Guest ranches, commonly called dude ranches, focus on horseback adventures and enjoyment of the natural wonders of the western United States. According to the Dude Ranchers’ Association (www.duderanch.org), prices for a one-week stay at a dude ranch range from $1,000 to $3,000. The typical dude ranch can host 36 guests per week.
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Some ranches, tourism can be more profitable than homesteading. Over 850 ranchers and farmers have attended classes, such as those offered at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie, on how to start on-the-ranch recreational businesses.
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With competition increasing from spa-style resorts, which typically offer shorter stays and more pampering, many ranches are responding by offering resort-type touches of their own. The Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch (www.barlazyj.com), in Parshall, Colorado, for example, now offers a spa ride,’ a four-hour horseback trip to the Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa (www.hotsulphursprings.com), where guests can soak in the tubs or get an herbal wrap with a vitamin C facial. Guests at Arizona’s Tanque Verde Ranch (www.tanqueverderanch.com) can cap off a day of horseback riding with the Rawhide Renewal,’ which includes a creosote-bush scrub, jojoba-butter rub, and a massage.
Usa Guess The State
“Modern dude ranches range from downright rustic to remarkably sophisticated, offering everything from ropes courses to spa treatments to golf.”
USA GUEST RANCHES Photo Gallery
American Cowboy
Popular Guest Ranches
Travel West Guide, published by American Cowboy, and 100 Best Guest Ranch Vacations in North America (Globe Pequot Press), by Gavin Ehringer, list the following as among the most popular guest ranches:
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Alaska
• Denali Country Ranch (Anchorage; www.saddletrailsnorth.com)
Arizona
• Circle Z Ranch (Patagonia; www.circlez.com)
• Elkhorn Ranch (Tucson; www.elkhornranch.com)
• Flying E Ranch (Wickenburg; www.flyingeranch.com)
• Hidden Meadow Ranch (Greer; www.hiddenmeadow.com)
• Tanque Verde Ranch (Tucson; www.tanqueverderanch.com)
• White Stallion Ranch (Tucson; www.whitestallion.com)
California
• Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch (Qunicy; www.greenhornranch.com)
• Hunewill Ranch (Bridgeport; www.hunewillranch.com)
• Rankin Ranch (Walker’s Basin; www.rankinranch.com)
Colorado
• C Lazy U Ranch (Granby; www.clazyu.com)
• Cherokee Park Ranch (Livermore; www.cherokeeparkranch.com)
• Chico Basin Ranch (Colorado Springs; www.chicobasinranch.com)
• Majestic Dude Ranch (Mancos; www.majesticduderanch.com)
• The Home Ranch (Clark; www.homeranch.com)
• Vista Verde Ranch (Steamboat Springs; www.vistaverde.com)
Florida
• Westgate River Ranch (River Ranch; www.wgriverranch.com)
Idaho
• McGarry Ranches (Rexburg; www.mcgarryranches.com)
• Red Horse Mountain Ranch (Harrison; www.redhorsemountain.com)
• Western Pleasure Guest Ranch (Sandpoint; www.westernpleasureranch.com)
Montana
• Covered Wagon Ranch (Gallatin Gateway; http://coveredwagonranch.com)
• Laughing Water Ranch (Fortine; www.lwranch.com)
• Lazy E-L Guest Ranch (Roscoe; www.lazyel.com)
• Lonesome Spur Ranch (Bridger; www.lonesomespur.com)
• McGinnis Meadows Cattle & Guest Ranch (Libby; www.mmgranch.net)
• Mountain Sky Guest Ranch (Emigrant; www.mtnsky.com)
• Nine Quarter Circle Ranch (Gallatin Gateway; www.ninequartercircle.com)
• Ranch at Rock Creek (Philipsburg; www.theranchatrockcreek.com)
• Sweet Grass Ranch (Big Timber; www.sweetgrassranch.com)
• Triple J Wilderness Ranch (Augusta; www.triplejranch.com)
Nevada
• Cottonwood Guest Ranch (Wells; www.cottonwoodguestranch.com)
• Tent Mountain Guest Ranch (Deeth; www.tentmountainguestranch.com)
New Mexico
• Burnt Well Guest Ranch (Roswell; www.burntwellguestranch.com)
• Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch (Winston; www.geronimoranch.com)
• Los Pinos Guest Ranch (Cowles; www.lospinosranch.com)
New York
• Pinegrove Family Dude Ranch (Kershonkson; www.pinegroveranch.com) North Carolina
• Clear Creek Ranch (Burnsville; www.clearcreekranch.com)
• Pisgah View Ranch (Candler; www.pisgahviewranch.net)
Ohio
• KD Guest Ranch (Adamsville; www.kdguestranch.com)
Oregon
• Aspen Ridge Resort (Bly; www.aspenrr.com)
• Long Hollow Ranch (Sisters; www.lhranch.com)
• Willow Springs Guest Ranch (Lakeview; www.willowspringsguestranch.com) Texas
• Cibolo Creek Ranch (Marfa; www.cibolocreekranch.com)
• Dixie Dude Ranch (Bandera; www.dixieduderanch.com)
• West 1077 Guest Ranch (Bandera; www.west1077.com)
• Wildcatter Ranch (Graham; www.wildcatterranch.com)
Utah
• Box C Ranch (Grouse Creek; www.boxcranch.com)
• Rockin R Ranch (Sandy; www.rockinrranch.com)
Washington
• Bull Hill Guest Ranch (Kettle Falls; www.bullhill.com)
• Flying Horseshoe Ranch (Cle Elum; www.flyinghorseshoeranch.com)
• K-Diamond-K Ranch (Republic; www.kdiamondk.com)
Wyoming
• Eatons’ Ranch (Wolf; www.eatonsranch.com)
• Lazy L&B Ranch (Dubois; www.lazylb.com)
• Paradise Guest Ranch (Buffalo; www.paradiseranch.com)
• The Hideout at Flintner Ranch (Shell; www.thehideout.com)
• The Red Rock Ranch (Jackson Hole; www.theredrockranch.com)
• Triangle X Ranch (Moose; www.trianglex.com)
The Dude Ranchers’ Association provides a directory of guest ranches online at www.duderanch.org/listings by state.php.
Top 50 Ranches (www.top50ranches.com) profiles prominent ranches worldwide.
38.3 Market Resources
American Cowboy, 2520 55th Street, Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301. (303) 625-1667. (www.americancowboy.com)
Dude Ranchers’ Association, P.O. Box 23047, 1122 12th Street, Cody, WY 82414. (866) 399-2339. (www.duderanch.org)
