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The Ponds-A Working Ranch

Photo gallery for The Ponds-A Working Ranch

Lake
Lake
Lake
Golf
Exterior

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Ping pong on-site
    A rare find — challenge friends and family to endless matches.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
5 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Internet access
  • Air-conditioning
  • Kitchen
  • Garage parking available
  • Washing machine
  • Microwave

Explore the area

View map
Hamilton, MT
  • Place, Skalkaho Bend Park
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Vestor Wilson Athletic Complex
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Ravalli County Museum
    ‪7 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

1

1 King Bed

2

1 King Bed

3

1 Queen Bed

4

1 Queen Bed

5

1 Single Bunk Bed

Fun Room

1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Futon

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Fun Room

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Master

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Kitchen
Separate dining area

About this property

The Ponds-A Working Ranch

Beautiful home at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains. 5 bedroom 3.5 bathrooms on 40 acres with swimming, fishing, pickleball court, basketball, canoeing, biking, hiking, wildlife, elk, deer, ducks and geese, etc.. Truly an oasis but just minutes from Hamilton and the Bitterroot Bike Trail. A vacation dream this property is in the perfect location to explore the entire Bitterroot Valley. The views of the Sapphire and Bitterroot Mountain ranges are spectacular.

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property # 1936589vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

About the area

Hamilton

Located in Hamilton, this holiday home is in the mountains. Westslope Distillery and Shed Horn Cellars are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those looking for area attractions can visit Hamilton Performing Arts Center and Field of Screams. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing, snowboarding and skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as snowmobiling.
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Map
Hamilton, MT

What's nearby

  • Skalkaho Bend Park - 5 min drive - 4.1 km
  • River Park - 7 min drive - 4.7 km
  • Vestor Wilson Athletic Complex - 7 min drive - 5.4 km
  • Silver Coin Casino - 7 min drive - 5.4 km
  • Ravalli County Museum - 7 min drive - 5.4 km

Getting around

  • Missoula, MT (MSO-Missoula Intl.) - 82 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Pizza Hut - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Bitterroot Beanery (Pizza Hut) - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Higherground Brewery - ‬6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Ponds-A Working Ranch pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at The Ponds-A Working Ranch?

As of 16 June 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Ponds-A Working Ranch on 1 September 2026 start from NZ$1,029, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at The Ponds-A Working Ranch?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Ponds-A Working Ranch?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Ponds-A Working Ranch?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Ponds-A Working Ranch located?

Situated in the mountains, this holiday home is steps from Bitterroot Valley and 1.3 mi (2.1 km) from Bitterroot River. Skalkaho Bend Park and River Park are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 33 out of 34 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 34 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 34 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 34 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 34 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anna

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Beautiful views, clean house, has everything you need :)
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lisa G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely stay!

This place was a great house and property to stay. My family and I enjoyed it. The area and the property are gorgeous. The house is huge with activities to do inside.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amy K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Stay

It was a wonderful stay with family. Very clean. Beautiful views. Highly recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Fun stay in Hamilton

Cute place nestled back off the main road. Stunning views, very peaceful and quiet. The space was great for our family get away. Doug has everything there that you could possibly need.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bethany T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing!

This home is way more than the photos in the listing. So much charm and space!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Erika R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect family getaway

This is our 3rd stay at the ponds house. It is spacious and beautiful, close to town but feels secluded. The owner is friendly and helpful. Highly recommend. Great property for kids and families.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cassie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Another fantastic stay!

We spent another wonderful Thanksgiving with family at this property. Tons of space for everyone, and fun playing pool, ping-pong, etc. in the game room. We love staying here every year, and Doug is always accommodating & easy to work with. Thanks!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tani C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Gorgeous Setting

Doug, the host, was very responsive and accommodating of our needs. The house is spacious and fun (game room). And the surrounding area and view of the mountains was outstanding! Loved being out in the country but close to town.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

SHAWNA K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful

We enjoyed our stay at The Ponds while in town for a wedding. Doug and Lori made the process easy and our guests enjoyed the beautiful scenery and peacefulness offered at this property.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Donna F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful location

We attended a wedding at the Daly Mansion and this location was great. We enjoyed the family of quail, cows, horse , and running elk. It was also great to have wifi and large bedrooms for our six adults. The Blodgett overlook trail was a beautiful hike
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Erika R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

This was our second stay at the Ponds. Once again it was amazing! Such a great space for families. My kids never want to leave the property, which is fine because we don’t either!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 8 August 2022
Erike is a return guest, they are always very considerate of our property and we enjoy having them come to the pond, they are welcome anytime.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cassie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Holiday Location

Had a fantastic time at this beautiful home! TONS of space for everyone. Loved the bonus room with ping pong, pool table, and poker table. The views & property were 2nd to none! Thanks, Doug & Lori, for sharing your place with us! Hope to make this a regular spot for our family gatherings.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 29 November 2021
Cassie and her group were excellent, they left the house in great shape and were easy to get along with. Would love to have them back any time. Doug and Lori
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jill D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Stay

