HORSE PACK TRIPS & TRAIL RIDES

MONTANA HITCH'N RAIL RANCH Big Sandy, Montana United States www.trailridemontana.com
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Overview

Here you can re-live history through the re-enactment of the Little Big Horn Battle. This takes place once a year in the last week of July. Real actors who play the parts of Custer and his army taking on Crazy Horse and his tribe put on this re-enactment. This battle took place because Crazy Horse was defending his land against General Custer.,

The Lewis and Clark expedition traveled up the Missouri River and through the majestic Rocky Mountains in the beautiful state of Montana. This is also a land where artists like Charlie Russell immortalized the 19th century western way of life, and where culture and creation are found in Montana’s Native American artwork.

Montana is a land of national parks such as Glacier Park to the north and Yellowstone Park to the south. These parks are abundant in wildlife such as elk, antelope, deer, coyotes, bears, eagles, hawks, wolves, and many more. Also, there are amazing views and landscapes.

Here you can still find places as Virgelle Mercantile, founded in 1912 by Virgil and Ella Blankenbaker. Located next to tracks of James Hill’s Great Northern Railroad, Virgelle was meant to be a shipping point and commercial center, serving the homesteaders who were then rushing in to settle the area. At its peak, the little town boasted a general store, post office, school, bank, and a grain elevator.

For these reasons, Robert Redford, as a director, chose this state to film the movies A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer.

The Virgelle Valley Ranch, where the Hitch’n Rail train rides originate, has been in the family for over 60 years. They run horses, cattle and sheep, and raise various crops on over 10,000 acres of land that is situated along the north bank of the Missouri River in the heart of big sky country. The ranch has five miles of riverfront property with the views of the Bears Paw and Highwood Mountain ranges to the east and west. The beauty of the scenery is surpassed only by the rich history associated with this part of Montana.

In the early days, Native Americans used this land for hunting buffalo during the late spring and summer months. There is evidence of teepee encampments at several locations along the bluffs that overlook the river. One in particular seems to have been a favorite killing or processing site, as evidenced by the numerous arrowhead points that have been found there. During the early part of the 19th century, the famed Corps of Discovery with Lewis and Clark passed this place and noted the timber along the bottoms. During the latter part of the 19th century, steamboats plied the river past the ranch on their way to Fort Benton, the world’s innermost post. During the time of early European settlement to the area, the U.S. military built Fort Assiniboine to the northeast of the ranch, just outside of Havre, MT. Most, if not all, of the construction materials and furnishings for the fort were off-loaded at Coal Banks Landing, located along the riverbank of the ranch. The old post office building that was used at this landing is located on the ranch. And the famous western artist, Charlie Russell, sat along the bluffs on the ranch and painted at least one of his popular scenes of buffalo crossing the river as they came down and out of a coulee on the other side.

Montana Hitch’n Rain Ranch is proud to call this place home and works to keep it the way it has always been; everyone in the family considers it a refuge for the soul, and wants to share it with others. Guests are invited to ride along the riverbanks and across the native prairies and experience first-hand the beauty and openness of this country. You will enjoy an experience you will remember forever.

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