A River Runs Through It

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The Green O, the adults-only enclave at Paws Up Montana, stokes the myth of Montana to its most glamorous and secluded degree

Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana

What is it about Montana? Maybe it’s the scope of its sweeping plains or the wild beauty of its pine forests and jagged mountain ranges—corralled in Yellowstone and Glacier—its famous national parks. Its nickname, Big Sky Country, barely contains the feelings of wonder and awe, hope and possibility, conjured up by its larger-than-life expressions of nature. Whatever the reason, Paws Up Montana, located in the Blackfoot River Valley of Montana, captured those feelings in 2005, when it turned a 37,000-acre working cattle ranch into a luxury family-friendly resort.

The entryway to Social Haus, The Green O’s dining and recreational centerpiece.
Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana

Boasting more than 100 miles of designated hiking, mountain biking, horse and ATV trails, Paws Up folded outdoor adventures, ranching activities, spa treatments and delectable dining into its offerings. Stirring luxurious Safari tent-inspired accommodations into the mix, it elevated roughing it under the stars into a vision of glamping that proved irresistible. Now it’s unveiled The Green O, a sophisticated and romantic woodland hideaway, carved out of its southern edge, that hones the area’s breathtaking beauty and Paws Up’s brand of uncompromising glamour into an adults-only paradise where Mother Nature meets modern luxury.

Courtesy of their shou sugi ban exteriors, The Hauses seem to blend into the pine trees. Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana

The exclusive and intimate getaway is comprised of 12 design-forward accommodations that pivot around Social Haus, a private restaurant and lounge. Designed by the owners—the Lipson family—and artist Pieter De Liagre Bohl, each Haus is positioned for maximum privacy and maximum immersion in nature. Guests are accommodated in one of four sleek Nordic-inspired styles built for two—the two-story Tree Haus, hovering 23 feet above the ground; the predominantly glass-walled Green Haus, partially buried into the hillside, with its lush green roof; the curved-wall Round Haus; and the cathedral-ceilinged Light Haus—united by wide-plank wood floors, shou sugi ban exteriors, reclaimed wood tongue-and-groove ceilings, gas fireplaces, plush bathrooms with rain showers, soaking tubs and stocked modern kitchenettes.

The Green O’s king- size beds, here at the Round Haus, are plump with down comforters, down pillows and soft sheets.
Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana

The experience begins 35 miles away, with our arrival at the Missoula Montana Airport. A chauffeured Lexus SUV whisks us along a drive that winds east, along the exuberant Blackfoot River and down a long winding drive to the unassuming gate that marks The Green O’s entryway. Our stay pivots between feeding our thirst for adventure and activity—we cram hikes, a canoe trip, rafting, horseback riding, fly fishing, archery, a cattle drive, an ATV tour and .22 rifle shooting into our all-too-short weekend—with our hunger for food.

Tree Haus, one of The Green O’s accommodations, perches in the branches, 23 feet above the ground.
Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana

The restaurant at Social Haus offers breakfast, lunch and a multicourse tasting menu each evening. Pastries and coffee are delivered to our Haus each morning and we can enjoy pizza delivery to our hot tub, stretching the limits of a stomach filled with the culinary imaginings that knighted Executive chef Brandon Cunningham’s a 2024 James Beard Award Finalist, before slipping into a king-size bed, plump with down pillows, a down comforter and the softest sheets we’ve ever slept it, exhausted and sated. To sleep perchance to dream, that we never have to leave.

The casual outdoor dining restaurant Shed. Photos courtesy of Paws Up Montana