As we settle into our seats (and saddles) this month for the final season of Yellowstone, Paramount Network’s mega-hit series starring Kevin Costner, the urge to step into the wide-open spaces and dramatic landscapes of the States as seen on screen has never been stronger. If the Dutton family could put aside the politics, we’d like to imagine they’d hang their hats for a long weekend at one of these luxurious ranch hotels.
1. Casia Lodge & Ranch, Washington
Wrapped up within almost 300 acres of pristine wilderness at the foot of Washington’s North Cascades, Casia Lodge & Ranch is a mountain hideaway in what we’re calling the new ‘wild west’. Methow Valley trails can be taken from the lodge’s doorstep, skirting rivers, lakes and rocky foothills. Bedrooms are named after local plants and wildlife, with antique-filled interiors inspired by the surrounding landscape. James Beard Award-winning Chef Jason Wilson is behind the farm-to-table menu, featuring fruit grown in the onsite orchards and fresh vegetables plucked from Casia’s verdant gardens. There are private stables for seasonal horseback riding, a well-stocked trout pond for fly fishing, and guided nature walks for the chance to spot roaming critters in the sagebrush.
2. RiverView Ranch Retreat & Western Adventures, Montana
Perched above the banks of the Clark Fork River, RiverView Ranch Retreat is a back-to-nature bolthole where each experience is an authentic Western adventure. The hotel’s connection to the vast Montana landscape is ever-present throughout your stay, whether you’re toasting marshmallows around the firepit, bedding down in your mountain-chic bedroom, or tucking into farm-to-table cuisine in the Hearth. When the charms of Big Sky Country inevitably beckon, take your pick from horseback cattle drives, team penning, and scenic trail rides through the nearby Lolo National Forest, to horse-drawn sleigh rides with hot cocoa in hand during the winter.
3. Rawah Ranch, Colorado
A rustic set of historic Colorado-style cabins in the rugged Laramie River Valley, Rawah Ranch is a true slice of the ‘wild west’. Channel your inner cowboy with over 22 trails spanning mountain waterfalls, lily ponds and across rivers, through aspen groves and peaceful valleys. Ride through thousands of acres of pristine and protected high-country Colorado wilderness, perfect your lassoing skills on the lawn, or get up to speed in the arena with one-to-one instruction with the Rawah resident wranglers. More experienced riders can venture off property with a selection of all-day treks, including a mounted visit to ‘Ghost Town,’ an old mining camp from the 1800s where the cabins are still intact.
4. Cougar Ridge Lodge, Utah
Set under big star-filled skies and near otherworldly red rock formations, the luxury casitas of Cougar Ridge Lodge sit at the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, one of the best stateside sky viewing areas. The nearby town of Torrey has officially been awarded ‘Dark Sky Community’ status, so stargazing here is off the scale — and the ethereal Milky Way often makes an appearance during the summer Sky Parties hosted by the Lodge. Hang up your boots in one of the mountain-view suites which come with hot tubs and private terraces, to gaze out across the dramatic Navajo Sandstone cliffs, domes and bridges of the National Park (where famous outlaw Butch Cassidy grew up in nearby Circleville).
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