Family-run Rocking Z Ranch Preserves Riding Traditions in Wolf Creek

Rocking Z Guest Ranch in Wolf Creek operates as a multi-generational, family-run enterprise that blends tourism, agriculture, and living western history. Owned and managed by Zack and Patty Wirth along with two of their six children, the 1,000-acre ranch breeds and trains quarter horses and structures stays to match guests’ abilities and interests. With a maximum of 20 guests at a time, the operation emphasizes low-density, skill-focused experiences ranging from ring work and bareback riding to scenic trail rides, endurance training, and roping and cattle work.

The ranch’s riding rights on a neighboring 85,000-acre ranch expand the practical footprint available to guests and trainees. That neighboring property is 85 times the size of Rocking Z, giving riders access to large, contiguous terrain not typically available to small, private guest operations. For Lewis and Clark County that means a locally based attraction with an unusually broad outdoor offering, which supports visitor spending on lodging, food, fuel, and related services in Wolf Creek and surrounding communities.

Rocking Z’s combination of horse breeding and hands-on working-ranch instruction positions it at the intersection of agricultural production and experiential tourism. Quarter horse breeding and training contribute to the equine economy by producing animals suited to ranch work and recreational riding, while instruction in roping and cattle handling passes on skills tied to the county’s ranching heritage. The Wirth family’s direct descent from 1860s Montana homesteaders adds a heritage dimension that can deepen visitors’ understanding of regional history while reinforcing the cultural value of maintaining working ranch landscapes.

From a policy perspective, Rocking Z highlights several local priorities. Small, family-operated ranches that deliver visitor experiences rely on stable land-use rules, reliable access to contiguous grazing and riding lands, and support for rural business development. Maintaining riding rights and protecting adjacent open land are therefore not only conservation issues but also economic ones for operators who depend on large-scale access. The ranch’s model—limited guest capacity combined with hands-on training—also underscores opportunities for Lewis and Clark County to market niche, higher-value tourism that complements broader efforts to sustain rural economies.

For residents and local officials, Rocking Z represents both an economic asset and a living repository of regional skills and history. Its blend of horse training, working-ranch education, and small-group tourism provides an example of how family agriculture can diversify income while preserving the landscapes and practices central to Montana’s ranching identity.