Our large & incredibly charming, fully self-contained 1000 sq ft private rural guest home retreat sits in the middle of 20 lush acres bordering US Forest Service land and is located just minutes from Lost Trail Ski area, rivers, fishing, lakes and hiking (guests can hike into the forest straight from the property). It has the rustic quintessential Montana vibe + 360 degree views of mountains, pine trees & horse pasture. It features a queen size log bed with a super comfy mattress, a queen size couch bed, futon (fits one adult or two children), Franklin style gas fireplace, full Kitchen (with spices, oil, herbs, organic coffee, sugar and honey), bathtub/shower with shampoo, conditioner and soap in a pump bottle, two additional couches, WIFI, skylights & HD TV as well as access to a 5-person hot tub on the main house back deck with views of the mountains and horses! And when the chickens are cooperating, we will supply organic eggs with yummy bacon!
Large, Fully Equipped, Private & Cozy Montana Guest Home with Hot Tub
- Guest House1000 sq. ft.
- Bedrooms1
- Sleeps5
- Bathrooms1
- Half Baths0
- Min StayNone
Guest Home on horse ranch w/dir access to Forest Svc hiking trails & a hot tub
Owner
Donna
- Response rate:
- 100%
- Response time:
- within one hour
- Speaks:
- english, spanish
- Calendar last updated:
- Aug 20, 2018
About Donna
Jim and I (Donna) have lived on our ranch in Darby, MT, for 12 years with our son Dean, now 17, and a multitude of critters; 8 horses, 4 (fenced) dogs, 2 cats, and 40 chickens. We enjoy horseback riding, skiing and riding bikes. Donna is a self-employed mortgage broker and Jim is a rancher, producer, arranger, and both work out of our home and are usually available.
Donna purchased this Guest House in 2006
Why Donna chose Darby
After my dad moved to Montana in 1983, this valley became my ONLY vacation destination until we moved here in 2006. The Bitterroot Valley, Ravalli County, has the best climate and beauty that Montana has to offer, located in a "banana belt" situated in a valley with a river running through it surrounded by mountains. It is gorgeous here, and of course, backing to the forest service, we are visited by wildlife often and can ride our horses and hike endless miles of trails right off the property.
What makes this Guest House unique
If we have help available, we can take our guests on a horseback ride! Please ask about availability for your desired dates
Amenities
- Internet
- Pets Welcome
- Air Conditioning
- Swimming pool
- Heater
- Fireplace
- Satellite or Cable
- Children Welcome
- Hot Tub
- Parking
- TV
- No Smoking
Bedrooms
- 1 Bedroom, Sleeps 5
- the space is studio style, so there is no wall separating the sleeping spaces
Bathrooms
- 1 Bathroom
- Full bath with tub and shower, shampoo, condition, soap in a pump bottle
Location Type
- Rural
- Mountain View
Theme
- Romantic
- Family
- Away From It All
- Budget
- Sports & Activities
- Adventure
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- Air Conditioning
- Heating
- Linens Provided
- FireplaceFranklin style propane fireplace
- Parking
- InternetSatellite WIFI with low GB allowance, so we request just standard use only (no videos, facetime, streaming or large downloads/uploads)
- Towels Provided
- Wireless Internet
- Hair Dryer
- Living Room
Kitchen
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Oven
- Microwave
- Coffee MakerCoffee maker and organic coffee, sugar and honey
- Toaster
- Pantry ItemsSpices, herbs, organic cooking oil, organic coffee beans, organic butter, organic honey, organic cane sugar, paper towels, napkins, baggies, tea bags
- Dishes & Utensils
- KitchenFully equipped kitchen, including organic coffee, oil, sugar and honey, herbs, spices, and cooking oil. We also provide organic eggs straight from our chickens and yummy bacon for the first breakfast
Dining
- Dining Area
- DiningEnjoy the view while you dine
- comfy seating for 5 people
Entertainment
- Television
- Satellite / Cable
- Booksask us
Outside
- Lawn / GardenLawn with picnic table
- Bicycles
- Outdoor Grill
Suitability
- wheelchair inaccessiblethe home is accessed via a staircase
- Long-term Renters Welcome
Pool / Spa
- Private Poolwe have a small above ground pool in the main house yard
- Hot Tub
Attractions
- library
- playground
- restaurants
- festivals
Leisure Activities
- walking
- horseback riding
- bird watching
- sight seeing
- sledding
- scenic drives
- boating
- wildlife viewing
- photography
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- fitness center
- groceries
- laundromat
- massage therapist
- medical services
Sports & Adventure Activities
- freshwater fishing
- swimming
- cycling
- fishing
- skiing
- golf
- mountain biking
- mountaineering
- hunting
- equestrian events
- fly fishing
- sailing
- hiking
- ice skating
- mountain climbing
- rafting
- water tubing
- whitewater rafting
- cross country skiing
- kayaking
- rock climbing
- snowboarding
Notes
- horseback riding available with advanced notice
House Rules
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date. 50% refund if canceled at least 7 days before arrival date. You must contact the owner directly to request cancellation.
4 Reviews
Thank you
I honestly have to say, my stay at the horse ranch was shorter than I expected. My only regret is not booking enough time off from work to fully enjoy everything the horse ranch and Montana has to offer.
The ranch was an amazing experience. It was peaceful, calm, and healing at the same time. Jim and Donna made the experience relaxing and enjoyable. The accommodations were top notch and the bed was amazing and comfy. I enjoyed the fact that I woke up at 4am and saw a whole new world while taking my dog out to go potty. No you don’t have to wake up at 4am to see this amazing experience, but the clear sky with the amazing stars truly made the experience something you’ll never forget.
The evenings and even during the day it was quiet and relaxing especially if the breeze was blowing. I enjoyed the pace of life outside of city life and it was like nothing that’s I’ve experienced. Yes, I did travel from Portland, Oregon to this horse ranch, and the trip was worth every bit of my time. The people in town were very hospitable, and I do stand out being an Asian dude coming from a big city. Regardless, my experience was amazing, the people in town were warm and friendly, and I haven’t felt this relax, calm, and healed in a while. I want to thank Jim and Donna for this wonderful experience and I plan on coming back. I truly felt Montana could be my second home.
If you’re like me and needing to escape your busy city life, and even escape your own state, this is the place to go and you wont regret the journey getting there.
Thank you again Jim and Donna for this wonderful experience and I look forward to coming back in the near future.
Best Regards,
Levin Manabat
Such an awesomely thoughtful review Levin! Seeing our home and Montana through your fresh eyes renewed my appreciation for just how special and beautiful this place is. We really enjoyed hosting you and are looking forward to seeing you here again. With warm regards, Donna and Jim :-)
Great place to stay!
Beautiful property with horses and a fish pond, wonderful hospitable owners that open up their homes as well as their hearts. Loved it!
better than it looks
Its better than what described in the ad! the place had everything you could possibly need. just bring the food! its over top a garage/workshop. its an open concept. everything has that rustic look. a picnic table outside. can use barbecue grill. fire pit on other side. jim will give you a full tour of the property. temp in the mid 50's at night. so you can open the windows and let the breeze blow through. plenty of tv stations. hot tub was great! stunning views out the windows! you are in a rural area. so any supplies you may need do it on way in. stores could be 20+ miles away. i got to feed the horses and dogs treats. sure they were sorry to see us go. we enjoyed our stay there and we will sure stay there again!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review! I do want to point out that the Conner grocery store is 5 minutes away and the Peoples Market in Darby is 12 minutes away. I hope you get a chance to come back and see us again! We really enjoyed your visit. :-)
Darby derby...
Great location and nice hosts.