Top 9 Dude Ranch Escapes

Moran, WY

An hour from Yellowstone and with serious views of the Tetons, the restored main lodge, eight cabins, and two chalets are rustic yet refined. They’re open year-round (the ranch becomes a cross-country skiing base in winter). From $265, including light buffet breakfast; lunch, dinner, and activities (horseback riding, fly-fishing, wildlife tours, snow­mobiling, backcountry skiing, guided pack trips) à la carte; 2-night weekend min.; turpinmeadowranch.com.

Solvang, CA

Proof that you don’t have to head to the Rockies to find a ranch with cowboy cred: This 10,500-acre Santa Barbara County spread will saddle you up for breakfast rides ($85), hay-wagon dinner rides, and even a rodeo if you’re feeling brave. Still, this is the Santa Ynez Valley—if your muscles get too sore, take a breather and do some winery touring. From $525/person; 2-night min.; alisal.com

Choteau, MT

We have, at times, despaired about the Ted Turners and David Lettermans of the world buying up Montana’s pristine parcels. But one visit to Seven Lazy P, and you know with assurance that the old-school, family-run ranch is alive and well. Seven Lazy P is refreshingly no-frills. Log cabins are comfortably simple, and guest numbers are limited to fewer than 20, so dinner at the lodge’s communal table feels like a family affair. There’s riding, of course, but the North Fork of the Teton River is within easy walking distance. Best of all are the pioneer-style summer pack trips (from $2,500/person; 5-day min.), where a small group heads out with wranglers and a cook for a backcountry adventure in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. From $125/person/day through mid-Nov; sevenlazyp.com

Wolf, WY

In the 1880s, it was Howard Eaton who came up with the idea of luring Easterners west to spend vacations pretending to be cowboys. So Eatons’ is both a genuine historic landmark and a terrific place to spend a summer week. Cabins are simple but comfortable, the ranch setting is stunning, and Sheridan is one of the most appealing small towns in the West. From $230/person/night; 3-night min.; eatonsranch.com

Shingletown, CA

This isn’t your typical dude ranch—it’s a wild mustang ranch! Hundreds of wild horses roam 5,000 protected acres in the foothills of Mt. Lassen, and summer overnight rides help support the ranch. Catch glimpses of the herds on an all-day trail ride up to camp at Vernal Lake, where cute cabins, a hot shower, and the cookhouse await. Starry nights by the campfire are made for storytelling and s’mores. 2- to 3-day rides from $475/person; wildhorsesanctuary.org

Emigrant, MT

Sprawling across 8,000 pine-studded acres just north of Yellowstone, Mountain Sky began hosting dudes in 1929. But its glam status derives from current owner Arthur Blank, cofounder of the Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He made it his goal to push Mountain Sky into the upper echelon of guest ranches anywhere in the world. He succeeded. Mountain Sky is one of those rare places that looks better in real life than on its website. The timbered main lodge could be home to an Old West cattle baron; guest cabins manage to be cute, rustic, and luxurious all at once. In terms of food, think Montana meets 16th arrondissement, with huckleberry pancakes vying for stomach space. Outdoor activities run the gamut. Beginning horse people can take the easy ride to a cluster of pioneer homesteads, experts the tougher trail to Crater Lake. There’s excellent fly-fishing, hiking, and poolside yoga. In summer, about 85 percent of guests bring kids, so the children’s program lets kids and parents happily part ways during the day, then reunite at mealtimes. There’s something else about Mountain Sky that is harder to put into words, except to say that you quickly feel at home here. This has a lot to do with the employees, who are uniquely gifted at encouragement. In the end, Mountain Sky is what heaven would be like, assuming heaven has world-class scenery, phenomenal horseback riding, and superb food. From $3,890/person/week through mid-Aug (7-night min.); from $1,900/person (5-night min.) mid-Aug to mid-Oct; mountainsky.com

Tucson, AZ

Tanque Verde opened as a working ranch smack-dab in the Rincon Mountains in 1868, but turn-of-the-century ranchers would puzzle over today’s incarnation. Guests get a taste of Old West during trail rides, then hop out of the saddle for such modern comforts as hot-stone massages, or blueberry pancake cookouts and happy hours with homemade prickly-pear margaritas. From $250/person/night May to Oct; tanqueverderanch.com

Augusta, MT
Triple J is the kind of off-the-charts charmer where you won’t feel like one of the gang unless you’re sporting your Stetson and biggest belt buckle. The stunning qualities of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front are just timeless. You’ll experience a heart-stopping, hills-are-alive moment at the top of Wedding Point, with craggy peaks and Gibson Lake showing off before you. And after a day of clip-clopping along the glacier lily-dotted trails on the back of Rebel, you’ll feel a world away from your desk job. A day on the trails or casting for trout is best followed by a hearty meal in the main lodge. It’s tasty, stick-to-your-bones fare: blueberry pancakes with Montana boysenberry syrup; fried chicken; roast beef and mashed potatoes; and bottomless fresh lemonade. Triple J has everything an aspiring cowboy could long for: campfires, cookouts, rawhide roping, even crooning cameos from local cowboy poets. Or, vacationers who prefer to leave aspirations to their workday lives can simply sink into the swing with Zip the border collie and soak up the scenery. 4- to 6-day stays from $2,040/person through early Oct; triplejranch.com

Family takes center stage at this 2,000-acre ranch on the northeast shore of Flathead Lake in western Montana. The place has belonged to the same family since Les Averill opened it in 1945; Chase, Les’ grandson, runs it today. Programs—horseback rides, water sports, and mountain biking, to name a few—are open to guests of all ages, with accommodations for each age group. One highlight of every week is a steak fry cookout in the middle of an elk preserve. www.flatheadlakelodge.com; all-inclusive, one week: $3,998 for adults, $2,984 for kids ages 6-17, $1,675 to kids ages 3-5.