From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:

This splendid new property on a sprawling cattle ranch outside Missoula has only 19 accommodations, but what choices! The most popular are the 11 Big Timber Homes, handsome two-story pine cabins with stone fireplaces and outdoor hot tubs. Then there's the ultra-secluded Blackfoot River Lodge, a light-filled retreat with stunning views from every window, and the allegedly haunted Morris Farmhouse, built in 1908 and decorated accordingly—except for the flat-screen TVs. In summer, guests can also opt for luxe safari-style tents pitched along the Blackfoot River. Outdoor excursions come with plenty of pampering (elegant picnic lunches on a rafting trip, massages after a bicycle tour). But this is coddling without pretension: Staff are gracious and chatty, the decor is all animal-skin rugs and cowboy portraits, and the Tank & Trough restaurant serves up a mean burger and fries. —2006 Hot List

When to go: Spring and winter.

Which room to book: Of the Big Timber Homes, Bunyan Bug is the largest and most private (doubles, $248–$748).

Amenities: Bar/lounge