Welcome to Sentinel Ranch Alpacas

When you arrive for your alpaca experience, your tour will include hand-feeding, petting, and learning more about alpacas. After the alpaca pasture experience, enjoy shopping in our AlpacaLand Montana ranch store with numerous alpaca items available. Alpaca fiber items in our store includes luxurious sweaters and vests, soft scarves and socks, warm hats and gloves, artistic alpaca yarn and roving, cuddly animal stuffies, and more. We strive to carry as many items produced from our own herd as possible, using mills primarily in the United States, as well as mills in Peru and New Zealand.

We host special farm events throughout the year. Some of the events we host include farm tours, Farm to Table dinners, artistic classes featuring alpaca fiber, seminars for breeders, and an annual Pen Sale. We are also an event location for Business groups, Weddings, Parties, and other special events. All of our events include the opportunity to see and interact with our alpacas.

Our ranch and AlpacaLand Store are open year round! Stop on in and enjoy a fun and memorable alpaca experience.

What are Alpacas?

Alpacas are a gentle, curious, and very friendly species of camelid indigenous to the mountain plains of South America. They are similar to llamas, though only half the size. There are two breeds of alpaca: the Huacaya and Suri. Huacaya alpacas are the most common of the two breeds. Huacayas alpaca fiber is crimpy with a fluffy appearance. Suri alpaca fiber hangs in a pencil-like dread-lock that is extremely lustrous and silky.

Alpaca moms (Dams) have one baby, called a cria, every year. Adult alpacas grow to a height about 3 feet at the shoulder, and usually weigh between 120-190 pounds.

Alpacas are highly valued for their silky soft and luxurious fleece. While similar to sheep’s wool, alpaca fleece is warmer, soft rather than scratchy, and contains no lanolin – which makes alpaca fleece hypoallergenic. Alpaca fibers are semi-hollow, which allows alpaca fleece to naturally trap heat and wick water away from the skin. Alpaca fleece is naturally water repellent, does not readily stain, and is flame resistant.