Guest ranches, also known as dude ranches, began in the late 19th Century, but really came of age after World War II. Today, they are more popular than ever, and in some cases, have been injected with a healthy dose of luxury. The more exclusive vacation ranches offer some of the rugged activities of cowboy life as well as lavish accommodations and fine cuisine.
Depending on the climate, some guest ranches are open only in the summer or winter, while others offer year-round service. Some of the activities include horseback riding, target shooting, cattle sorting, campfire sing-alongs, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, zip-lining and fishing. Some are family oriented; some are adults only.
So, if you have a need to tap into your inner Jack Palance, experience some of the best fly fishing in America or pamper yourself at a world-class spa, here’s our list of 10 of the most exclusive ranch vacation destinations in the U.S.
10. Smith Fork Ranch
Crawford, Colo.
Up to $679 per person per night
Tiring of the frenzy of the Manhattan fashion scene, Linda and Marley Hodgson sold their lucrative luxury leather goods company, Ghurka, in 2005 and went searching for peace of mind. They found a nearly defunct lodge in Colorado, which was once a working ranch in the 1800s, and they bought it. They then proceeded to completely dismantle the three guest cabins, log by log, and then reassembled them from the inside out— but with modern comforts. The ranch also offers a stable full of beautifully trained horses, miles of trails and some of the best private fly fishing in the West. A full house here is only 28 guests, giving Smith Fork Ranch an intimacy that’s unusual at Western guest ranches. The owners are particularly proud of the cuisine they offer. Chef Marcus Parrott has been with the ranch for five years, using his winters off to travel and work with exceptional chefs.
9. Echo Valley Ranch & Spa
Jesmond, British Columbia
Up to $1,104 per person per night
Some come here for pure relaxation, some to experience an authentic Canadian ranch vacation. And some come to get away from the stress of city life, to find real relaxation and reconnect with themselves. Nestled away in the breathtaking setting of British Columbia’s Cariboo Mountains, Echo Valley sits amid hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine mountains, lush valleys, pine forests, and desert canyons. Historic reminders are dispersed throughout this pristine sanctuary. Horseback tours revisit the gold rush days along the Fraser River, where guest can see remnants of shanty huts from the original Chinese mining flumes.
8. The Alisal
Solvang, Calif.
Up to $1,025 per person per night
Tucked into California’s Santa Ynez Valley, this 10,000-acre ranch melds the spirit of the Old West with the seductive charms of today’s most relaxing resorts. Just a 30-minute drive from Santa Barbara takes you to Alisal’s 50 miles of riding trails, 100-acre spring-fed lake, two 18-hole championship golf courses, tennis courts, pool, spa, Western-themed accommodations and fine dining, A short drive away are more than 75 renowned vineyards and wineries and the charming Danish village of Solvang.
7. Siwashi Lake Wilderness Resort
70 Mile House, British Colombia
Up to $1,116 per person per night
Siwashi is a private hideaway in British Columbia's cowboy country and one of Canada's top luxury wilderness lodges. Ranking among North America's finest, the place is known for its horseback riding, 5-star wilderness adventures, pasture-to-plate cuisine and lavish safari-inspired tents. It is an unpretentious yet charming 80,000 acres of raw wilderness, where you can experience an untamed Cascadian landscape with rolling grasslands, old-growth forests, secluded lakes and river canyons.
6. Post Ranch Inn
Big Sur, Calif.
Up to $1,273 per person per night
OK, it’s no longer a working ranch and its cattle brand logo speaks only to its history, but it is an exquisite getaway perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean in California's Big Sur—one of the most enchanting locales in the world—so it makes our list. If you can forego the horses and ranch activities, you may want to give this a go. Many come for its award-winning spa alone. And the Sierra Mar restaurant, winner of Wine Spectator’s coveted Grad Award, is also a big draw. There are 39 guestrooms and one private home, all with spectacular ocean views. Monterey and Carmel are a short drive away. When southern access was cut off this year from winter storms, they arranged for helicopter transportation for their guests.
5. Triple Creek Ranch
Darby, Mont.
Up to $1,325 per person per night
Montana’s vast Bitterroot Valley still has pockets of nearly untouched frontier country that is ripe for exploration in all seasons—whether you prefer your view from the back of a horse, a helicopter, a fishing boat or behind a spirited team of sled dogs. And if you’re game, you can mount up and get your hands a little dirty, and spend a day at “cowboy school” at the annual spring branding. There you can learn all about your horse from nose to tail, saddle up and practice your new roping skills. Then join the ranch hands as they round up the cattle and sort out the calves so they can be vaccinated and branded.
4. Resort at Paws Up
Greenough, Mont.
Up to $1,473 per person per night
At this sprawling 37,000-acre authentic working cattle ranch in western Montana, you can choose an expansive private home or a sophisticated, safari-style luxury tent. Novice and advanced riders alike can team up with seasoned ranch hands in driving a herd of cattle. Also In this land beloved by Lewis & Clark are 100 miles of trails, 10 miles of the Blackfoot River and 1.5 million acres of the nearby Bob Marshall Wilderness Area to explore by horseback, ATV, mountain bike or foot. And there is a wealth of activities: fly-fishing, sporting clays, boating, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, paintball, rafting and rappelling.
3. Gateway Canyons
Gateway, Colo.
Up to $2,049 per person per night
Gateway Canyons, nestled in the Palisades of Western Colorado, was built by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel and Discovery Communications. Over the past decade, it has expanded and now includes an award-winning restaurant, plus a separate spa with steam rooms, saunas, and multiple set-asides for yoga and meditation. For the more active, there is a full-service adventure center with mountain bikes and UTVs, luxury car rentals, a $2.4 million helicopter for air tours, a skeet-shooting range, fly-fishing, a private ProBaja off-road driving track and a separate ranch for backcountry horseback riding.
2. Brush Creek Ranch
Saratoga, Wyo.
Up to $1,769 per person per night
Set on a 30,000-acre working cattle ranch, Brush Creek Ranch is in the heart of Wyoming’s famed Platte River Valley, between the Sierra Madre Mountain range and stunning Medicine Bow National Forest. The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch was named the 2017 “Best Resort Hotel in the Continental U.S.” and “Best Resort Hotel in the West” in Travel and Leisure magazine’s 22nd annual World’s Best Awards readers’ survey. And Conde Nast Traveler has consistently ranked the resorts of The Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection among the top resorts in the U.S. and across the globe in their annual Readers’ Choice Awards. There’s plenty to do: horseback riding, fly-fishing, archery, ranger tours, shooting sports, hiking and biking across 50 miles of trails. If a wellness retreat is your preference, the recently opened Magee Spa awaits. There you can rest and rejuvenate in the grotto soaking tub and take Pilates classes.
1. Ranch at Rock Creek
Phillipsburg, Mont.
Up to $1,800 per person per night
Located in the heart of Western Montana, the Ranch at Rock Creek is the world’s only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star guest ranch and the United States’ only founding member of National Geographic Society’s Unique Lodges of the World. Country superstar LeAnn Rimes has vacationed and performed here, and will do so again this year during the Autumn Harvest Weekend (Oct. 12-15). Kate Bosworth and Scarlett Johansson were each married here. Originally a working ranch in the early 1900s, the 6,600-acre property—located between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, it is open year round. And here’s a secret we discovered in our reporting: The owner's exclusive home, River House, on the banks of Rock Creek, can be rented on a case-by-case basis.