A few months into COVID-19 quarantine, frequent travelers began to determine what their limits would be when it came time to venture out.
Some were comfortable wrangling a Winnebago for extended cross-country sightseeing while others preferred to hunker down at home, crafting detailed itineraries for where they’d explore “once the world reopened.” And then there was a third group. Dedicated globetrotters who wanted to travel as they always had but with a new emphasis on enhanced safety precautions in the form of masks, travel packs of wipes, and 3-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer.
As initial bookings at the Resort at Paws Up outside Missoula began to dip just slightly last March, the owners and staff reexamined every aspect of their hospitality program, noting where they could improve in order to continue exceeding guests’ expectations. And their commitment to the health and safety of their guests has made traveling West feel less like the wild West.
To start, the resort offers a shuttle service from the airport, only a 30-minute drive, but guests have the option of collecting their own complementary sanitized Lexus curbside. Once at the resort, check-in is completely touchless. Concierge services don’t even require the handling of a landline; instead guests download the Paws Up app, where communication takes place in real time with an assigned attendant. The icing on the cake? Location, location, location.
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Situated on over 37,000 acres (twice the size of the island of Manhattan), Paws Up is in the very heart of Big Sky Country where more than deer and antelope roam. Here guests can indulge in over 50 activities—everything from helicopter tours to rappelling, and from fly-fishing on the very river Brad Pitt fished in A River Runs Through It to participating in an afternoon cattle-drive. Some of the most coveted dwellings on the property are the glamping tents, which are anything but rustic.
These six camps feature safari-grade tent options perfect for families, groups, or couples craving prairie-side privacy in a luxe setting. Repeat guests often vie for their favorite camp site, calling dibs on the copper soaking tub at Cliffside, or the River Camp with its natural noise machine just out the front door. But each site is as well-appointed as the next, with full-resort amenities including camping butlers, chefs, and wilderness-defying WiFi.
The only hitch in this giddy-up is that these camps are only open seasonally, mid-May to mid-October. After that, guests would require more than a private firepit to brave the brisk Montana nights.For those travelers looking to really get away from it all (ahem, traveling without the kids), the resort has something very special in the works. Nestled deep within the heart of the property lies The Greeno (a nod to the resort’s location of Greenough, Montana); an adults-only sanctuary. Opening in June of 2021, The Greeno will feature just a dozen intimate homesites in four distinct styles, each with unparalleled privacy and luxury. Meals can be taken in your residence or on the property at Paws Up. These private homes are made just for two—to reconnect, escape, indulge, and to fall in love all over again.
The Resort at Paws Up’s commitment to touchless travel and its enduring legacy of Western hospitality extends to the resort’s 28 luxury home sites. Available year-round, all are equally coveted for their privacy, plus high-end details like oversized showers, fireplaces, and outdoor hot tubs. Boasting unobstructed views of creeks, meadows, and glades, each home is a sumptuous haven cloaked in high-end mountain comfort and charm. Outfitted with full kitchens, guests seeking anonymity (or wishing to avoid the company of others) may opt to have dining options delivered to their home or have a resort chef prepare meals in situ.
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But you don’t travel to Montana just for the high-thread count linens and deep wrap-around porches. You come for the joy of getting outside and exploring—be it on foot, by ATV, or on horseback. In the winter months, there are activities you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere with so much privacy, like skijoring (skiing behind a horse), sleigh rides, dogsledding, or snowtubing. Springtime gives way to fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and the aerial adventure course, while stargazing is ideal year-round. Programs dedicated to the younger set are plentiful, including cow croquet, go-kart racing, geocaching, paintball, and more.
The Paws Up team excels at special events, and guests return year after year for favorites, including Christmas in Big Sky Country, an event so exceptional that even Santa makes an appearance. Homes away from home get all dressed up for the holiday, complete with a decorated tree; you just have to pack your slippers and a sense of wonder. Ring in the New Year with fireworks at midnight (drive-in style with blankets and pillows in your own Lexus if you prefer) and plenty of bubbly—or resolve to be your best self with restorative spa visits. The resort’s annual Winterfest is an epic way to embrace the season with curated wine and food events and the chance to try your hand at curling, ice-skating, and mile-high s’mores assembly. It’s safe to say that travel will look different for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, Montana is wide open and ready for socially distanced adventure. pawsup.com