Lone Mountain Ranch

Beautiful ranch. Cabins were very nice and well stocked. We did an all inclusive. The staff was disorganized and the communication was poor. Safety with the horseback riding was an issue on both occasions that we went out.

This was the first ranch experience vacation we did as a family. LMR exceeded our expectations. We loved every on ranch and off ranch experience that we did. The staff at the ranch is exceptional. In particular, McCabe, Aspen, Mackenzie, Ed, Brianna, the entire staff at the Horn & Cantle, and just about everyone else we came in contact with at the ranch. The accommodations are first class, including the morning coffee delivery at our cabin in a Stanley thermos.

Although the property is beautiful, and most of the employees with whom we interfaced were fabulous, we had major problems with our pre-arrival concierge. We were a large group (21). The concierge to whom we were assigned contacted us late. I suspect that many of the activities for which we wished to be booked were already filled. We did not receive the first draft of our activity schedule until 11 days before our scheduled arrival, and it did not include nearly enough activities for all the members of our group. There was a major mistake in putting down the wrong date for an all day Yellowstone Park tour that we had previously agreed on. Another concierge intervened to fix the schedule, but we still did not receive our “final” schedule until we were in the air on our way to Bozeman. I emailed back changes we still needed, Some, but not all were made. There must have been some communication failure between the concierge and transportation departments, because we were not picked up in Bozeman on time. When we called 10 minutes after pickup time we found out that a van had not yet been sent and that it would be about another hour until we could be picked up. After arrival the concierge who had previously intervened, apologized profusely and tried to do her best to facilitate our schedule, but twice I had to review the schedule for each person and request changes, some of which could be made and some of which could not because activities were full. It made for a stressful time for me and my adult daughter who was trying to help me. I will say that the lodge we stayed in was terrific with a gorgeous view, and the food was outstanding. The kitchen made a beautiful birthday cake for my grandson. We felt awkward about tipping. Although our package included “taxes, fees and tips,” one of the waiters told us that he was only getting 5% as a prepaid tip and made us feel that we needed to add much more. If that was all he was getting, we would be very disappointed, as we would expect a high end facility to be giving its employees the regional going rate for tips (or be paying a higher hourly wage). If the waitstaff was receiving more than 5% in prepaid tips or a higher wage, management should intervene to ensure that waitstaff does not give inaccurate information about tipping. There were a couple of errors on the LMR website. On-site yoga was mentioned as an activity, but it is no longer offered. (We were given the option to be taken to a studio Big Sky and pay extra for the classes.) Also, the camp schedule was not quite as listed on the website. The camp counselors were wonderful, and the kids in our group who attended camp part time loved them and had a good time at camp. All the staff worked very hard to provide excellent service to all of us, and we fully appreciated them. Our family will remember this adventure for years to come.

Lone Mountain is a magical place. The staff goes out of their way to make you happy, the horses and wranglers are wonderful, and the food is excellent. There are nice touches throughout the property, like the little bar at the Outpost, the pastries, the Auric room and cigar cabin and fire pits. The stay feels high-end and the grounds are just beautiful! The only feedback our family could give is there seems to be a disconnect in communication. We spent a lot of time with itineraries and planning and we would receive staff messages that did not align. Our home, Ridgetop, lost water pressure a couple of times and some of the family were not able to shower. This seemed to happen when we needed it most, like family photos. For the price of the stay that was unfortunate and hopefully they get that worked out. Even with the water inconvenience we loved the home. Ridgetop had a beautiful view, it was very spacious and plenty of room for our family of 15! Our family loved Lone Mountain and we were super sad to leave.

Overall, our stay at LMR was remarkable. The property is absolutely beautiful---peaceful, luxurious, and perfectly designed to let you disconnect while still offering every comfort imaginable. Every staff member we encountered was warm, welcoming, and invested in making our stay the best possible. Every meal at Horn & Cantle was outstanding--we honestly didn't have a bad meal. I especially want to highlight Robert W--the service he provided was top notch! We were really lucky to have him as our server the first night while celebrating our anniversary. He really made our experience extra special. We also had the opportunity to experience the Auric Room, and it lived up to the hype we were hoping for. Horseback riding through the stunning landscape was unforgettable and we had two great wranglers, Ella & Becca! Both ladies were outstanding! A special thank you to Lily, our Yellowstone guide, who was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and made our day unforgettable. We also spent a half day fly fishing the Gallatin and this ended up being the highlight of our trip! I highly recommend adding this activity to your trip! It was definitely a special trip, but I do question if the price tag aligned with the experience. Overall we were happy with our stay, but there are a couple of areas with room for improvement. Upon landing we were so excited to get to the ranch, but ended up waiting at the airport for almost 2 hours for other guests that were stuck on the tarmac. When approaching two hours, our driver finally said we could leave and they would send another vehicle for the other guests. However, this made a horrible first impression for the price tag we paid. Although we appreciated having coffee dropped off in the mornings, it was inconvenient to wait until 0700 each day since some of us are early risers or leaving the ranch early for activities. I suggest either adding a Kurig in the cabins or provide coffee in the Outpost where people can get coffee early if desired. Additionally, the box lunches are HORRIBLE! I felt like I was having a sandwich from a convenience store, not a luxurious ranch that's over 2K a night. Literally a dry piece of bread with turkey and sliced cheese...not even packets of mayo or mustard included, chips and an orange. I honestly couldn't believe it! So not only is the ranch saving money since we were unable to eat breakfast or lunch on the property that day, we were given a boxed meal that wasn't worth eating. Please do better! Highlights: beauty of property, food at restaurants, activities, and the staff!!