Madison Valley Ranch Reviews

As soon as we pulled onto the property -- I could immediately tell this was going to be an awesome lodge. Manu, Parker and Zach are the perfect hosts. From meeting/greeting you as soon as you get out of the truck to sitting down to converse over dinner, you can tell they, along with everyone else at MVR, wants your time there to be spectacular. The property is immaculately maintained, the food and wine pairings rank right up with the top restaurants you could find anywhere, their attention to detail is simply amazing. I could go on and on about the lodge -- but it's a place you need to experience for your self to have a true appreciation for this place. As for the fishing and their guides -- they are the best of the best. Brandon, Gunnar and Dave were all on top of their game and know where to find fish. They were all very informative and didn't let the less than perfect weather conditions (an on river blizzard with 20mph gust) slow them down and kept us on fish all day despite conditions. Book this lodge.. You won't be disappointed. I'm already planning my next trip back out there!

Madison Valley Ranch had my expectations high because of the great reviews I had already read, not to mention the fact that it was an Orvis Lodge of the Year. But to say that it greatly exceeded those high expectations would be underselling my experience. From the moment we arrived we were greeted at our car by the extremely friendly staff, given a tour, given some lessons on basic fly fishing technique and made us all feel right at home. The meals were all unique and seriously delicious. The guides we had each day were extremely knowledgeable, fun to be around and great to spend getting to know. I would highly recommend that anyone who has any sort of interest in fly fishing to go to Madison Valley Ranch and make some incredible memories with the staff there.

Invited my adult sons to join me at MVR. It was a great trip. The location was breathtakingly beautiful. The food was so, so good. And I especially appreciated Manu and Zach being such wonderful host to us and we really enjoyed our guides.

Best lodge experience around, bar none. I can't wait to return for another visit.

My brother and I loved our stay at the Madison Valley Ranch. Four things stood out for us. First, Parker, Zach, Manu, Matt and the other members of the lodge staff couldn’t have been more friendly and more accommodating. For example, on our arrival, before we were out of our car, Zach was outside to welcome us. She got us settled, gave us a tour of the ranch and was a delightful host throughout our stay. Also, one morning, we needed to leave the ranch at 5:00 a.m. so we could be on the Jefferson River by 6:00 a.m. Matt saw to it that our breakfast was waiting for us at 4:30 a.m. Absolutely, a five-star ranch staff. Second, the lodge accommodations are made for relaxation after a long day on the river. Our room was comfortable, generous in size and gave us the feeling of privacy. The grounds are beautiful and we enjoyed having direct access to the Madison River and the ranch’s trout pond, which we found to be full of scrappy fish. We loved joining the other guests for hors d’oeuvres, which were served outside on the patio before dinner, and for the dinners themselves which were wonderful, as were our breakfasts each morning and lunches on the river each day. . Third, the Madison Valley Ranch guides are first rate. We appreciated that our guide recognized our levels of fishing expertise and accommodated the trip accordingly, with clear directions during our floats regarding the locations where fish were holding and excellent positioning of the boat so that both fishermen in the front and back of the boat had great access to fish. He also provided lots of information about the rivers we fished, the surrounding beautiful scenery AND he put us on a lot of BIG fish!!  Finally, we enjoyed the collegiality of the Ranch. We thoroughly enjoyed our visits with the other guests and had ample opportunity to learn a bit about them and to compare fishing stories after a day on the water. They complimented our Madison Valley Ranch experience and made us eager to return.

The Madison Valley Ranch is a five star establishment! The week we spent at the ranch exceeded our expectations. The lodge was beautiful, the staff was amazing, and the wildlife was abundant. This trip was a dream come true for us.

You receive the value you pay for this adventure. Perfect setting. Perfect staff. Perfect food and "southern hospitality" western style!! Our group felt appreciated from the time we pulled into the parking lot until we left!!

On the plane back home to Nashville and just bummed out that I had to leave. I really could have spent another week or two out there. The people who work at the ranch are extremely friendly and accommodating. The location of the lodge was fantastic, even the little pond was fun and loaded with some big rainbows. The group of guides were all first class. I'm. It sure if I just got lucky but the different groups who stayed there were all very cool and made the trip that much better. I would definitely head out there again next summer. A little gem in Ennis.

Incredible combination of great fishing, superb guides, excellent accommodations and food, and super staff.

My wife and I decompressed the last three days at MVR towards the end of of our 12-day MT trip. What a treat: nice rooms, excellent food, amazing service and some good fishing in August. We had two amazing guides on our two days of fishing. Loved the small pond out front (caught two 24"+ rainbows although they were harder than I expected.) Make sure to visit the Channels and wade--wonderful experience. There was also an Orvis trout school going on during the same time we were there. If Pete Kutzer is teaching again next year, make sure to book the trip. He's an excellent teacher and his fly casting style is amazing.