Flathead Lake Lodge is the Ultimate Dude Ranch Family Vacation

Let's start with what might be the sleekest move I’ve seen at a family-focused resort: the bike pavilion. There is an entire bike pavilion (this year it was manned by a cute college graduate, Taylor, from Michigan) where we could grab any bike, at any time. We took our set of four bikes for the entire week, it gave our kids (9 and 12) free rein immediately and by the second day a bike gang of friends had formed. 

All guests at Flathead arrive on Sunday afternoon and it’s an intimate group since there’s never more than 150 guests on the property. The following Monday morning is sign up for the activities for the week, which can range from a trail horseback ride to a breakfast spot an hour up into the Montana Woods, water sports, including the boarding and water skiing arts and crafts (where I made one of my finest, could-be-on-sale-at-Net-a-Porter necklaces to date). You can be as rigorous with your schedule or as loose as you want. There’s open time to jump on boats to jump on horses or to jump on each other. At one point I looked around while I sat in the middle of an activities hoopla; there was horseback riding to one side of me and a makeshift bull riding game to the other, while adults gathered for flower-arranging class.

Over the course of the week my family played laser tag, went for bike rides, woke up early for sunrise hikes, stayed up late for s’more fire circles, lazed about the pool, paddled on the lake in kayaks, read on the banks of the shore, made friendship bracelets during arts and crafts, played more laser tag and did a family rodeo where I hiked up my dress and tried to pen a steer. It’s as incredible to read as it is to write.

Meals are delicious and feel well-thought-out; there is a separate seating for kids and adults at dinner (after the kiddos eat, they file out for an after-dinner activity like scavenger hunts or volleyball games) and the adults are welcome to have some quiet time for a sip and paint or get more rowdy with some live music.

Time for the family is never far off though, and the weekly mouse race in the barn (which sounds exactly like what it is) has the entire resort hooting and hollering and placing dollar bets on which mouse will win. (It’s a kind gesture to return the money to the Hope Charity week that the lodge offers each summer for kids in need.)

Perhaps the Lodge feels like it’s meant for families because it’s run by a family, as it has been in the past 79 years. At the weekly steak fry, Chase, the owner, serves you steak right off the cracking fire barbecue; while his wife, Kate, brings you a new paperback if you happen to mention that you finished yours (because you had just so much downtime).

Flathead is not an inexpensive week of your life and I feel lucky to have had the chance to experience it. And when you count the activities from 7 AM to 10 PM, all of the included food and drink, the always-available fresh cookies and croissants and muffins constantly being put outside for you to grab next to the lemonade stand…you sort of think that you’ve hit the jackpot.

All-inclusive rates for seven days start at $2,261 per person (for kids 2 and up) and go up to $6,000 per person (for adults)