Field Notes
Know the ranch before you go.
Straight answers from our ranch research: what the different kinds of ranch weeks are really like, and how to pick the right one.
Roughing it with comfort: a history of the dude ranchHow cattle ranches from the Dakota Badlands to Arizona started taking paying guests, with dates, old photographs, and the ranches on Brand Book that were there early.
Feud on Cherry Creek: the Pleasant Valley WarTwo ranch families, a fight over stolen cattle and brands, and the killings of 1887 in Arizona's Pleasant Valley, with the records, the old newspapers, and the guest ranch on the Tewksbury place.
How high the ranch sits, and when that mattersArriving high can mean a headache on your first day. Few ranch directories tell you how high each ranch sits.
Where you can actually lopeEvery ranch says rides for all levels. Most go further and say you can lope. The better question is whether they test you first.
Rider weight limits, ranch by ranch66 of the 111 ranches here publish a rider weight limit. The number is only half the story: some bend it, some have bigger horses, and some keep heavier riders at a walk.- Where ranch season keeps going in winterMost ranches shut at the end of September. 35 of the 111 here do not, and they are doing three very different things.
- What a ranch rate includesRanch rates cover very different things, so two prices side by side can mislead. This is what to check before you compare them.
Which ranches are actually like YellowstoneThe show made a lot of people want a week in a bunkhouse. Most dude ranches don't offer that kind of week, but 17 here do.
Dude ranches near Yellowstone, by which gate you useMany ranches say they are near Yellowstone. The park has five entrances, hours apart, so what matters is which gate your ranch is closest to.- When to go: a ranch vacation calendarBranding in spring, family weeks in summer, quiet adult weeks in September. Pick your season, then pick your ranch.
What to pack for a ranch vacationA checklist for boots-in-the-stirrup days, cold mountain mornings, and everything in between. Tick items off as you pack.
Working, family, or luxury: how to choose your ranch weekThe biggest difference between ranches is what you'll be doing at 7 a.m.- What a working ranch week is really likeEarly coffee, sore legs and long days in the saddle. What to expect before you sign on with a cattle outfit.