The Resort at Paws Up

My husband and I spent 4 nights during the Memorial Day weekend and had a fantastic stay. I wanted to stay in one of the camps and enjoyed the unique experience. A few things to consider: The camps are not located in the main village center, but about 5-7 minutes...

My husband and I spent 4 nights during the Memorial Day weekend and had a fantastic stay. I wanted to stay in one of the camps and enjoyed the unique experience. A few things to consider: The camps are not located in the main village center, but about 5-7 minutes drive north on the other side of the highway on a dirt road. Majority of the camps are near each other (same entrance on the south bank of the river), with the exception of Moonlight (located east of the highway) and North Bank. Each campsite has a dedicated staff and kitchen, so you don't need to travel far to find food. However, if you want to be close to Pomp, Trough, Shed and the Wilderness Post, you need to allow for extra time to call a shuttle to transport you to/from those locations. I wanted to stay along the Blackfoot River and was deciding between Pinnacle, Cliffside and River (North Bank does not have 1 bedroom tents). I chose River Camp because it is the only camp that is on the Blackfoot River (rather than on the cliffs overlooking it) and I didn't feel like I needed to pay extra for the bathtub. I am really happy with my choice and being close to the river. Bonus: There's a bald eagle's nest in the camp that was occupied during our stay!! Prior to arrival, a concierge staff contacted me to schedule our activities. Follow-up questions I had were via e-mail and response was prompt and readily addressed. Upon arrival into Missoula, it was very easy to spot a staff holding up a sign with our name on it as you exit towards baggage claim. Upon arrival, we downloaded the Paws Up app, which was very useful, especially if staying at the campsites. The app also includes our itinerary/activities and various maps/trails. We used it to call for transportation (since the campsites don't provide Lexus vehicles) or if we had any questions or requests. Response was typically pretty fast, usually within 5 minutes. The resort was also hosting a special Montana Masters grill event that weekend, where BBQ pit masters from different parts of Texas (as well as a vintner from Oregon) came to prepare different dishes throughout the weekend, including cooking demos, wine tasting and other activities. Such a great experience! Outside of the event, food was very good to excellent throughout. For breakfast, definitely try their famed huckleberry pancakes! Food at Trough is more dining style (soups, salads, entrees) compared to Shed (more fast casual bbq). Pomp dinners were family style with multiple courses that were quite excellent! Dinner at the camp was also very good. In terms of activities, all of the activities staff were excellent and engaging. Check-in is at the Wilderness Outpost and the staff would further transport you to other locations, as needed. When staying at the campsite, transportation is automatically scheduled to pick you up at the campsite 30 minutes prior to the activity. The most memorable activity was the cattle herding. I have ridden horses in the past, but am definitely not an expert (or intermediate) rider. This activity really made me appreciate the work involved in herding cattle as well as made me much more confident being independent on a horse. The other activity that probably doesn't get a lot of attention, but I highly recommend is the canoe trip on the Clearwater River. It was a really nice and peaceful activity that navigates through the twists and turns of the river and ends at Seeley Lake. The Back County ride to Garnet Ghost Town was also a very fun excursion that leads you off property to visit the ghost town. I wouldn't say our stay was flawless as we had an initial bad experience at Shed, where the kitchen and wait staff did not seem appropriately trained to handle the guests during the busy lunch hour. Upon alerting management of our poor experience, we were given assurances the situation would be addressed. The next time we (hesitantly) dined at Shed, we noticed an immediate change and had a very positive second experience. Having said that, we noticed many of the dining staff were pretty new, likely using our stay as "training" to prepare themselves for the upcoming busy summer season. A few other notes is that laundry service is included at the campsite, so no need to overpack! Things such as insect repellent and sunscreen were also available if you are limiting liquids to carryon. A huge shoutout to Bridgit (sp?) at Trough for making excellent espressos. We really enjoyed our time in Montana and definitely recommend it!

Wonderful adults only section of GreenO. We stayed in Green Haus. Coffee and pastry’s delivered every morning. Staff were excellent. Chef’s in our social hall fantastic. We had some of the best dishes of our life for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Waiters just the best. Too many to name them...

Wonderful adults only section of GreenO. We stayed in Green Haus. Coffee and pastry’s delivered every morning. Staff were excellent. Chef’s in our social hall fantastic. We had some of the best dishes of our life for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Waiters just the best. Too many to name them all. Our pastry chef (maestro) was such an amazing guy. Made us a special cake for our 50th anniversary. Plus two deserts after dinner. Yes, a perfect ending. Our massages were the best ever. Really !!! Thanks to Courtney. Then Bailey took us for any amazing river rafting ride and the next day Bailey took us for a hike in the woods near the Blackfoot River. And we saw deer, eagles, Buffalo, elk, and horses. All in all a great group of people making wonderful memories.