Consider planning your next family vacation to a Western dude ranch for some fresh air and expansive grounds. This destination is also one of the best-kept secrets for family vacations in the United States. Spending days outside in breathtaking countryside, riding horses up into the mountains, and eating meals with people around a community table may transform lives. Days spent at a dude ranch are evocative of bygone eras and provide the ideal escape to unwind from the pressures of daily life and rekindle relationships with loved ones. Taking a single trip to a dude ranch gives you ample opportunity to contemplate and discover equilibrium during your trip.
Grab your boots and hat, embrace your inner cowboy or cowgirl, and get as quickly as you can to one of these best dude ranches in the United States if you’re ready for a Western adventure you won’t soon forget.
1. The Western Pleasure Guest Ranch: Sandpoint, Idaho
This cattle and guest ranch is situated in the Panhandle of Idaho on land that has been in the same family since 1940. Depending on the season, Western Pleasure Guest Ranch offers a different experience and selection of lodging options, including lodge rooms and cabins. Summertime housing, three gourmet country meals a day, daily horseback riding, all on-site facilities, and evening entertainment like campfires, Dutch oven cookouts, and horse-drawn carriage excursions are all included in this all-inclusive adventure vacation package.
Young wranglers (8 to 18 years old) can enroll in an instructional program that focuses on equipment maintenance and horse husbandry techniques. A horse show is held at the conclusion of the event, where participants receive ribbons and medals. The lodge offers bed and breakfast stays from October to May, with a substantial meal served every morning. During these spring and fall retreats, horseback riding is available. Take a thrilling sleigh ride in a snow-covered winter paradise during the winter.
- Address: 1413 Upper Gold Creek Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864
2. The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch: Shell, Wyoming
Situated in the Bighorn Mountains, approximately 70 miles east of Cody, Wyoming, this all-inclusive, luxurious, and intimate riding ranch offers nearly 650,000 acres of breathtaking terrain to explore, ranging in elevation from 4,200 to 13,100 feet. Only 25 guests are accommodated each week for a six-night stay in one of three options: a luxury mansion with two master suites, one- and two-bedroom casitas, or Western-style log cabins with a loft. The proprietors are very involved with their visitors.
The Hideout has a strong emphasis on riding, horses, and horsemanship, which includes working with cattle and team penning. The horse herd at this operational cattle ranch consists of quarter horses and mustangs that were adopted under the Bureau of Land Management’s horse adoption programs. The owners have eight trucks and trailers to load up the horses and travel to more isolated regions surrounding the ranch, so daily rides take place on various trailheads and terrain. The site provides seminars and retreats, stockmanship and cattle work, and other instructional activities for guests interested in horsemanship.
Seasonal fly-fishing, trap shooting, archery, beautiful off-roading and four-wheel-drive trips, hiking and mountain biking, and swimming in a pool with a view are among the various activities available to visitors. In Cody, the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” visitors can also take in the Cody Stampede Rodeo and Cody Nite Rodeo from June 1 to August 31. Lodging, food, cocktail hours, Friday night cookouts, and ranch activities are all included in the rates at The Hideout. For a special celebration, family reunion, or other gathering, you can even reserve the entire ranch during the off-season.
- Address: 3170 County Road 40 1/2, Shell, WY 82441
3. White Stallion Ranch: Tucson, Arizona
Seven family members work full-time on this 3,000-acre dude ranch in Tucson, managing every aspect of running the ranch and hosting guests. The property has been owned by the same family since 1965. White Stallion features a four-bedroom mansion perfect for small or big groups, in addition to 43 guest rooms dispersed throughout the grounds. White Stallion was the setting for many Western feature films and television series, including “How the West Was Won” (1977) and “High Chapparal” (1967–1972). This explains why the location may look familiar to you.
There are several programs available at the ranch, depending on your preferred duration of stay and degree of activity. The Full American Plan offers lodging, three meals a day, nightly entertainment, horseback riding, complimentary Wi-Fi, and airport transfers, among other benefits. You can add more activities at an additional expense. The Outdoor Adventure Package (minimum stay of four or six nights, depending on season) includes rock climbing, archery, fat tire e-biking, and range shooting for the more adventurous traveler. The ranch also offers special packages, specials, courses, and retreats all year long.
- Address: 9251 W. Twin Peaks Road, Tucson, AZ 85743
4. C Lazy U Ranch: Granby, Colorado
For almost a century, the C Lazy U Ranch, a family-run resort in the West, has been welcoming visitors to enjoy year-round luxury. Secluded in the Colorado mountains, but easily accessible, the 8,500-acre property is 90 miles northwest of Denver. Western hospitality will be extended to guests at this location. The ranch provides tastefully decorated cabins and a multi-bedroom house, the majority of which have stone fireplaces and décor with a Western theme.
