Lonesome Spur Ranch, Montana  
A Working Cattle & Bison ranch in the shadows
of Montana's Beartooth Mountains

The Lonesome Spur is a fifth generation, working cattle ranch lying in the Clarks Fork Valley, between the Pryor and Beartooth Mountains.
In the twilight of our long summer evenings, you can waste plenty of time gazing off to the west at the snow-capped grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, and listening to the lonely howl of the coyote. Much of this unscheduled entertainment is available right from our cabins, Indian teepees, bunkhouse or covered wagon. A stay at the Lonesome Spur is a visit with a real Montana cattle ranch family. Almost a hundred years ago, in 1906, the first generation of Schwends homesteaded on this land. You are allowed to be a ‘guest” on the ranch, but you’ll probably end up feeling like your one of the family. Work on our ranch means doing things pretty much the traditional way; horse back (and we have both beginner riders and more advanced) joining us. Everyone wishing to ride receives basic riding lessons and horse-safety instruction. No one will be expected or allowed to do anything they are not comfortable with or capable of accomplishing on horseback. Our advice to all riders: Sit deep in your saddle, take a long rein and don’t spit against the wind! In a week at the Lonesome Spur, you’ll learn to appreciate the value of this wisdom!
Nicholas Evans, author of the "Horse whisperer" stayed here while doing research for his best seller novel. The Lonesome Spur was the model for Tom Booker's grandparents homestead looking out over the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. "From its crest you could see the river curving around like a castle moat and in the distance the snowy peaks of the Pryor and Beartooth Mountains."

WRMT06
2008 Rates include lodging, 3 meals per day, all activities on the ranch, transportation to scheduled off-ranch activities when available (rodeos, rafting, fishing, shopping, museums, etc.), river float trip and overnight camping trip during summer months.
8 days/ 7 nights  $1,625 
.. children under 10:  $1,030
Taxes: included  
Gratuities: 10% - to pay locally
Open: April 15-Nov 1
Branding Weeks:  
May 18- 25 & June 7-14  
Special Colt Starting Clinic
with  Marc Dixon from May 19 to 26
- add $300 to regular rate
Airport: Billings, MT
Transfer: $100 pp - to pay locally
Type: Working Ranch
Tack:  Western 
Horses:  Quarter
Level: from novice to advanced riders
Pace: all paces - according to riding level
Note: BYO alcohol
Fishing for trophy Browns and Cutthroat is $100 per rod / day

Activities
The activities are scheduled around the ranch and the cattle.
Examples are; moving the cattle from one pasture to another; riding through the herd checking health and growth; riding the fence line and at times having to mend a section of it; irrigating hay and oat fields, and so on.
But after the work is done there’s often time for leisurely rides to see the Indian pictographs or driving up on the Pryor Mountains to experience a panorama of beautiful wild flowers and the wild mustangs of the Pryor mountains. In our new arena, guests are able to ride faster, run barrels, pole bend, and participate in 0 Mok See games, team penning and ranch roping.
The type of work is dictated by the seasons. The weeks of February and March see us calving out the heifers in the corrals and tending to the cows, we usually ride the pastures and bring the cows in to calve in the corrals, any spare time there is, and if the weather conditions are right, we usually go skiing at Red Lodge.
The weeks in April and May will be getting our mares ready for foaling and working our home-bred young stock. The first weeks of June we’ll be out gathering cattle and sorting for branding. This is a family affair with all ages having their assigned duties. In true Western jargon, this is the round-up’, so you can brag about it to the folks back home, for branding we limit our numbers , so book early.
The rest of the summer months will see us checking cattle and horses, moving stock at times during the summer months is dictated to an as and when basis, so if you’re here when we need to move stock, you’ll be helping!!
In October we prepare for weaning and market. About the 15th we start to gather, and it‘s a busy time for us as the Nile stock show, pro rodeo and horse sales is on around the second week in October, between the Nile show and gathering cattle, most of October and part of November is filled with things to do.

