The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch — Hotel in Greybull

If one is looking to experience the true west, breathtaking landscapes, luxury amenities, become one with a horse, and meet great people that become family, then the Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch is the place to go. From the day you arrive, you will be welcomed and made to feel at home on the Ranch. Amazing memories and relationships will be made at the Hideout.|About our experience: |We flew into Billings, MT from the East Coast on Saturday April 19th. Upon arrival in Montana, we grabbed lunch, walked around downtown and then checked into a hotel on the outskirts of town for the night prior to traveling down to Shell, WY. The following morning, we grabbed breakfast in the hotel and then traveled down to Shell, WY. The trip took about 2 hours. It was a nice easy drive. |Day 1 (Sunday) - Upon arrival, as we were admiring the beautiful property with the bighorn mountain range in the backdrop, one of the owners greeted us. Instantly, we got that warm welcoming feeling as Marijn showed us around discussing the upcoming week and history of the ranch. Once we got our stuff settled in our cabin, we met with Melanie to finish up our check-in, go over what to expect for the upcoming week and do some more exploring. |Later that evening, all the guests met at the lodge in the upstairs bar/lounge area for a cocktail hour to get acquainted and what not prior to dinner. In addition, we were introduced to the kitchen staff and a few of the wranglers. There were people from all over the world and different walks of life visiting! After cocktail hour, everyone gathered downstairs in the dining area for a warm delicious dinner.|Day 2 (Monday) - After a delicious homemade family style breakfast, everyone met at the barn for orientation which latest about an hour. Once the orientation concluded, the advanced riders (level 3+) tested in the riding ring, and the beginner / less experienced went on an easy trail ride around the property with some wranglers. Everyone was matched with well trained horses to accommodate their abilities and stature. |Along the ride, the wranglers were very personable and welcoming. They gave great advice and were always watching out for your safety. In addition to making sure the ride was going smoothly; they were also taking amazing action shots (photos) of everyone on the ride. |Once the morning session concluded, everyone met at the lodge for another hearty meal. After lunch we relaxed a bit before our afternoon ride. |The weather wasn’t looking promising, but the Wranglers decided to get us out to the trailhead and then make the final decision there. Luckily the weather held out and we were able to experience the beautiful, rugged terrain of the Five Fingers. |Once back from the afternoon ride, it was time to relax, shower up and get ready for cocktail hour and dinner again.|As like the previous night, everyone would meet upstairs for some delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks, talk about the day, admire the photos take from the day on the flat screen and plan our the next day rides.|It was at this time; I finalized the plan to propose to my Fiancée. With tomorrow being the best weather day of the week, I knew it was the right time. It would be on our morning ride.|Day 3 (Tuesday) - That morning, we met at the barn and got our truck and wrangler assignments. Our lead wrangler for the morning session was Molly and we were going on the Sedona Ride. As we got the horses off the trailer, I pulled Molly aside and explained what my plan was and if she knew of a good location to propose. She mentioned she had the perfect spot and would signal me when we got there. About an 45min to a hour in after a steep incline, I knew this was going to be the spot overlooking the valley and mountains in the distance. I got the signal and there was no turning back. We dismounted our horses to go up and get some photos at the ridge edge and there it happened. While we were walking up, I noticed the other group was approaching to meet up. I thought, the more the merrier. No one knew what was going on, but the wrangler and me. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome to proposing to my Fiancée out in the beautiful mountain country. Not to mention, Molly got some amazing photos of the event. Truly was perfect.|Once back at the lodge, we had another tasty lunch before our afternoon session. The night before we signed up for trap shooting and archery as our afternoon session to finish the day. We had lots of fun and the wrangler Taylor was a great chaperone/instructor. |That evening’s cocktail hour and dinner were extra special as the news had gotten around to all the other guests and staff and all the love came pouring in. Truly couldn’t have picked a better place to propose. |Day 4 (Wednesday) – Just like the other days, we had a great breakfast and then went to our morning session. My Fiancée went on an Advanced ride and I stayed back at the riding ring for the horsemanship clinic. What a great experience that was very insightful and beneficial. Definitely something I would recommend for guest to partake in.|To finish the day was like the others, great discussions, great memories, surrounded by great people. |We were heading out the next morning as we did not stay the full week, but the number of memories that were made those 4 days were something for the books. |What can we say, the property is beautiful. From the spacious intimate log cabin to the main lodge, past the hot tube, along the horse chute up to the barn, the Hideout is the perfect spot to experience the true west and get off the grid. We can’t wait...

