Dunrovin Ranch Webcam – See Horses and Donkeys in Montana

The Dunrovin Ranch Webcam looks down on the barnyard of a family-owned guest ranch in Lolo, Montana, in the Bitterroot Valley about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Missoula. A long barn with a red metal roof and open-fronted stalls fills the right of the frame, a small red shed stands near the center, and rows of pipe-fenced pens run down the left side. A round pen curves across the foreground, with a pasture, a tall conifer and a line of houses behind. Horses graze the far paddock and stand at the stalls through the day, so the picture is rarely the same twice. The date and local time are stamped in the top corner, and the framing shifts from time to time.

About Dunrovin Ranch

Dunrovin Ranch sits at the end of Expedition Drive on the east side of Lolo, along the Bitterroot River, at about 966 meters (3,169 feet) above sea level. Lolo itself is an unincorporated community of 4,399 people at the 2020 census, built where Lolo Creek meets the Bitterroot. The Bitterroot Range rises to the west, and Lolo Peak reaches 2,787 meters (9,143 feet) southwest of town.

The ranch grew almost by accident. Sterling and SuzAnne Miller came back to Montana from Alaska, where both had spent more than 24 years with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to help care for SuzAnne’s parents. Family reunions and visiting friends led to guest rooms and a couple of guest horses, and a guest bedroom eventually became several apartments while the horses became a herd. The Millers also keep two sister donkeys, Miss Gertie and Miss Maude, and work with the Montana Horse Sanctuary to help horses in need.

Cameras came next. The first went up above an osprey nest on the ranch, and the Montana Osprey Project at the University of Montana lists it alongside a second nest cam in Missoula’s Hellgate Canyon. Online followers who gathered to watch the birds became a community called Days at Dunrovin, and their interest spread to the animals in the yard. The ranch now lists four cameras, named Nest, Bench, Ranch and River. This feed is the Ranch Cam, which the operator describes as activities with horses, donkeys and ponies.

Weather and Climate at Dunrovin Ranch

Winters here are cold. January highs average about 2°C (36°F) with lows near -7°C (19°F), based on 2015 to 2024 averages at the ranch, and December through February bring most of the snow. Daylight drops to under nine hours in late December, so the yard can spend much of a winter afternoon in low light. Spring warms quickly, from April highs near 13°C (56°F) to about 24°C (75°F) by June, and May is typically the wettest month. The pasture behind the paddock fence is the part of the frame to watch as the season turns.

Summer is hot and dry. July highs average about 30°C (86°F), lows fall back to around 15°C (59°F), and July sees only about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) of precipitation. Days run to nearly 16 hours in June. Dry summers bring fire risk, and the 2017 Lolo Peak Fire burned thousands of acres 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of town. Autumn cools fast, with October highs near 15°C (59°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), when the trees around the pasture turn gold. After dark the picture switches to black and white, with yard lights picking out the barn roof and the fence rails.

Things to Do Near Dunrovin Ranch

The yard on camera is the starting point for the ranch’s own guided rides. They include ranch rides, river rides that cross the Bitterroot, forest rides in the Lolo National Forest and historical rides along the Lewis and Clark trail, with half-day rides and sunset rides in limited numbers. Riding lessons, therapeutic lessons with a certified instructor and week-long children’s camps also run from here.

Travelers’ Rest State Park in Lolo covers 21 hectares (51 acres) at the camp Lewis and Clark used in September 1805 and again in the summer of 1806, and it is the only site on their trail with physical proof of the expedition’s presence. West of town, U.S. Route 12 follows the Lolo Trail for 53 kilometers (33 miles) to Lolo Pass on the Idaho line, passing Fort Fizzle, where federal troops built breastworks in 1877 in a failed attempt to stop a band of Nez Perce. Missoula is a short drive to the northeast. To the south, U.S. Route 93 runs to Hamilton, 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, with the granite canyons of Bass Creek and Blodgett on the west side of the valley.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras stay close to this one, either in western Montana or on another Rocky Mountain ranch.

• Missoula Webcam
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Dunrovin Ranch located?

Dunrovin Ranch is at 5001 Expedition Drive in Lolo, Montana, along the Bitterroot River in Missoula County. Lolo is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Missoula by U.S. Route 12.

What can you see on the Dunrovin Ranch Webcam?

The camera looks over the barnyard: the red-roofed barn and its stalls, a small red shed, the pipe-fenced pens, a round pen in the foreground and a pasture beyond. Horses are the usual subjects, and the operator also lists donkeys and ponies.

Can you see the ospreys on the Dunrovin Ranch Webcam?

Not on this feed, which watches the barnyard. The ospreys have their own Nest Cam, which the ranch describes as ospreys all summer and other birds all winter, and it is shown with the other cameras on the Days at Dunrovin site, which asks for a login or a free trial.

Why is the Dunrovin Ranch camera black and white at night?

The picture turns monochrome after dark, lit by the yard lights on the barn and fence. Color returns with the morning light, without anything needing to be reloaded.

What is the weather like in Lolo, Montana?

Lolo has cold, snowy winters with January highs near 2°C (36°F) and hot, dry summers with July highs near 30°C (86°F). May is typically the wettest month and July the driest.

Can you visit Dunrovin Ranch in person?

Yes. The ranch offers guided horseback rides, riding lessons and children’s camps, and some rides have limited availability, so check with the ranch before you go.

What is there to see near Lolo, Montana?

Travelers’ Rest State Park is in Lolo, the Lolo National Forest lies to the west, and Lolo Pass is 53 kilometers (33 miles) away on the Idaho line. Missoula is the nearest city.

Source: Days at Dunrovin