Horses and rider
The horses are mostly American quarter horses, some are home-bred, we also have a Pryor mountain horse, which is part of our riding herd.
We try to match our horses to suit our guests riding ability so we have a variety of types of horses from gentle gelding for beginner riders to high performance roping and cutting horses for our more advanced riders. We ask all of our guests to participate in a rider safety lesson in our arena which helps us to find a suitable match of horses to rider.
Other activities
We will have an overnight camp once weekly overlooking the mountains, where you can sit by the campfire and experience real Dutch oven cooking and hear local folk lore and family history, wake up to cowboy coffee and breakfast, then it’s off to catch your horse, check cows and ride the range,
We also have a weekly river float where you can enjoy fly-fishing down the river or just go with the flow and watch the native wildlife on the river banks, whilst enjoying the beautiful sunset the choice is yours!! These activities are based on weather- permitting.



River float trip
We also have a weekly river float where you can enjoy fly-fishing down the Clark’s fork river or just go with the flow and watch the native wildlife on the river banks,  whilst enjoying the beautiful sunset. You have some great options for fishing that we should mention to you!  You can chose either, fly-fishing in the nearby Clark’s fork river
Try our privately stocked trout ponds for a trophy cutthroat, rainbow or brown trout ($100 per rod day).

Lodging
The lodging on the ranch consists of three log cabins, decorated in western theme with log furniture ,which each has a separate restroom/shower; a bunk house (each room with a private bathroom and again decorated in western or lodge theme, the bunk house rooms consist of one king room, one twin room and one single room, each room has a private deck. We also have Indian teepees and a covered wagon at the ranch. All our ranch accommodation has air-conditioning, heating and a refrigerator provided in each room or cabin, we also provide complementary fresh fruit, snacks and drinks in each room for our guests enjoyment, a gift pack of toiletries are provides for our guests comfort.
Spa Facilities - We have a Catalina hot-tub where you can soak away your aches and pains after a hard days play at the ranch, relax and watch the stars in the evening in the hot-tub, or perhaps enjoy a soothing aromatherapy massage in a real Native American teepee.
Meals
Meals are served in the lodge, family style. At the Lonesome Spur, we have a saying, keep the cooks happy and everyone will be happy.’ And this is hard NOT to do -- EAT!  You may need to let your belt out a notch or two after spending time at the Lonesome Spur! Fresh-baked breads, mouth-watering and decadent desserts, salads, vegetables out of the garden, and good Montana beef a typical days menu:            Breakfast -- golden buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, crisp fried bacon, cantaloupe and orange juice;
Lunch (Out On the range) -- deli sandwiches, macaroni salad, apples, chips, banana bars and candy bars;
Supper -- barbequed  Steak, twice-baked potatoes, fresh green salad, corn-on-the-cob, and for dessert? -- Homemade apple pie! How can you pass up  meals like that?
For the light eater, we have fruit, muffins, salads and many veggies. If you have special dietary requests, please let use know in advance and we will make every effort to accommodate you. But please remember that we are a beef ranch, and most all of our meals are centered around meat.

OFF-RANCH ACTIVITIES -
While vacationing with us, guests have opportunity for off-ranch activities. The availability of these activities depends on the season ,we usually visit a selection of these activities once weekly, and although off-ranch activities are at additional cost, transportation is provided. A few examples are:
- Viewing the Wild Horse Range in the Pryor Mountains;
- Touring the Buffalo Bill Museum and visiting the Old Trail Town in Cody;
- Reliving the Battle of the Little Big Horn near the Custer Battlefield;
- Experiencing the breath-taking Beartooth Highway up to Yellowstone;
-   White water rafting -- Cody, Wyoming
-   Rodeos - either watch local rodeo or whilst visiting Cody see the Cody nite rodeo
-    Golfing --for spectacular scenery, there’s an excellent 18-hole course is only 28 miles from the Lonesome Spur, right in the shadow of Beartooth mountains.

Guided tours at additional costs which  includes transportation fee
-  Guided Tours of Yellowstone park are available at additional cost and must be pre-booked with the ranch, the tour includes an overnight stay, and takes approx one and a half days to see the park, including old faithful. Prices can vary depending on which time of year you chose to see the park. Minimum party to do this tour is 2 persons.
 

Capacity 10          

   see Ranch Video

" We love to share our beautiful sunrises and sunsets, whitetail and mule deer, an occasional elk, moose, or mountain sheep, and the fleeting red fox. And the air? Our air is free -- it’s free-of-charge and it’s free of the usual city grime. What you’ll be smelling instead are aromatic sagebrush, pine and fir trees, and horses."

Wild Mustangs Video

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