With about 200 horses in the herd, both novice and experienced riders are guaranteed to find the ideal companion for their visit. The ranch also provides guided hiking and mountain bike excursions, fly-fishing guided by Orvis-endorsed guides, cattle pushing classes, trap shooting, horsemanship clinics, and other outdoor activities. Take a sleigh or horseback ride through the snow, play ice hockey or ice skating, and feed the horses with the Feed Wagon Sleigh during the winter. Other enjoyable outdoor winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and snow tubing. A comprehensive program for kids and teenagers is also available on the premises.
Following your cowboy coffee, make sure to join the wranglers for the morning “Jingle,” when the horses are rounded up from the pasture and brought into the ranch for the day. In the evening, just before dusk, you may witness the thundering herd of horses making their way back to pasture. All year long, the Jingle happens almost every day. C Lazy U Ranch’s all-inclusive pricing includes lodging, superb dining, and the majority of activities. The ranch also offers packages tailored specifically for the holidays, adults-only vacations, and special events and retreats.
- Address: 3640 Colorado State Highway 125, Granby, CO 80446
5. Alisal Ranch: Solvang, California
This family-owned, opulent guy ranch launched for business in 1946 and is set on a vast 10,500 acres with the Santa Ynez Mountains as a backdrop. The 73 individually designed cottages at Alisal Ranch are decorated with Western themes and range in size from studio guest rooms to a three-bedroom residence that can house up to 12 guests. Along with providing corral lessons, barrel racing, a seasonal rodeo, and hay wagon rides, the ranch also maintains more than 100 horses that are trained to ride with both experts and novices.
On the 100-acre spring-fed lake, visitors can also engage in outdoor sports like fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. The whole family will enjoy the lawn games, pickleball, tennis, e-bike rides, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, a petting zoo, ax throwing, and other activities available on the shore. Summertime evenings are spent eating authentic Santa Maria-style BBQs, telling stories around a roaring bonfire, dancing in a line, and stargazing beneath a clear, dark sky. Most activities are included in the nightly rates, however, others, such as spa treatments, horseback riding, golf, pickleball, and tennis clinics, are not. Throughout the year, the ranch also provides a range of packages.
- Address: 1054 Alisal Road, Solvang, CA 93463
6. Brush Creek Ranch: Saratoga, Wyoming
Situated in south-central Wyoming on 30,000 acres between the Medicine Bow National Forest and the Sierra Madre mountain range, Brush Creek Ranch is an opulent all-inclusive retreat. As a functioning cattle ranch, the facility offers trail rides, kid-friendly cookouts, cattle drives, and barrel racing, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the authentic Western experience.
Along with these and many other activities, visitors can enjoy epicurean excursions, wine tastings, cooking workshops, spa treatments, fly-fishing, guided ranger tours, ATV rides, ropes courses, llama hikes, and much more. Goat yoga is a feature of the ranch; yes, yoga sessions with baby goats. Enjoy ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and downhill skiing and snowboarding during the winter months. For young wranglers ages 4 to 9, Brush Creek Ranch also provides specialized programs that incorporate outdoor exploration and horseback riding.
At Brush Creek Ranch, visitors can select from 19 lodge rooms with a Western motif or one of 25 individual log cabins with up to four beds. The hotel provides a number of packages with discounts including a free fourth night or romantic amenities. Lodging, gourmet meals served every day, adventure gear and activities, the Lil’ Wranglers kids program, and other facilities are all included in the rates at this dude ranch. Certain activities and spa services have an extra charge.
- Address: 66 Brush Creek Ranch Road, Saratoga, WY 82331
7. Red Horse Mountain Ranch: Harrison, Idaho
Located about thirty miles south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this all-inclusive dude ranch welcomes up to sixty guests for weeklong getaways from May through October. 560 deeded acres and over 300,000 acres of outfitting space for a variety of outdoor activities are included in the property. Log cabins with four-bedroom and one-bedroom lodge apartments are available for lodging. Along with housing, the costs cover chef-prepared meals, complimentary wine, beer, and spirits for adults, horseback riding, guided outdoor activities like fly-fishing and sporting clays, unguided outdoor activities like lawn games and horseshoes, nightly entertainment, Wi-Fi, and other facilities.
