What an amazing place. The views are stunning. Matt and Starr were wonderful with recommendations. Their place is better than any 5 star hotel. read more

This is an unfortunate review to write, because clearly the Summer Star Ranch is a great venue for almost everyone who chooses to have an event there. It is not a great venue if something goes wrong. My wedding was scheduled for the 13th of July in 2024, which was when the Horse Gulch fire really started popping off and evacuations were in place. We monitored the progression of the fire that week, and at 4:00 pm on the 12th, we chose to call off the event due to health and safety concerns for our loved ones. Summer Star communicated with us throughout the week and said it was still safe to hold the wedding, despite the only road to the ranch being blocked to the public and the fire being only a few miles away. We strongly disagreed given the unpredictability of forest fires and the air quality data my husband (an air quality specialist for the state of Montana) reviewed. We were unwilling to put the lives of 170 people in harm's way. It's crazy to me that they were willing to take that risk. During the phone call in which I informed Matt that we were not comfortable proceeding at Summer Star, he assured me they would fairly reimburse us. As it was the evening before my wedding, which I had to switch to a new venue (Shoutout to Great Divide for saving us last minute!), I did not have the time or mental capacity to nail down details. I really wish I had. They offered us a $1000 refund, to which we countered $3500 (still LESS THAN HALF of the $7500 we paid them to do absolutely nothing). After ghosting us for 4 months, they responded to a legal letter with the following: "Should you pursue legal action or in any way disparage Summer Star Ranch, we will not hesitate to seek costs and take action to protect the financial stability and reputation of our Ranch." That sounds an awful lot like a threat to keep us quiet. Due to other unfortunate life circumstances, we didn't have the energy to pursue anything further. We had signed a contract and would probably spend more on lawyers than it was worth. So, they were paid $7500 for an event that did not take place, ghosted us when we tried to get less than half back, and threatened us. They're not native Montanans and leave the state during the winter, so I guess they have less stake in the community, so maybe I was naive to expect more from a business run by people like that. Separate from all of that, Starr's communication isn't great. I had to double text/email multiple times to get pictures or information that she said she would send for planning purposes before the wedding. I think it's worth mentioning given it's the only experience I had with their standard operating procedures and it was still subpar service. I have never felt so small and taken advantage of as I have in this horrible experience. Proceed with caution. read more

Beautifully isolated location in the national forest. Tent was clean, super comfy bed, modern bathroom and great, equine decor. Matt and Starr were fantastic hosts. We would love to stay again if we have the chance read more

Summer Star Ranch - Our only neighbors for the night - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Helena, Montana

This ranch is absolutely beautiful and so easy to get too. The barn they built for weddings is so nice and rustic and beautiful. I might sound repetitive but the ranch, the cabins, the wedding barn and the views are just perfect, beautiful and stunning. The owners of the ranch are also so nice and respond so quickly. They do everything to accommodate you with anything you might need for your special day. Thanks Matt and Starr for a wonderful and unforgettable experience at your ranch. read more

Summer Star Ranch - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Helena, Montana

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My fiance and I went to Summer Star Ranch for horseback riding. My fiance is Australian and used to ride all the time, however, living in NYC makes it hard to get that kind of freedom and mountain air on the regular. Summer Star was everything we could ever have dreamed of. The horses are beautiful, healthy and very well trained, and the views are spectacular. Being new to riding myself I was a bit worried, but the staff at Summer Star did a great job walking us through everything and making me feel very safe and able to enjoy the trip tremendously. Turns out they also do weddings there, and if we didn't live so far away we would most definitely have our wedding there as well. Great experience, absolutely worth a visit! read more

We had a wonderful experience riding here while in Helena during the weekend of my brothers wedding. Four of us went for a Sunday morning ride. Three of the four were very inexperienced. Matt put us each on exactly the right horse for our ability and despite being a bit apprehensive about it, I was totally comfortable. The trail was in a gorgeous setting and Matt couldn't have been nicer. I highly recommend a trail ride here if you are in the area! read more

Mat was a very good horse guide and very good trainer Our family had a great time , my 13 year old daughter had an exceptional great time , we highly recommend this for a family ride , thank you mat read more

My mother and I took my grandma on a horseback ride for her 71st birthday this summer. My grandma has always loved riding and I had never gone so we were all very excited! They went above and beyond to make sure we had a lovely time! They even took candid photos of us three! Everyone on the ranch was so kind and helpful. The horses were beautiful and sweet and the ride was perfect! We will DEFINITELY be coming back for a round 2! read more

I attended a wedding at the Summer Star Ranch in late May and boy was it beautiful! The views were breathtaking and attention was given to every detail, making the wedding one of the most spectacular I've been to by far. Any wedding held here is guaranteed to be beyond memorable! read more