The Great Escape

I have to come clean. I’m a city-slicker. For more than 30 years, I thrived on the fast-life in Manhattan, Boston and Los Angeles. My only links to the equine world were Spaghetti Westerns and a best friend who personified the term “clothes horse.” Now I live in Aspen, Colo. It’s slick, too. So what am I doing atop a cocky trail horse (albeit named “Shorty”) in the wilds of East Glacier, Mont.? Trying to tap into my wild side at the venerable Glacier Park Lodge, which delivers on its promise to treat visitors to “a taste of a bygone era, when traveling and vacationing were done at a graceful pace.”

Glacier Lake Lodge is a prime example of a burgeoning category of accommodations that encourages guests to trade their cell phones for chaps and the grind of day-to-day life for the relaxed pace of a mountain retreat. Most commonly referred to as guest lodges or ranches (not to be confused with “dude” ranches, which, according to the official Dude Rancher’s Association, must actually work horses or cattle and accept only “extended stay” guests), these rustic oases offer a wide variety of activities, from pack trips to aerobics, gourmet dining to golf, many of which are included in the price of admission. The six reviewed here will make you feel at home on the range-even if you don’t know a sawbuck from a saddlehorn.

All prices are per person, per night, double occupancy, unless otherwise indicated.

Vintage Idaho

All In The Family

Gallatin Gourmet

Green Mountain Getaway

Wyoming Wonder

Canadian Wellness

Summer Camp (with a kick)