Paradise Valley, Montana

First, I want to give you a spoiler alert… In the show Yellowstone, the Dutton Ranch is portrayed in Paradise Valley. The famous barn and house is actually a working ranch in Darby, Montana.

Paradise Valley is a major river valley of the Yellowstone River in southwestern Montana just north of Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Montana. The valley is flanked by the Absaroka Range on the east and the Gallatin Range on the west.

Although Paradise Valley is known for its Blue-Ribbon fly fishing, there is so much more to it. Some of the best horseback riding around, river rafting, zipline, hiking, hot springs, dining, dog-sled adventures, x-country skiing, and of course, Yellowstone National Park’s north entrance is at the southern end of the Valley.

The Paradise Valley is separated from the Gallatin Valley and Bozeman, Montana by the Bozeman Pass. I-90 passes through both communities. Livingston, Montana is at the North and to the South is Yankee Jim Canyon, approximately fifteen miles north of Gardiner, Montana and the north entrance of Yellowstone Park. US Highway 89 passes through the valley and into Yellowstone National Park. The valley was the original entrance to Yellowstone. Today, Montana has two other entrances; West Yellowstone and Cooke City/SilverGate via the Beartooth Highway.

The Yellowstone River flows through the valley and is noted for world-class fly fishing in the river and nearby spring creeks such as DePuy Spring Creek. The valley hosts other natural wonders such as several natural hot springs, including Chico Hot Springs at Pray, Montana (near Emigrant), Montana, La Duke Hot Springs near Gardiner, and Hunter’s Hot Springs near Livingston.