Montana Moments at Mahlstedt Ranch
We’ve all seen movies like Home on the Range (a personal staple of my childhood), or watched shows like Yellowstone. But have you ever wondered what it would actually be like to live and work on a ranch? Well, let me share with you this amazing experience I had back over Memorial Day Weekend!
Mahlstedt Ranch is a family owned and operated 113 year old ranch located in Circle, Montana. My family was invited out to Mahlstedt Ranch, personally, by Tana and Ross Canen, who are close family friends, to experience a small part of the ranch life. Their businesses, Mahlstedt Ranch, Inc., and Montana Moments, are part of their promoting of agritourism in Montana.
One of the things we got to participate in was herding cattle. Grade A Salers/Angus to be exact! And let me tell you, those calves are STUBBORN! It was interesting to learn that the Mahlstedt Ranch is one of the few ranches left that herds using horses. Though they do use some UTVs and ATVs. We learned that most ranches now solely use UTVs, ATVs, and trucks. It was amazing to see their prestigious pedigreed horses at work! No wonder they have Champion Barrel Racers in the family!
Speaking of the horses, we were able to help check on and feed their Blue Roan and Buckskin Quarter Horses (I, personally, found the Blue Roan to be the most beautiful. Though my boyfriend is more partial to the Buckskins). We were even given the opportunity to ride a few of their beautiful mares. Mahlstedt Ranch is an AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder and are selected breeders in the AQHA Breeder Referral Program. For more information on that, you can check out their website that is linked below.
Unfortunately while we were there, we didn’t have a very clear night to do any stargazing. But that is a package that they offer and is one I would very much recommend to do (if the weather decides to be nice while you’re there). We did get to explore the whole ranch during our visit, and even got the history of it! I won’t be spoiling anything for you, though. I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own Montana Moments adventure at Mahlstedt Ranch. Another noteworthy tidbit we learnt while there, is that the ranch is located at “The Divide”. The Divide is a geographical wonder where, when it rains, water that hits on one side goes to the Missouri River, the other side goes to the Yellowstone River. They have a number of packages and experiences available. They offer Kids Ranch Camp, Cowgirl Retreats, hunting packages, a Ranch Rodeo Getaway, and so much more. Mahlstedt Ranch also offers itself as a wedding venue! And let me tell you, it has the most amazing landscape to be the perfect backdrop of wedding photos.
All in all, it was a great disconnect weekend filled with laughs, adventure, and one-of-a-kind experiences. I cannot begin to give enough thanks to the Mahlstedt and Canen family for hosting us. Please consider Mahlstedt Ranch/Montana Moments for your next vacation, getaway, hunting trip, or whatever reason you can think of for an adventure (though you don’t need one). Checkout my Instagram and Facebook for more photos from our trip to Mahlstedt Ranch, and make sure you check out their social medias and website for more photos, packages, and offers!
