Cabins - Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner -Ski In, Ski Out

Hotel Policies & FAQS

GENERAL INFO AND CANCELLATIONS

So that some of your questions are answered before you even pick up the phone, below are our policies and frequently asked questions. Please feel free to reach out with any other questions you might have that we haven’t answered here!

General Policies

How Can We Make a Reservation and What Kind of Deposit Is Required? 

Please give us a call or book online to make your reservation. For guests who are enjoying our Bed & Breakfast, we require a one night’s stay as deposit at the time or reservation. For our special event guests, a $500 per person deposit is required at the time of reservation.

For your convenience, we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, as well as personal checks. Full payment is due on the day prior to arrival. A 7% Montana Accommodations tax must be applied to your reservation. For our special event guests, the 7% is applied only to the lodging portion of your total cost.

Cancellation policy: 

Deposits are non-refundable but may be applied to a rescheduled vacation with us, up to a year from your scheduled vacation. After a year, your deposit will be forfeited. Due to our non-refund policy, we recommend trip insurance to our guests for last minute medical or emergency cancellations.

If you must cut your vacation short during one of our vacation weeks, we must still charge for the entire stay as we would be unable to fill your slot. If you are adding a day or two before and/or after your vacation week, the B&B rate would apply to those days. For our B&B guests, if we are able to fill your cancelled day(s), we will refund that day’s charge for your stay. No shows will be charged the full amount.

When Is Checkin / Checkout?

Check in is 3:00PM and checkout is 11:00AM.  For special event weeks, unless otherwise noted, arrival is Sunday and departure is Saturday.

Alcoholic Beverages:

You should feel free to bring your own adult beverages. We have barware available for your use.

Is Smoking Permitted?

There is no smoking in the cabins. If you smoke, let us know and we’ll provide a receptacle for your use and you can smoke on your front porch. Or you may smoke in the designated area near the lodge. There is absolutely no smoking allowed anywhere near the barn, arena area, or the pasture. Horse poop is highly flammable and we are very strict about this policy. Late summer is fire season in Montana, our buildings are wood, our barn is old and weathered, and we do our very best to protect the area that we are privileged to call home.

Are Children Welcome?

Children are always welcome at Bear Creek and we love having them here! Do be aware that the are no specialized kid’s programs at the ranch. Children under 10 may ride, led by an adult, in the arena, but unfortunately, the kind of extended riding we do with our adult guests does not allow for younger kids on the trail. We can recommend outfitters in the area without our age restrictions.

FAQS

Weather:

Weather is constantly changing in NW Montana, but you can pretty much count on warm days and cool nights throughout the summer months. Bookend months like May and October can bring sunshine, snow, rain, and wind (sometimes on the same day!), so check the weather for Essex, Montana for an idea of what to expect. Or give us a call as your arrival date gets closer!

Cell Service:

There is no cell service at the ranch and we enjoy seeing our guests detach from their day to day world! We have a land line and guests are welcome to use that at any time.  WIFI is available in the lodge only. We ask that you limit your use of our system as we are on a satellite and the bandwidth is used up quickly.

Which airport do we fly into?

Glacier Park International in Kalispell, Montana, is the preferred airport for guests coming to Bear Creek Guest Ranch. It is approximately 1 ½ hours from us, door to door. GPI is serviced by United, Delta, Alaska, and American airlines (beginning June 2019), as well as Allegiant. For guests attending our special event weeks, we provide transportation to and from the airport as part of your package.

Breakfast and Meals:

For our B&B guests, we provide a hearty breakfast to get you on your way, whether you are hiking in the park or riding with us. For our special event guests, we provide all meals and we serve them family style. It’s always fun to re-live the day’s adventures with new friends around the table. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies so that we can provide great alternatives for you. We take pride in the fact that no one leaves our table hungry! For our B&B guests who ride with us, we provide sack lunches.

Gratuity: 

Tips are not included in the cost of your stay with us. They are never expected but always appreciated! If your wrangler did a great job for you, please feel free to let them know by giving them a tip! Any tips that you give to Bill or Diana will be distributed to our staff.

Riding: 

We are very proud of our herd and do our very best to keep them healthy and happy! Happy for them means good food, plenty of water, care, and love. We take special care with their mental health, as well. That care extends to not overusing them and to that end, we don’t keep them tied, saddled, and waiting for day riders. Our horses, with a rare exception, are for the sole use of our guests.

We do not do “nose to tail” type 1 – 2 hour rides, and instead take them (and you) on rides that engage them (and you) and allow them to be horses. Our rides are challenging for both horse and rider and they love it, as will you. We ride rain or shine! We do have a weight limit of 225 pounds.

15750 US-2, Essex,  MT 59916 United States | (406) 226-4489 | bill.bearcreekranch@gmail.com

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