How to Choose the Right Dude Ranch for Your Family's Next Vacation

Horseback riding at a dude ranch

Many families feel a little burned out with the standard family vacation to a theme park inundated with lifesized animated characters. For a change of scenery, some families choose spend their vacation time at a family dude ranch. Dude ranches offer a firsthand experience of the western way of life while promoting fun and family togetherness.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Mountain horseback riding

   There are many dude ranches throughout the west, so choose the ranch located in the type of terrain you wish to experience. Each location offers different riding conditions like mountain trails, meadows and prairies, or a southwest desert experience.

2. Experienced riders may like cattle drives

   Make sure to select a dude ranch that will accommodate all ages in your family. Some ranches have trail rides that are geared specifically around children, while other ranches only offer activities for the seasoned adult rider. Verify that children's rides are adult supervised and that all trail rides provide riding instruction. If one of your family members is an experienced rider, ask ranch staff about rides or other activities to accommodate their skill level.

3. Relax on the ranch

   Choose a ranch that entertains in a variety of ways. Dude ranches are traditionally geared toward horseback ridding and sometimes cattle drives, but be sure to provide your family with other activities during the vacation as well. Children can become bored with the trail rides and want to try something else like river rafting, hay rides, cookouts, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing or rock climbing. Many adults also find themselves a little "saddle sore" after a couple days of riding and need to choose an alternate activity as a break from riding.

4. Consider the time of year you wish to vacation. Summertime vacations are usually more popular in the northern states where the weather is cooler and more tolerable for all day outdoor activities. Likewise, southern ranches are most often visited during the winter to provide guests with warm weather riding.

5. Select a ranch that is a member of the Dude Ranchers' Association (DRA). These ranches have passed a vigorous inspection and approval process that has evaluated them on safety, livestock management and hospitality. Ask your selected ranch if they are an active member of this association.