This is a quite belated review for our trip in July 2023. This was our family's first experience with a ranch vacation. My stepdaughter and I both ride regularly at home and are intermediate riders. My husband can ride a horse, but has no formal training. Horses are not his thing, but he loves nothing more than to see my stepdaughter and I having a great time, so he came along for the ride (pun intended). The trip was such an utter success in July 2023, that we immediately booked another week in August 2024. ||||As I was starting to put together our flights and hotels for the August 2024 trip, I realized I completely forgot to post a review of the Hideout so others can hear about our experience, so here it goes!||||Your experience begins with your booking. This is done with Melanie, and she is fabulous! The actual ranch vacation starts midway through the day on Sunday. I highly recommend planning your arrival a little early so you have a nice little lunch at the Shell Store, which apparently now has a taproom (which we are so excited to try in August). Check in was a very personalized and smooth process. We stayed in the cabins because we wanted to be closer to the barn and to the lodge (and the laundry because we love doing laundry!). The cabins were adorably appointed and very clean. We loved the welcome bottle of wine, and the little basket of snacks (plus some cookies which were delicious!). ||||Meals: || ||We loved the variety of food choices at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am pescetarian, and they did an excellent job accommodating that preference because I let them know in advance. Some of the dinners were taken outside, which was really nice, just be sure to pack your mosquito repellant! There is a happy hour before dinner and I highly suggest the margaritas with the tajin rim! Delicious! ||||Riding Prep:||||First time ranch goers spend the first half of Monday morning at an orientation to learn the ways of the Hideout. I really appreciated this time to learn how things are done with the horses at THIS facility. While I do ride at other barns, a good rider knows to respect the methods used at the facility they are riding at. There are a lot of reasons for this which the Hideout spells out on their website. The trot/loping test was a bit challenging for me since I had only been on my horse for a sum total of maybe 40 minutes, but honestly, even if you don't pass, you will still get chances to trot or lope if the wranglers note that you can handle your horse on the ride. Being able to ride in control is a key aspect of riding safely. I appreciate that this is a core rule at the Hideout. ||||Gear to Bring: ||||The Hideout provides a great packing list. Here are some of my additional recommendations: (1) a helmet with a brimmer to keep out the sun. We did go through some tricky wooded terrain and I did bonk my head so I was grateful for the helmet, (2) riding leggings rather than jeans or riding jean leggings (I found the regular jeans too uncomfortable because the seam moved when riding, (3) padded underwear (it really helps on those long rides and saved my husband's butt (literally), (4) paddock boots (riding in cowboy boots all day is a lot, they are kind of heavy on my ankles so paddocks are nicer for me), (5) half chaps (these go over your boots and zip up. They provided all the protection I needed, (6) a water bottle with a protective cap over the spout (it gets really dusty when out riding).||||The Riding Experience: ||||All of my horses were well behaved. Some liked to eat the grass more than others, but I have learned that you just need to be the boss from day one with your horse and all will be fine. The tack is high quality and in good repair/clean. The rides are set up the night before during happy hour and you can generally do a half day ride or a full day ride. I did the full day ride each day. The night before you also choose your lunch for the next day (I also selected to bring an extra apple to treat my horse). ||||There are a variety of trails, and in the summer, it is definitely better to truck the horses to some other trails. The ride to these trails is short and it gives you a chance to get to know your wranglers better. The scenery on the rides really varies so there is likely something for everyone. ||||One of the best parts was that our wranglers took TONS of photos of us. I didn't even feel the need to take many of my own. At the end of your trip, you get a link to download all the photos. ||||The riding is NOT nose to tail (though on some portions of trails, there might not be enough room to ride side by side). You are in control of your horse and can go off exploring a bit (within sight of the group) and sort of choose your own way in most of the open areas. ||||We truly loved the Hideout and can't wait to come back this August! Thank you to everyone at the Hideout for making our July 2023 trip such an amazing memory! We can't wait to see what the Hideout has in store for us in August! See...

