Thank you for subscribing!
Got it! Thank you!

Ranches for Dudes, Pardners & Young'ns

April 7, 2004 -- One of the fastest growing sectors of the travel market is that for family vacations to dude ranches where the kids can run far, fast and all the time, if they feel like, in the great outdoors. Many ranches have specific activities just for kids - in fact, any ranch worth its salt will have structures programs geared to children. Don't worry, though if you don't have kids (or don't want to take them with you) - many have adults-only programs as well. Most dude ranches are located in the Rockies & The Plains states, of course, though you may find somewhat paler imitations of them in places like upstate New York or California.

Two of the best websites for researching your dude ranching ambitions are www.duderanch.org and www.ranchweb.com.

On Duderanch.org, a voluntary association of ranches that has been going since 1926 (currently with 116 members), you get, right up front, the price range of any ranch in which you are interested. The categories run from under $1,000 up to $1,700 and above. Clicking on Colorado and "Children's Programs," for instance, you find none under $1000, three in the categories below $1700 and four above that figure. The least expensive was Waunita Hot Springs Ranch, near Gunnison CO, at an elevation of 8946 feet. Three generations of the Pringle family, sharing their 43rd year in the business, run the ranch, which is also near the Continental Divide. They say they have a horse for every guest, and you can ride with a group by age ability or by family. Activities include fishing, 4x4 trips, cookouts, overnight campout, rafting, hayride, music show, square dancing, or using the warm pool (fed by natural springs). All-inclusive rate is $1,350 for adults per week, not including service charge or tips. Children's rates and off-season prices are available. Contact them by e-mail at dra@waunita.com or phone 970/641-1266, online at www.waunita.com.

On the Ranchweb site, Gene Kilgore has been checking out ranches to list for more than 20 years. Unlike the former site, you have to click on the ranch description to get an inkling of prices, but on the ranch's page, full details are listed in every way imaginable. Looking for Colorado ranches with a children's program, again, I found the Coulter Lake Guest Ranch, which says it's the state's "oldest continuously operated guest ranch," in business since the 1930s. Located in the White River National Forest area of northwestern Colorado, it's 8,100 feet above sea level, and is near the town of Rifle. The charge here is $1,250 per adult per week, children paying from $550 to $1,180, depending on age. There are also three-night programs, costing $650 for adults, less for children. (Kids under three stay free.)

There's an early bird discount, in which you save 15% if you book and pay in full by May 15, 2004. Lodging is in log cabins (one to three bedrooms), with private bath and shower, fireplace and front porch. Three meals a day are provided. No alcohol, but you can BYOB, they say. The children's program includes horseback riding, and is aimed at three- to nine-year olds, including an overnight campout that leaves the parents with a completely free evening on their own. Included in the price for everyone is one off-the-ranch activity including white water rafting, a day of golf, a river float trip, technical rock climbing, a day at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park (including a soak in their huge pool) or just relaxing. Contact them at 800/858-3046 or 970/625-1473. More info on their website, www.coulterlake.com.

In addition to the usual healthy outdoor pursuits, some dude ranches are going very genteel, with pursuits no self-respecting cowpoke would have ever considered in days gone by. Such is the case at the Triple Creek Ranch in Montana, which is celebrating its reopening with a month-long celebration of wine, starting on May 6 to show off its new wine cellar and its new chef's table (in the kitchen, of course). This year-round resort is already a member of the exclusive Relais & Chateau system, so this comes as no surprise. The cost for four-day weekend packages ranges from $1,530 to $2,985 per couple, but included are lodging, all food, beverages, vintner wines and on-ranch activities. The ranch is near Darby, about 75 miles south of Missoula. Contact them at 406/821-4600, via e-mail at tcr@bitterroot.net, or visit them online at www.triplecreekranch.com.

You can subscribe to the Specialty Travel Index for $10 a year to get all their offerings in a single handy and handsome catalogue. Or, you can simply go online (for free) to www.specialtytravel.com and click "Activities" then "Duderanch/Farmstays" to see listings 31 tour operators who organize such trips within North America and two more who go abroad into Ecuador and New Zealand.


advertisement