A Women-Only Week, Adult Weeks, and Singles and Solos Week are also held at Red Horse Mountain Ranch. Designed for kids aged 3 to 10, the Kids Program provides plenty of ranch-style fun with activities overseen by the wranglers throughout the summer Family Vacation Weeks. The 2,800-square-foot Hilltop Home, which has two extra king-bedded rooms in addition to a queen bedroom and a master king bedroom, is a great option for a large family or intergenerational vacation. The Hilltop boasts an amazing view, an ample amount of living space, a private deck, and a hot tub.
- Address: 11077 E. Blue Lake Road, Harrison, Idaho 83833
8. Rainbow Trout Ranch: Antonito, Colorado
A summer getaway at Rainbow Trout Ranch promises a real Wild West experience. This guy ranch, located fewer than 12 miles north of the New Mexico border in the isolated Conejos River Valley of the Colorado Rockies at an elevation of 9,000 feet, provides visitors with a glimpse into the past of the Old West. Rustic wood cottages with two or three bedrooms are available for lodging on the property. Guests can have a drink and a snack at the friendly historic Grand Lodge, or they can sit by the fireplace and socialize with new acquaintances. Six-night vacation getaways are offered by the family-run ranch, which starts with meet-and-greet Sundays and continues with exciting days for adults and kids of all ages throughout the week.
Activities include sunrise hikes, river rafting, trap shooting, fishing, hayrides, horsemanship, and horseback riding, cookouts by the river, special programs for the Buckaroos (children ages 3 to 5) and the Cowpokes (ages 6 to 11), and many more. Every guest gets the opportunity to saddle up and demonstrate their newly acquired skills at the barrels and poles during the Friday afternoon rodeo. next to the celebrations, everyone makes their way to the river for a final night of steak dinner and singing before bidding adieu or “Happy trails!” the next morning. Cabin rooms, all meals, and all on-site activities are included in all-inclusive pricing. Take a 64-mile ride on America’s longest and highest narrow-gauge railroad, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, while visiting Rainbow Trout.
- Address: 1484 Forest Service Road 250, Antonito, CO 81120
9. Tanque Verde Ranch: Tucson, Arizona
This ancient property, which dates back to 1868, is situated on 60,000 acres of desert, of which 640 acres are surrounded by Saguaro National Park and Coronado National Forest. Tanque Verde Ranch offers 69 unique luxury suites with views of the Rincon and Santa Catalina mountains, as well as the surrounding Sonoran Desert scenery and traditional Southwestern architecture and style.
Three package options are available at the ranch: the Rise and Dine plan, 3 Squares and a Bed, and the All-Inclusive Getaway. Lodging, three daily meals, horseback riding and instruction, a kid-supervised program for ages 4 to 11, breakfast rides and cookouts with cowboys, nightly entertainment, and a plethora of other outdoor pursuits and facilities are all included in the all-inclusive package option. Together with lodging, meals, and access to on-site facilities including sports courts, fitness centers, and pools, the 3 Squares and a Bed package also includes most activities at an additional cost.
If all you desire after a hard day on the ranch is somewhere to sleep at night (and hang your hat), Tanque Verde Ranch offers the Rise and Dine package. Accommodations and access to on-site facilities are included in this package. For an extra fee, you can add activities like a la carte dining, spa services, guided hikes, horseback riding, and others. Tanque Verde also provides a Fall Break package that, if you book your stay during specific fall dates, offers a 10% discount on two separate packages for three or more evenings.
- Address: 14301 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85748
10. The Ranch at Rock Creek: Philipsburg, Montana
Just 20 miles from the historic village of Philipsburg, Montana, lies the 6,600-acre Ranch at Rock Creek, which offers a luxurious ranch experience. Approximately midway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, the property is tucked away at a height of 5,200 feet. Up to 36 outdoor experiences are available at this year-round Relais & Châteaux with a vibe reminiscent of a dude ranch. The Ranch also offers private yoga instruction, a full-service spa, and frontier-to-table dining, among other upmarket facilities. Along with being home to local fauna including bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and moose, the property is situated on acreage that provides access to national forests and wilderness regions.
At The Ranch, accommodations come in four different flavors: individual residences and cabins, luxurious canvas cabins for glamping, and rooms at The Granite Lodge or Homestead Barn. In addition to lodging, food, airport transportation, social hour, and nighttime entertainment in the Silver Dollar Saloon—where patrons can enjoy table tennis, bowling, private movie theater viewing, and other activities—all-inclusive price also includes these extras. Fun day activities include fly-fishing, mountain trips, sporting clays, float trips, snow sports in the winter, and a monthly ranch rodeo in the summer.
- Address: 79 Carriage House Lane, Philipsburg, MT 59858