What an incredible experience. There aren’t sufficient words to describe how special this place is. Every box was checked for my vacation: from the quality of the horses and horsemanship, to the excellent staff, the wonderful, clean, appropriate accommodations, the delicious food and oh my god, the once-in-a-lifetime territory.

I’ve been riding for 48 years and currently have two horses that I ride/exercise 5 times a week. So why go to all the trouble and expense to visit a guest ranch when I can do it at home “for free”? Well, first and foremost, riding on a working cattle ranch has been a “bucket list” item for decades. It took this long to actually go for it because I wanted to be sure the experience was the best it could possibly be. Well hat’s off to me, the wait paid off. I knew the moment I saw the web site and video for The Hideout that I would be in the right place, among horsemen/women, riding exceptional horses and accessing the most breathtaking territory I’ve ever seen. As they say on their web site, this isn’t a “nose to tail” experience, no siree! Here are a few of the highlights:

THE HORSES. These are well cared-for, high quality, trustworthy and sensible horses. Of course there’s variation in sensitivity, smoothness of gaits and personality, but I didn’t see one horse that I wouldn’t have wanted to ride. I felt both respected and well taken care of by each of the three mustangs I rode (they’re not all mustangs, but mine were). I never felt I was on a dopey, numb mount who dreaded his job and couldn’t wait to return to the barn. These horses both know and love their jobs. They are treated like the critically important employees they are. The Hideout is a place that understands and reveres good horses and good horsemanship. It was astonishing and heart-filling to constantly see evidence that the wranglers care as much about the horses as they do about the guests. And vice versa! I will say one thing here that’s crucial to whether or not you have a grand time at The Hideout: if you are expecting to go to a place where the guests’ happiness comes before the horses’, this will not be the place for you. And this is precisely why I have already booked my return visit next year. If you are inspired by and committed to great horsemanship, you will find no place equal to The Hideout.

THE RIDES. That there are 650,000 acres to choose from is plenty impressive enough. But the territory! WOW. I’ve lived and vacationed in many beautiful places but I have never seen land like this. No two views are alike. You can be on the top of a mesa and see four completely different landscapes, depending on which way you face! The scenery literally changes every few minutes as you ride along, up or down the hills, canyons and valleys. The colors, the scope, the grandeur of it all — there isn’t a photo that can do this land justice. You can choose from full-day or half-day rides, depending on how your body is feeling and the other activities you may be interested in. Personally, the only thing I wanted to do was ride, so that’s all I did. I met guests who had been to The Hideout four and five times and they’d never been on the same trail twice. The cattle work is demanding but not taxing, and Tom, the head wrangler, assigns different duties to people based on their riding experience. There was plenty of work to go around, it was plenty challenging, and there were moments where we could rest and just marvel at what we were doing and where we were doing it.

THE STAFF. From owners Peter and Marijn, to Tom, the Head Wrangler, to the other wranglers, office staff, kitchen staff, maintenance and housekeeping, you will feel well cared for. Everyone you encounter will know your name; clearly this is a matter of pride in The Hideout culture. Details are handled, there's continual curiosity about the quality of your experience, the food, the horses, the rides. And it's genuine.

Finally, to summarize my stay: This was the best vacation of my life and, like many others, I'm going to make it an...