Be prepared to be awed! Pampered! Treated like family! I went for the horseback riding through the incredible mountains, there’s so much more to do! Whitewater rafting, skeet shooting, archery, tour of Yellowstone National Park. Just simply hiking & observing & absorbing the beautiful breathtaking scenery. The staff are very professional, take great care in your safety (this is bear country!) and ensure that you’ve everything you need. I do went to caution you, if you’re not experienced in riding in the mountains it is, can be, physically challenging. Be honest with yourself as there is altitude to contend with and steep mountain trails. Enjoy!

YELLOWSTONE POP UP RANCH AT BLACKWATER CREEK RANCH After riding at the Circle Bar Ranch, we chose to also spend several days and nights at the historic Blackwater Creek Ranch. This Pop-Up Ranch is a part of the True Ranch Collection’s efforts to restore the 1912 historic O. T. O. Dude Ranch. We are already looking forward to being future guests at O.T.O. Ranch. Blackwater Creek Ranch offers guests the opportunity to ride trails into the Shoshone National Forest and cross creeks and streams to discover why President Teddy Roosevelt declared this area “the most scenic 50 miles in the US!” We chose to spend the majority of our time riding on the trails to experience the secluded nature of this ranch on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Other guests had great fun whitewater rafting, shooting, fishing and touring Yellowstone. The manager, chef, bartender-host, wranglers and staff provide guests with great support and attention. We are grateful to each and every member of the team at Blackwater Creek Ranch! They made our stay at the ranch very, very special! The meals provided by Chef Michael were some of the best we have enjoyed at a dude ranch! He even prepared a trail lunch for one of our longer rides. We got to ride with Wrangler Ellen on a day when almost all other guests chose to go whitewater rafting. It was the most amazing and enjoyable riding experience at Blackwater Creek Ranch! Justin is the most experienced wrangler at Blackwater Creek Ranch. He guided us into the forest trails and helped us to understand the history of the ranch and the national forest region. The main lodge and dining room at the Blackwater Creek Ranch is impressive. We stayed in the Grizzly cabin which was large with two bedrooms, full bathroom and a fireplace. This Pop-Up Ranch is open until September 28th. If you are very lucky you will be a guest at the ranch this year! Staying at a Pop-Up Ranch is an opportunity to experience history today and to support the revitalization of history in the future!!!!! Several of the Blackwater Creek Ranch team, including Manager Michelle, will migrate south to the Kay El Bar Ranch in Arizona for the winter. We look forward to seeing all of them as we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome in 2025! YEE HAW!

We stayed 3 days/nights at the ranch. The support staff was great, very friendly, and helpful intermingling with the us and the guests. We enjoyed the happy hour each evening from 5 to 6 pm with drinks and some appetizers. The pool was not in operation during our stay which we were looking forward to enjoying during one of the hot days. We were not offered any activity concessions due to the pool and hot tub closure. Two of the three days breakfast was a minimal continental only with some mini muffins and cereal. We were looking forward to something heartier like eggs, toast, bacon etc. Our horseback ride was reduced from 1 1/2 to 1 hour to accommodate a couple of people playing archery later. We understand the ranch was taken over by a corporate entity this year. We're not sure how/if this changed the overall experience for the guests.

A welcoming staff, outstanding home style meals, friendly guests, a good variety of activities, and a perfect location - right between Cody and East Yellowstone - made Blackwater Creek a great place for our family adventure in the American West. I know we will remember our trip fondly in the years to come, and we would not hesitate to return!

Rustic cabins, not luxury, but comfortable beds and in a beautiful setting, nestled in the mountains and rushing streams. The staff was wonderful; couldn't do enough for you. Food was amazing with a big variety for all three meals, everything was really perfect. They offered a wide variety of smaller activities including archery, shooting, fly fishing, a rec room, firepit, hot tub. The horseback riding was offered both morning and afternoon, (your preference), and the riding through the streams, woods, open range and especially up to June Ridge was just beautiful. Wranglers were friendly and really great! Included in our cost was also a day tour of Yellowstone with a professional guide, (which was so much better than trying to figure it out on our own!), a trip to the Cody Rodeo and a Cody whitewater rafting trip that was the perfect combination of about 5 fun rapids with some quieter water in between to take in the beautiful view and see some wildlife. Great trip, with a wonderful staff that you really get to know a bit by the time you leave. We had 8 of us in our group, and they accommodated us at every turn. The staff made you feel like family, I knew I'd kind of miss them all when I left. A bit sad to leave, actually. Did the 6 day package, but would have loved to stay even longer.