With 360 degree views of the Swan Range and Mission Mountains serving as a backdrop, the Lazy Bean on private 230 acre ranch, is on the edge of one of the wildest, most primitive areas in the lower 48 states.
Elk and whitetail deer habituate the sub-irrigated hay meadows and although rare, moose have been known to drop by. Muskrats, mink and otters are established residents of Smith Creek which runs through the property which also offers an intrepid angler a chance to test their skill against wily brook trout. Sandhill cranes, blue herons, bald and golden eagles are common sight (to better view this parade of animals please check out meadowlandranchmontana on Instagram). Some nights the wolves howl, the coyotes yip and the owls hoot.
A unique feature of this working hay ranch is it's location next to the aforementioned primitive area which we call "The Bob", but is officially labelled "The Bob Marshall Wilderness". The Bob is over 1 million acres and extends at much as 60 miles along the continental divide.
The Lazy Bean offers easy access to this as well as being just a few miles away from the Swan River - the home of Montana's most famous fish, the bull trout. And yes, there are bears. Grizzly and Black. The main ranch, Meadowland, is situated in grizzly bear corridor that has acted as a protective buffer to promote the endangered species recovery. DNA from hairs collected on sight assisted in this effort.
The previous long term tenants of The Lazy Bean were involved with conservation and compiled a few videos of various bears at a game camera. One even has a wolf acting as ursine wingman (youtube wolves traveling with grizzly bear swan valley montana)
Other nearby things to do include hikes in the Mission Mountains (which also have glaciers - each lake in that range is an individually melted glacier, several of which support micro-climates), hikes into The Swans (think Holland falls) and if boating on the list, the valley hosts some gems including Lindbergh, Holland and Seeley Lake. This list goes on: Flathead lake (the largest non-manmade lake west of Mississippi) is only 40 miles away with the very cute hamlet of Bigfork nestled in a pretty bay acting as a maritime hub. Glacier National Park is about 90 miles from us to the north while Yellowstone is 300 miles south.
The cabin itself sleeps 4 very comfortably in 2 queen sized beds. There is a day bed on the main floor that sleeps 2. Pet friendly and although we don't have any RV facilities they are welcome as there is ample space to park. Cell phones work, there is wifi and a washer/dryer. No TV.
Snowmobilers can directly access Forest Service Land from our ranch.
The Lazy Bean has a 2 night minimum and if there is interest a secondary cabin with a bunk bed and bathroom can be made available for a small additional cost. In the photostream it is the small brown "Hunter's Cabin".
