The Best Dude Ranches For Every Type Of Vacationer

If you don’t consider yourself a dude ranch kind of person, it’s probably because you haven’t found the right one yet. There’s a ranch vacation out there for everyone, whether you’re a hardcore cowboy looking for a challenging trail or a luxury lover looking to kick your feet up by a freshwater pool. Luckily, we’ve done the hard part for you and found the perfect dude ranch for every kind of vacationer.

Best Ranch For A Family Vacation
C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colorado 

City slickers and seasoned riders alike flock to this all-inclusive dude ranch for many reasons, among which is its standout children’s program. Children of all ages are led through outdoor activities like horseback riding lessons, fishing, cookouts, and hayrides along with teambuilding activities like talent shows, line dancing lessons, and capture the flag. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill daycare situation. Your children will be making lasting memories while you relax by the pool. clazyu.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of C Lazy U Ranch

Best Ranch For The Outdoorsman
Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Montana 

With Yellowstone National Park in its backyard, it’s hard to consider Lone Mountain Ranch as anything but an outdoorsman’s paradise. This resort-style ranch has adventures for every season. In the winter, you can enjoy skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, and ice climbing. As summer rolls around, you can hop in a saddle, take an all-day fly-fishing trip, go canoeing or paddle boarding, take on a ropes course, or fly high in a hot air balloon. Year-round activities include helicopter tours, Yellowstone National Park tours, and Pygmy goat meet-and-greets (yes, you read that right). Extra C&I points if you attend their weekly Lone Mountain Ranch Rodeo. lonemountainranch.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Lone Mountain Ranch

Best Ranch For The Luxury Lover
The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, Oregon 

Among the many luxury ranches out there, The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch stands out for one reason: Golf. Along with the traditional retreat offerings, such as a full spa, breathtaking horse trails, RZR tours, and specialty booze tastings, this ranch resort is home to five award-winning golf courses for golfers of all levels. Plus, if you ask real nice, they’ll let you borrow one of their goat caddies to keep you company on the course (again, you read that correctly). silvies.us

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch

Best Ranch For The Serious Rider
Double Rafter Cattle Drives in Parkman, Wyoming 

This vacation spot isn’t so much a dude ranch as it is an experience. The 138-year-old Double Rafter Ranch gives guests the opportunity to experience an authentic cattle drive, complete with tents and teepees for lodging, meals cooked outside and eaten under the Wyoming sky, and horseback riding through a variety of terrains. This is a no-nonsense cattle drive, so riding experience and a love for nature are highly recommended. thedoublerafter.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Cathryn Kerns, Double Rafter Cattle Drives

Best Ranch For Love Birds
The Green O in Greenough, Montana 

Opened by the folks behind Paws Up Montana, this adults-only retreat features 12 opulent lodges nestled in the Greenough forest for maximum privacy. When you and your loved one aren’t admiring the unique architecture of your house, you can take a couple’s horseback ride through the lush Montana wilderness, hit the spa for a couple’s massage, get competitive with some trap shooting, picnic in the sky with a hot air balloon ride, or sample some of Executive Chef Brandon Cunningham's latest culinary inventions. thegreeno.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Stuart Thurlkill

Best Ranch For The World Traveler
Estancia Los Potreros in Córdoba, Argentina 

Venture into Latin America and immerse yourself in Argentina’s deeply embedded gaucho tradition. Sample a swig of legendary Argentine Malbec with some traditional asado before saddling up for a trail ride across the historic Córdoba plains alongside the ranch’s working cowboys. Plus, you can challenge the ranch’s team to some gaucho games or try your hand at polo — an Argentine passion. estancialospotreros.com  

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Estancia Los Potreros

From our May/June 2025 issue.