Double Arrow Ranch is proud to share a name that has a long history in the Seeley Lake area. Once called the Corbett Ranch, the land that makes up today’s residential community was part of a purchase in the late 1920’s by Jan Boissevain and George Weisel. They founded the Double Arrow Ranch as a guest ranch, with the first paying guests arriving in 1930.
In the following decades, the ranch served as a working cattle ranch. In 1958, CB and Helen Rich purchased the property for their outfitting business. The subdivision of the ranch for residences began in the early 1970’s.
Today our community consists of 736 lots, platted in seven phases, representing slightly more than 600 owners. Scattered around the ranch are remnants of these bygone days, like a long-abandoned section of barbed wire fencing. You can even spot old-growth larch stumps with notches still showing where they anchored springboards for crosscut sawyers.
Double Arrow Ranch has more than 30 miles of roads, along with 150 acres of common areas in nine parcels. The management of roads and commons, along with general oversight of the ranch, is the responsibility of our homeowners association, known as DARLOA (Double Arrow Ranch Landowners’ Association). All property owners are members, and an elected volunteer board of directors ensures that member dues are spent efficiently in the management of the ranch.
Road maintenance and snow removal are the major demands on the budget. The DARLOA office is located in the Bison and Bear Center in downtown Seeley Lake. Questions and suggestions from the broader community are always welcome.
Double Arrow Ranch, like much of the property in the Seeley Lake area, has a variety of adjoining lands: Lolo National Forest (including The Nature Conservancy purchase of Plum Creek lands), state lands (managed by DNRC), other private land and even an undeveloped Missoula County park. Because of this, the ranch is used by many in the area as a gateway to public lands for various recreational activities.
While we welcome this, all users of Double Arrow roads are asked to obey the 25 mph speed limit. Please also be aware of our winter snowmobile rules which are posted on the public section of the DARLOA website.
The common areas which are mentioned above range from remote and best left in their natural state, to easily-accessed areas like the DARLOA Homestead Cabin. This historic building is one of the oldest in the area.
The Homestead Cabin and its adjacent pavilion are a popular venue for events like weddings, family reunions and the CRC annual meeting. If you are planning such an event, check out the area with its excellent views and frontage on Trail Creek. To reserve the Homestead Cabin, simply call the DARLOA office at 406-677-2030.
In addition, volunteers from the ranch are completing a project to improve the walking trail on Wagon Wheel Flats, west of Highway 83. This will provide a level, two-thirds mile trail, usable by walkers of all ages and abilities. Finally, our Ski Hill common area, also a piece of history as the site of one of Montana’s first ski areas, has been enjoyed for years by Seeley Lake children for sledding.
With the significant amount of land represented by Double Arrow Ranch, our residents have been quite active in participating in various community programs related to fire mitigation and stream health and restoration. Morrell Creek, Trail Creek, Mountain Creek and Drew Creek all pass through parts of the ranch. We have opportunities to support the health of these streams, as has been successfully done at Trail Creek and make access to them available where appropriate.
Also, we have had a Fire Safety Committee active for many years and through their tireless work the number of high-hazard lots on the ranch has declined significantly. A map in the DARLOA office showing a “before and after” comparison is a striking example of what persistence and community awareness can accomplish.
Homeowners on the ranch are a mix of full-time and part-time residents. From both of these groups come many involved volunteers for the important programs that enrich our life here in the Seeley Lake region. The Seeley Lake Community Foundation, Alpine Artisans, the Seeley Lake Historical Society, Seeley-Swan Search & Rescue and many others benefit from volunteers living on Double Arrow Ranch.
Our shared history, along with the interests we share with all the residents of the Seeley Lake area, means the ranch will be a significant part of the community for years to come.
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