The one varmint in the ointment is choosing the right ranch for you, so here is our root and branch ranch guide.
Starting with the most relaxed first, and probably the option best for families, there are resort ranches. These offer a certain amount of ranch activities such as riding and involvement in the day to day activity on the ranch, but also include other non-ranch specific pursuits such as fly fishing, tennis and swimming (many have pools). Some of the resort ranches we work with are among the most luxurious hotels in America, let alone the most luxurious ranches, and they tend to operate on a full board basis where all the activities are included. Dependent on your budget, we can suggest a number of different options.
The next ranch style is the dude ranch (or guest ranch), where guests usually stay for a week (although some also offer three night stays) and the emphasis is more firmly on helping out around the ranch, with few – if any – additional activities on offer.
Finally, for the fully immersive cowboy experience, there are working ranches, where the guests are expected to muck in (and out) and help with all the chores expected on the ranch. This is likely to involve raising cattle and horses, and a decent level of riding experience, while not mission critical, will certainly enhance the working ranch experience. Meals are taken with the ranch, while the accommodation will be more basic than at the other two types of ranch, and may even involve camping out if cattle are being moved longer distances.
