How high the ranch sits, and when that matters
Arriving high can mean a headache on your first day. Few ranch directories tell you how high each ranch sits.
The spread is bigger than people expect
Among the ranches here that publish an elevation, the range runs from 5,000 feet to 9,000. Flying in from sea level to 8,500 feet and riding the same afternoon can mean a headache and a bad first night.
At the low end, Circle Bar is at 5,000 in central Montana, The Ranch at Rock Creek at 5,200, and Double R at 5,300 in the Sonoita grasslands, where it runs 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Tucson.
On Brand Book: Circle Bar Guest Ranch, The Ranch at Rock Creek, Double R Guest Ranch
The high end
Above 7,000 feet the air is thin enough that most people notice it. Nine Quarter Circle is at 7,000 and points out that cabins need no air conditioning because the evenings cool themselves. Lazy L&B is at 7,200 near Dubois, Bar Lazy J at 7,500, Colorado Trails at about 7,800, and Majestic at 8,000 beneath the La Platas. Rawah, in the Laramie River valley just south of the Wyoming line, is at 8,400.
Sprucedale, high in the Arizona White Mountains, is at 8,500. Double Rafter rides at 9,000 and is explicit about it: the ranch warns off anyone with heart or lung conditions or trouble breathing at that height, and says its horses are conditioned for it in a way yours would not be.
On Brand Book: Nine Quarter Circle Ranch, Lazy L&B Ranch, Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch, Colorado Trails Ranch, Majestic Dude Ranch, Rawah Ranch, Sprucedale Guest Ranch, Double Rafter Cattle Drives
Who should think about this
- Anyone flying in from sea level for a week, which is most guests.
- Anyone with a heart or lung condition. Bar Lazy J and Double Rafter both raise it themselves rather than waiting to be asked.
- Families with small children, who can dehydrate faster.
- Anyone planning to ride hard on day one. The usual advice is to take the first day easy and drink far more water than feels necessary.
On Brand Book: Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch, Double Rafter Cattle Drives
One last thing
Only a minority of ranches publish an elevation at all, so a blank on a listing here means the ranch does not say, not that it is low. If it matters to you, ask before you book: it is a question any ranch can answer in one line, and the answer changes how you plan your first day.