We loved our stay in Hamilton. House was clean and spacious. Great game room above the garage that the kids & teens loved. A pond in the front yard and one in the back that everyone enjoyed. Scenery and sunsets were beautiful from the property. Host was very responsive when we needed him. Great stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tom A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Montana Ranch Property

This property was fantastic for our family. The kids (both under five) absolutely loved it - cows, horses, sheep, tire swing, pond, etc. Very scenic, incredible mountain vistas everywhere you look. Convenient, but removed, location as well. Doug is great.
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cassie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Home Away From Home

This is our 2nd year in a row staying here, and it was just as great as the first! Tons of room for our whole family! The bonus/game room is perfect for group fun without disrupting the rest of the house. Plenty of room for meals, lounging, etc. The property is gorgeous, and Doug was accommodating and easy to communicate with. Can't say enough great things about our stay and this place!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 26 November 2022
I really appreciate these guests, they left the place very clean and easy to work with. You are welcome anytime.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David C.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful property

The property was Amazing and so perfect for families. We had an amazing family trip. Great house for those traveling with young children- there is SO much to do you don’t even need to leave the house. My toddlers loved all the cows and animals on the property and being able to fish in the pond. There is a basketball court/ pickle ball court as well little bikes and cars for toddlers to ride The views are spectacular on the property. The beds were also very comfortable!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Salda S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

August visit

We came into town for a wedding. When we got there there was a storm that had just come through and knocked out the power. Doug made sure we had flashlights and lanterns if needed. The property is amazing and peaceful. The house has ample room for everyone to have privacy too! Would stay here again for sure!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christina M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

pictures don’t do it justice!

Lori and Doug’s house is wonderful! The views were incredible and the pictures do not do this house justice. There was more space than expected and the house not only offered everyone their own space but also plenty of space to gather!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cassie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic stay.....again!

This is the third time we have stayed at this property--it is perfect! There is room for everyone, and lots to do. The game room over the garage allows people to have fun and be loud without disrupting those in the main house. The property is beautiful, and the views are spectacular! Doug is extremely accommodating and easy to communicate with. We hope to be able to stay here again! Thanks so much, Doug!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mary Ann H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great House for a Large Group

If you have a large group, this is a great place to stay. Plenty of room in the house and lots to do outside. Pickleball was a big hit with our group. Loved the animals coming around. Well-stocked kitchen. The fun room above the garage is a great hang-out spot. While we didn't have young children, they would have loved this area. If we ever go back with a large group, this is the first place I will look into.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Breta C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved it!!

We loved it! Perfect place to come back to after attending our family reunion in the area. Just wished we had more time to spend here. The kids enjoyed playing pool and basketball and we woke up to the sounds of wildlife each day (elk bugling, bullfrogs croaking, turkeys gobbling). It was wonderful! Next time we will be sure to take a dip in the pond and try out the kayaks. It was very comfortable and the views were outstanding! So glad we chose The Ponds. The hosts were very kind. Thank you for sharing! We would jump at the chance to come back!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 28 July 2020
They were great guests, left things great. We would rent to them anytime. Thanks for choosing our place. Hope you come back.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dave B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Bitterroots

A group of U of M grads from many years ago get together every year for a reunion. We chose this location due to past experiences hiking, fishing and camping. As we get older, places like Doug's make perfect sense to us and he is the ultimate host. The house is large with the ability to take a large group comfortably and the amenities are endless with the game room, water activities in the pond and a pickle ball court on site. Hamilton is close for everything you might need and this area has the solitude one would want if they wanted to get away from it all. Thanks Doug!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Robert B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Annual gathering of friends

Six guys who spent years working together have now been getting together in MT each Fall to do a little hunting and/or fishing. More importantly we get together to keep our friendship going. Doug, your place provided a great place for our Garth this year. It was very convenient for hunting and fishing, and a very comfortable house. Thanks much.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ronda W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pleasant and peaceful

The home is very beautiful quiet and relaxing. We saw deer every day as well as different birds. Sitting on the back deck in the early morning drinking coffee is a wonderful way to start your day.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

James F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Paradise in Big Sky

This is an exceptional property and a hidden gem. My wife and I took our 14 year old and two adult children with their significant others. Without hesitation, we all agreed it was the best vacation ever. And, that is above trips to Maui. There is something to do for everyone on this property. We didn’t have to leave as it is all right there. Ponds to swim, fish, and kayak. A basketball court, pickle ball, pool table, ping pong, fire pit, and much more. We made memories of a lifetime and can’t wait to return. Doug was an exceptional host and we are forever grateful to him for sharing paradise with us.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022

About the host

Hosted by Doug Schallenberger

Host profile image
We built this home and lived in it while we raised our children. Lots of fun on the pond, swimming, kayaking, fishing, close to bike path. We have a pickleball net, basketball court, and fun. We loved watching the baby geese, ducks, sand cranes, blue cranes, elk and deer. Close to town.

Why they chose this property

You will love the location, close to town but 40 acres of privacy with end of the road amenity.

What makes this property unique

Pond, creek, views, see lots of wildlife including elk and deer.

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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