For any kid that ever dreamed of being a cowboy or cowgirl, a dude ranch vacation is the perfect place to try on your spurs and see what your little cowpokes are made of.
Some dude ranches can be a working ranch, rounding up cattle by horseback during the day and sitting ‘round a campfire at night. However, many dude ranches cater to families with a resort atmosphere focusing more on outdoor summer activities such as canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking and of course horseback riding and a campfire round up each evening. A dude ranch vacation is ideal for families looking for an all-inclusive vacation as most include three square meals a day plus your activities.
Resort4Kids picked our 7 Top Dude Ranches to take the kids.
The Resort at Paws Up
Where: Greenbough, Montana
Open: Year-Round, Tents available May to early October
Why it’s great: Paws Up is an all-inclusive resort that has a number of options. Combine a resort, a ranch and even an American “safari” vacation plus a full selection of outdoor activities and you have the Resort at Paws Up. What makes Paws Up fun is the oversized tent accommodations or “glamping” in the wilderness, along with wagon rides, cattle drives and wilderness workshops for kids.
Ideal for: Families with kids who want an outdoor experience without sacrificing luxury, kids programs for ages 5-12
Drowsy Water Ranch
Where: Granby, Colorado
Open: June to Mid-September
Why it’s great: Family owned and operated, Drowsy Water has won a number of awards making it a top all-inclusive resort in the world. Drowsy Water is also one of the few that have programs for ages 5 and under, allowing parents and older children to participate in ranch activities.
Ideal for: Families with infants and older.
Triangle C Dude Ranch
Where: Dubois, Wyoming
Open: Year-Round
Why it’s great: Triangle C Dude Ranch is great for the entire family and offers horseback trips to Yellowstone and Teton National Park. There’s also hayrides, square dancing, archery, knife throwing and even sleeping out in a tipi.
Ideal for: All ages, the ranch has children’s programs from 2-19
Vista Verde Guest Ranch
Where: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Open: June through September, December through March
Why it’s great: Vista Verde Guest Ranch is a stunning luxury resort where you can still learn how to herd cattle, learn about horses and participate in a rodeo. In the evenings you can relax in your private villa.
Ideal for: Families who like a mix of togetherness and adult & kid only time.
C Lazy U
Where: Granby, Colorado
Open: Year-Round
Why it’s great: Think summer camp meets Dude Ranch with an all-inclusive package that meets the entire families need. With a fully supervised children’s program and plenty for mom and dad to do on their own, C Lazy U, open year-round is another balanced ranch of adventure and family time.
Ideal for: Kids ages 3+
Black Mountain Ranch
Where: McCoy, Colorado
Open: June to September
Why it’s great: Black Mountain Ranch is a smaller capacity ranch offering a longhorn cattle and overnight pack trips. Their 40 person capacity means lots of individual attention. There’s also rafting, trap shooting and fishing available.
Ideal for: Families with older children and teens.
Tarryall River Ranch
Where: Lake George, Colorado
Open: June through August
Why it’s great: Combine an exciting adventure with a Dude Ranch vacation. Tarryall offers rock climbing, fly-fishing and white water rafting excursions in addition to the typical dude ranch experience. Tarryall does have programs for the youngsters, but we think older children and teens will get the most out of the ranch.
Ideal for: 6 and up
More Resources for Horseback Riding
Many ranches are open in the winter too. Consider the perfect winter-y scene of sleigh rides, cross-country skiing and tubing down a snowy hill. Then kick back next to a crackling fire with hot cocoa and fresh baked food. Rates and crowds are often lower in the winter season as well.
Not seeing the perfect ranch here? Check out the Dude Rancher’s association and search by area, amenity or kids program.
Have you done a dude ranch with your kids?
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Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.
How did you get around the Darien Gap?
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Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.
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Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.
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I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.
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Hi,
I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?
happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.
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Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂
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