There’s a certain kind of magic to Paws Up Montana. You feel it in the hush of early morning over the Blackfoot River, in the glow of the fire after dinner, in the way the landscape seems to go on forever, and somehow still feel intimate. It’s easy to arrive and be swept up by it all: the rolling hills, the unspoiled wilderness, the sense that time stands still while you’re here.
But what makes Paws Up extraordinary is not only the setting. It’s the people.
At this Two MICHELIN Key resort, where five-star luxury meets the untamed beauty of the American West, every stay is shaped by individuals who bring warmth, care, creativity, and expertise to what they do. They are the ones who turn every day moments on the ranch into cherished memories. Get to know the people who make Paws Up extraordinary.
Luxury can mean many things. At Paws Up, it means being seen and known.
For Brian Holwerda, General Manager of Glamping, that sense of personal connection is what sets Paws Up apart. After years in fine dining and luxury hospitality in California, he traded white tablecloths for wide-open skies, bringing his eye for detail and his love for people to Montana.
Today, Brian oversees six camps, each with its own restaurant, staff, and signature style. Yet what makes the experience so special is not simply the setting or the design. It’s the exclusivity that allows his team to truly know the guests in their care. Service remains intimate and attentive in a way that feels increasingly rare.
Here, camp butlers are not simply attendants. They are memory-makers. They overhear a passing wish and turn it into something unforgettable: a favorite wine waiting beside the fire or a private riverside setup so a grandmother can comfortably watch her family fish. These kinds of thoughtful details transform a great vacation into a lasting memory.
Paws Up sets the scene for adventure, but it’s the people leading the way who make those wilderness and ranch experiences feel authentic.
Across horseback rides, fly-fishing excursions, trail outings, and countless outdoor pursuits, guests are guided by experts whose knowledge runs deep and whose love for this land is unmistakable. Their presence brings confidence to first-timers, depth for seasoned adventurers, and a sense of ease. They know how to meet each guest where they are, creating experiences that feel within reach or challenging in all the right ways.
Equestrian Manager Jackie Kecskes embodies that spirit beautifully. Her work with mustangs reflects not just skill but also patience, stewardship, and reverence for the American West. With more than 70,000 wild horses roaming public lands, Jackie has helped some of these remarkable animals find forever homes and new purpose through the Equestrian Program at Paws Up. Her work helps mustangs safely navigate a world beyond their wild instincts while honoring the spirit that makes them who they are and sharing it with guests.
Then there’s Lex, whose work as Activities Manager helps make each day on the ranch feel adventurous, joyful, and full of possibility. And with more activities than any other ranch resort in Montana, there are plenty of ways to experience those feelings while you’re here.
Dining is one of the many ways Paws Up tells the story of Montana.
The culinary experience is rooted in place, but elevated by imagination, technique, and heart. From open-fire cooking beneath the Big Sky to refined dinners that feel worthy of celebration, every plate carries intention.
Director of Culinary Bret Edlund brings that sensibility to life. Shaped by Southern roots and Michelin-starred kitchens, Bret brings both sophistication and soul to the table. At the Social Haus for Green O guests, each tasting menu is approached almost like a story, unfolding course by course through a sense of place and craft.
That’s part of what makes Paws Up dining so special. There’s artistry, but also comfort and warmth. After a satisfying meal enjoyed indoors or out, you can always enjoy the campfire tradition of s’mores around the fire.
Some of the most important people are the ones working behind the scenes.
Behind every seamless arrival, beautifully prepared space, flawlessly timed event, and effortless transition is a team working with precision and pride. Housekeeping, maintenance, logistics, culinary support, conference services, and spa professionals all contribute to the feeling that everything simply flows. Their work may happen quietly, but its impact is everywhere.
Jeanne Williams, Director of Special Events & Conference Services, says what drew her to Paws Up was the feeling of what’s possible here. Her philosophy is simple and powerful: start from yes. When an idea comes forward, ask what it would take to make it happen. That spirit of curiosity and possibility feels perfectly suited to Paws Up Montana, where events and gatherings are shaped by changing scenery, layered experiences, and moments guests will talk about for years.
The natural beauty surrounding Paws Up is undeniable, but the connection to the land goes further than what meets the eye. It’s rooted in respect and authenticity.
There’s a shared understanding among the team that this place is more than a backdrop. It’s the heart of the experience. To care for guests well means caring for the landscape that makes their time here so memorable: the rivers, trails, ranch animals, meadows, and wide-open skies that restore something in all of us.
That respect shows up in many forms: in the thoughtful work of guides and wranglers, in the care shown to wildlife and horses, in the culinary team’s connection to place, and in the restorative treatments offered at Spa Town. Whether guests are heading out for a day of adventure or returning for a massage treatment or quiet moment of rest, they’re invited into a version of the West that feels both wild yet deeply cared for.
In the end, what guests remember most is often not a single activity or a single spectacular view, though there are plenty of both. It’s the feeling that carries through the entire stay – the sense of being welcomed not as a room number, but as a person. That kind of hospitality comes from the heart. It comes from people who take pride in what they do and find meaning in creating unforgettable moments for others.
At Paws Up Montana, the American West unfolds as it was meant to – vast, breathtaking, and full of possibility. But it’s the people who give that beauty its soul. They make luxury feel personal. They make adventure feel effortless. And they are the reason this place feels like more than a destination.
