 king, 2 queens, 2 twins
Baths
2 full

Full kitchen, washer and dryer, DirecTV, Wi-Fi, Weber grill with propane provided.

$1,600per night for up to 4 guests · $75 each additional guest

Tour of the ranch and sets included with your reservation

Reserve this cabin View cabin
Exterior of The Ben Cook Cabin at Chief Joseph Ranch
No. II

The Ben Cook Cabin

Seen on screen as Rip’s cabin

Sleeps
Up to 6 adults
Beds
3 queens, 2 twins
Baths
2 full

Named for the ranch manager who helped the Ford family open the guest ranch. Full kitchen, washer and dryer, DirecTV, Wi-Fi, Weber grill.

$1,900per night for up to 4 guests · $75 each additional guest

Tour of the ranch and sets included with your reservation

Reserve this cabin View cabin

The Valley

Days set by the river and the light.

Sixty five miles south of Missoula, two miles from Darby, with the Bitterroot Range on the western skyline.

Horses in the corral beside the big white barn
Included

The ranch tour

Walk the lodge grounds, barns and corrals with the family who live and work here.

The Bitterroot River running through the ranch
One private mile

The river

Fish the Bitterroot on your own along a mile of ranch water, or bring a local guide.

Cattle grazing on the ranch meadow under a double rainbow
Working ranch

The herd

Cattle graze the meadows below the Bitterroot Range. This is a working family cattle ranch, not a set.

Ropes, bridles and horseshoes hanging in the tack room
Built by Ford

The barns

Ford’s barns still stand, and the ranch tour walks right through them.

When to come

Spring45 to 75°F

Fishing opens mid to late March. Snowmelt runs the river high from May to mid June.

Summer65 to 103°F

Long, dry days and cool nights. Pack layers for the evenings.

Fall50 to 80°F

Golden cottonwoods, quiet water and the last hatches of the season.

Explore the experiences

As seen on screen

You may already know the drive in.

This is the real ranch behind the Dutton Ranch in Paramount Network’s original series. The way the family tells it, it started with a cold call. The ranch had never been listed as a film location.

Every cabin stay includes a tour of the ranch and the places you will recognize.

On location at the ranch

  1. The lodgeGreat Room, kitchen, porches, helipad and yard
  2. The armory
  3. Rip’s cabinThe Ben Cook Cabin, available to book
  4. Lee Dutton’s cabinThe Fisherman Cabin, available to book
  5. The barns and corrals
  6. The woods, cemetery and entrance
  7. The riverLocations along the Bitterroot

Tours with a stay

Tours of the ranch and sets are for cabin guests only. We do not offer tours without a reservation.

Photos at the gate

Photos at the gates are welcome. Please keep the driveway clear. During filming, security may restrict photography.

A private home

The lodge is the family’s home and is not available to book. Thank you for respecting their privacy.

Yellowstone is a Paramount Network series. Yellowstone Ranch and Chief Joseph Ranch are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Paramount.

Guest words

From our guests

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Good to know

Before you come.

Answers to the questions we hear most. For anything else, call the reservation line.

All questions and policies
Can I tour the ranch without a reservation?
No. Tours are only available to guests with a cabin reservation, and every reservation includes one.
Where is the closest airport?
Missoula International Airport (MSO), about 65 miles north. Denver, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St. Paul are alternatives. We recommend renting a car.
Can I fish without a guide?
Yes. Guests may fish on their own along one mile of the Bitterroot on ranch property, or book with local guides and outfitters.
Are meals served on the ranch?
No. Each cabin has a full kitchen and grill. People’s Market in Darby is two miles away, and we are happy to suggest local restaurants.
Are children and pets welcome?
Children absolutely. Pets are not permitted on the ranch.
The ranch road leading to the white barns at dusk, with the Bitterroot Range behind

The 2027 season is open

Your porch, Trapper Peak’s sunset.

Reserve March 1 to November 1, 2027. Book early to reserve your dates.

Check availability Call 406 821 0894