Atlanta Falcons owner plans restaurant, lodging facility at newest ranch north of Yellowstone (2024)

Ground has been broken at a historic ranch 20 miles north of Yellowstone National Park on a new restaurant, lodge and rental cabins. The target date for opening is spring 2026.

The facilities will be built on a small corner of the 6,300-acre Dome Mountain Ranch, which was purchased in 2021 by Atlanta Falcons football team owner Arthur M. Blank. He owns three other nearby Montana properties under his AMB West umbrella, including the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch and Paradise Valley Ranch.

This new facility will be AMB West’s first open to the general public.

“AMB West has so many incredible properties that provide a high level of service, but this is something we get to share with our neighbors,” said Kayla Russum, general manager. “I love the casual, family-friendly environment that we’re establishing. And, of course, the location is prime. It’s a beautiful view to wake up and look at every day.”

Restaurant, cabins

In January, Russum moved over to the Dome Mountain project from the Mountain Sky team to become general manager of the new facilities. She started at Mountain Sky in 2021 as operations manager.

The not-yet-named facility will be open year-round and feature a lodge with a retail market. The store will highlight made-in-Montana products as well as offer grab-and-go items for people in a hurry to get on the Yellowstone River to float or fish, or those on their way to visit the park, Russum said.

The counter-service restaurant will be “quick-casual” with a family-friendly vibe able to seat about 20 to 25 customers inside. A private dining room, that can be reserved as a meeting or gathering space for 10 to 12 people, will be attached. Upstairs there will be a small bar with indoor and outdoor seating and large windows to enjoy the mountain views. A small drive-through coffee stand will caffeinate visitors in a hurry.

Behind the main facility will be 20 cabins for lodging guests. Fifteen of them are one-bedroom, three are two-bedroom and two are three-bedroom. All will have private bathrooms. At maximum capacity the facility could house 50 to 60 guests.

Some of the old guest cabins have been moved to be repurposed for employee housing.

Max Hjortsberg, of the Park County Environmental Council, said he was glad to see the reuse of the old buildings and that the new structures will be confined to where the old lodge stood. He said the Blank family has shown a strong commitment to conservation at its other properties, so his group is hopeful the same will occur at the Dome Mountain Range.

Tourism

The region, which includes the Paradise Valley between the Absaroka and Gallatin mountain ranges, has built a reputation for catering to outdoor-oriented visitors. As of 2022, almost one-third of Park County’s 17,000 residents worked in travel and tourism related jobs— from fishing and rafting guides to hunting outfitters. Last year, about 390,000 vehicles drove down the highway on their way to Yellowstone’s North Entrance at Gardiner— the only entrance open to automobiles year-round.

In 2019, the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research estimated Park County saw $239.6 million in direct spending from nonresident visitors. In Montana, Yellowstone National Park is the biggest tourism destination, attracting 4.5 million visitors last year.

There are similar all-in-one type facilities in the valley, ranging from the Pine Creek Lodge to historic Chico Hot Springs Resort and the high-end Sage Lodge.

Much like nearby Gardiner, Montana, where businesses are offering workers housing, the Dome Mountain restaurant and lodge— like all other AMB West properties— will provide housing for its estimated 25 to 35 employees, from entry level to supervisory positions.

That’s a huge incentive in a region where median incomes in tourism-related industries tops out at around $20,000 for women, $30,000 for men.

“We’re looking to hire locally,” Russum said. “With the housing we offer, our associates can really put down roots in Paradise Valley and be a part of the community.”

Hiring for available positions should start in late 2025.

Gardiner Chamber of Commerce executive director Terese Petcoff said there’s no fear among her town’s business people that another lodging and restaurant offering is being built nearby. She said the area is in need of more facilities for tourists during the height of summer visitation.

She noted that the town’s motels are already solidly booked for this summer, whereas guided trips seem to be lagging as more people wait until the last minute to book outings. The exception is in the spring and fall when older couples have planned trips.

Petcoff is looking forward to seeing what AMB West builds, as it has a reputation for doing a first-class job, she said.

History

The AMB West facilities will be built at the same location as the former Dome Mountain Ranch’s headquarters, a hunting and fishing lodge constructed on the eastern bank of the Yellowstone River along Highway 89.

Evidence of Native American occupation in the area dates backs thousands of years and includes teepee rings, artifacts and a buffalo jump.

The ranch’s history dates back to Robert and Carrie D’Ewart, who raised dairy cows and black angus cattle in the area after settling in the early 1900s. According to her obituary, Carrie was born in Lillehammer, Norway, moving to St. Paul, Minnesota, at age 16. Four years later she moved to Mammoth Hot Springs, the headquarters for Yellowstone National Park, marrying Robert a year later.

Local legend has it that the nearby Carbella Bridge and fishing access site got its name from the combination of Carrie’s name with that of her neighbor, Belle Stewart. Carbella became a siding on the Northern Pacific Railway's Yellowstone Park Branch and the site of a post office in 1915, according to a Montana Department of Transportation history.

The D’Ewart’s daughter, Thelma Gray, spent her entire life at the ranch, dying in 1999. For 65 years the property was operated as a hunting and fishing lodge. A Maryland-based company owned the ranch when Blank bought it.

Location

The land is bordered by more than 4.5 miles of the Yellowstone River to the west. The Custer Gallatin National Forest abuts the southern end of the ranch, which also includes three trout-stocked lakes: 25-acre Thelma Lake, the six-acre Vanessa’s Lake and a six-acre alpine lake.

Due to its location between Yellowstone and the Paradise Valley, the property is a key migration corridor for wildlife that AMB West is committed to preserving and enhancing.

“We know it’s a very sensitive wildlife habitat, so we are trying to learn as much as we can right now to make informed decisions about how to use the rest of the property,” Russum said.

So for now at least, there are no plans to offer other services like trail rides or hiking tours.

“With Arthur’s background in this community and his philanthropy … that piece of giving back to the community and educating visitors about this area and what we can do to preserve it, that will be a big part of the programming that we’re still working on,” said Elena Cizmaric, senior director of communications for AMB West.

Since 2001 when he purchased Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, Blank has given $45 million to philanthropic ventures in Montana with an emphasis on Park County nonprofits.

“He is committed to this area and feels a very personal tie to it,” she added.