These traditional dude ranches offer "hands on" horseback riding experiences, are family friendly and are in scenic locations. Whether you're an experienced horseback rider who wants to gallop on the range or it's your first time on a horse, these traditional dude ranches have learning programs, rides and pack trips for all abilities.
These Top Picks have been suggested by Colleen Hodson, head of The Dude Ranchers’ Association, which has specific requirements ranches must meet to join.
Guests at T Cross Ranch have been experiencing true western hospitality for more than 85 years. You can go horseback riding through alpine meadows, alongside trout-filled streams or on trails that climb up to and through rugged mountain passes. The eight log cabins at this traditional dude ranch, some built in the 1930s, can hold 24 to 30 guests. Prices range from $1,000 to $1,384.
After years of visiting Cherokee Park Ranch as guests, a group from Tennessee bought this traditional ranch and added a bit down Southern hospitality to the Western ambiance. The ranch is in the Northern Colorado Rockies, a two-hour drive from Denver. Prices range from $1,100 to $1,450 for adults, less for children.
Their great granddad settled here in 1880 and today the family still runs this working cattle ranch. At Sweet Grass, a traditional dude ranch that is tucked into the Crazy Mountains of South Central Montana, guests can take all-day, half-day and bareback rides on the open range to high-country meadows and alpine lakes. Meals are family style, with ranch-raised beef. Prices range from $1,000 to $1,384.
This traditional dude ranch takes its name from Coffee Creek, a prime fly-fishing stream that runs through the 367 acres owned by the Ryan and Hartman families. In addition to horseback riding, horsemanship lessons and gymkhana, activities include fishing, gold panning, hiking and other sports. Guests at this ranch in the Trinity Alps of Northern California stay in comfortable cabins. Coffee Creek Ranch stays open until December 1. Prices range from $1,000 to $1,384.
This Montana ranch is surrounded by the Gallatin National Forest and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, but it's only a mile from the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. Guests can ride as a family, although the children more often want to join Peanuts, for ages 6-12 or the teenage Jets group. The ranch has room for about 40 guests. Prices start at $1700.
