On the West Fork of the Bitterroot, about two hours south of Missoula. Book a full day or a weekend and the whole ranch is yours.
The open-air hangar has electricity and string lights already hung, so the party moves easily from dusk into the night. The rest is your canvas: drapes, long tables, candles and a dance floor, set the way you picture it. Bring any caterer you like.
Full-day and weekend packages open up every ceremony site, and The Meadow includes one of your choice, so you decide where to say your vows. Pick the meadow, the river, the pines or the pond.
Tucked among the tall ponderosa pines, the light turns soft and golden as it filters through the branches, and the whole world seems to go quiet around you. It's a place that feels sheltered and intimate, where your people can gather close enough to hear every word you say. Hang drapes between the trunks, line the aisle with wildflowers, and walk toward each other under a canopy that has been growing here for generations.
The upper West Fork of the Bitterroot runs right through the ranch, clear and cold and always moving, and its riverside clearings are some of the most peaceful places on the land to say your vows. Picture the sound of the water carrying under every promise you make, with the pines leaning in along the banks. When the celebrating slows down, your guests have private access to fish for native Westslope cutthroat, so the river stays part of your whole weekend long after the vows are said.
The meadows open wide beneath the Bitterroot Mountains, giving you a backdrop that no decorator could ever build. Fill the grass with long rows of benches for everyone you've ever loved, or keep it to a small circle of family under the lone pine, and either way the view behind you will stop your guests in their tracks. As the afternoon light softens across the valley, it's easy to understand why so many couples choose to start their marriage right here.
Our trout pond holds the mountains and sky in its still water, and saying your vows at its edge feels calm and deeply peaceful, as if time slows down just for the two of you. After the ceremony, guests can slip out in the canoe, the row boat or the paddle boat while the evening settles in around them. Stay for the last light of the day, when the water glows pink and gold, and you'll have some of the most beautiful photos of your whole wedding.
This land is wild in the best way, shared with elk, moose, deer, eagles, otters and beavers, with bighorn sheep passing through now and then. Don't be surprised if a moose wanders across the meadow while you're getting ready, or an eagle circles overhead during your vows. Trails run out to the edge of the national forest, so you and your guests can slip away for a quiet walk and remember just how far from everyday life this weekend really is.
Mist settles into the pines and snow covers the benches. The ranch looks different month to month, so ask us what to expect on the date you have in mind.
Plenty for guests to fill the hours around the wedding, or for a whole cabin stay.
Private access to the West Fork of the Bitterroot for native Westslope cutthroat.
Take the canoe, the row boat or the paddle boat across the trout pond.
Walk trails that run to the edge of the national forest.
Elk, moose, deer, eagles, otters, beavers and bighorn sheep.
Several fire rings around the ranch for long evenings outside.
Hiking, horseback riding and white-water rafting are close by in the valley.
The ranch is near Darby in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, about two hours south of Missoula. We take a limited number of weddings each year, so come and walk the land before you book.
The questions couples ask most about our Montana wedding venue. For anything else, call or send a note.
Plan a visit to the ranchAlta Ranch is at 9203 West Fork Road, Darby, Montana 59829, in the Bitterroot Valley, about two hours south of Missoula.
For Bitterroot Celebration, Mountain Escape and Montana Legacy, yes. Those packages are exclusive use, so the whole property is yours with no other groups on the land. The Meadow, our 8-hour microwedding, is not exclusive use. The hangar and your ceremony site are yours for the event, and our cabins may be rented to other guests that day.
The historic open-air hangar hosts receptions for up to 100 guests. It has electricity and string lights, and outside caterers are welcome.
Choose from the meadow, the river, the pines or the pond. Our Meadow micro wedding includes one ceremony site of your choice, and larger packages include all of them.
The hangar is open-air but covered, so the reception has a roof overhead. Ceremony sites are outdoors, so if weather is a worry, come and walk the land with us and we can talk through your date.
Yes. Three log cabins sleep 14 in total, and there is on-site camping for extra guests (price on request). Mountain Escape and Montana Legacy packages include all three cabins.
Yes, we encourage it. We take a limited number of weddings each year, so come and walk the land before you choose a date.
Wedding packages start at $2,750 for The Meadow, our micro wedding. Bitterroot Celebration, Mountain Escape and Montana Legacy cost more and add days and lodging. See the wedding packages for the full table.
Tell us when you are thinking, and we will tell you what is open.