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How to pick a dude ranch for your family trip

April 15, 2021 By Amy Hagstrom

Dude ranch vacations have gained immense popularity in recent years, and for good reason. They combine the peace of mind and convenience of an all-inclusive vacation with the nostalgia of summer camp, all against a backdrop of beautiful wilderness and lively adventure. The best will offer a range of activities that appeal to your whole family, but each ranch specializes in different things and has different strengths and weaknesses. The task of finding the right one for your needs can feel daunting. Here’s how to pick a dude ranch for your family trip, plus top ranches in each of four general categories.

Step 1: Ask yourself the following questions

1. Is horseback riding the most important aspect of a dude ranch vacation for our family?

If the answer is yes, choose from ranches that emphasize their riding programs above all else. These ranches tend to be the best pick for advanced, experienced riders who seek more freedom in their rides.

If the answer is no, you’ll want to look for a ranch that offers a wider range of more generalized activities, or risk booking a ranch that’s all horseback riding, all the time. Many will offer golf, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and rafting in addition to riding.

2. Are your kids all over at the age of 6-8 years?

If the answer is no, you’ll need to look carefully at the fine print of each dude ranch site, to make sure your kids will be able to participate. At many ranches, kids under age 6-8 (depending on the ranch) cannot join riding programs. Some ranches will offer babysitting or childcare services, but most will require you have an adult in your party willing to forego activities to watch young kids. We highly recommend waiting to take a dude ranch vacation when all kids are over age six, at least.

3. How important is your dining experience at the ranch?

If ranch cuisine is very important, you’re in luck: there are certainly ranches offering gourmet dining experiences. If not, you’ll certainly have more options, and can expect food that falls in the upscale family style buffet category.

4. Will you be combining your dude ranch vacation with other destinations in the same trip?

If yes, look for ranches near vacation destinations that appeal to you, and make your dude ranch stay part of a longer road trip. While some ranches are truly apart from major towns, most will be in ‘gateway’ regions, such as a gateway to the Rockies or Sierras, to a national park, or to a city.

5. Do you want to make new friends, or bond as a family?

At some dude ranches, you can certainly do both, but at others, the kids’ program is separate from the adult program, making the experience is much more like ‘camp’ for the kids. If you have social butterflies who can’t wait to meet new kids, this may be perfect. Pick a ranch with a kids’ program that extends beyond riding to kids’ dining and kids’ afternoon activities. If you want to eat meals as a family and ride as a family, pick a ranch that is structured in this way, and avoid ranches that promote kids’ only dining and adults’ only activities.

Step 2: Narrow down your choices

Use a site such as the Dude Ranchers’ Association or a dude ranch round-up to identify specific ranches that will meet your needs. We recommend staying open-minded regarding ranch location as long as possible, placing a higher emphasis on ranch amenities and programs than on geography. To help you along, we compare and contrast three excellent ranches below. Note that while all are amazing ranches, they offer very different experiences.

Triangle X Ranch in Moose, Wyoming:

Triangle X Ranch gives families quite a bit of rein (pun of course intended). Two rides per day are scheduled for those who wish for them, as well as an all-day ride for adults and optional overnight pack ride for teens. Beginning riders are accommodated, but the focus is definitely on advanced riders. Kids eat and ride separately from adults. Triangle X is open year round, with snow sports offered instead of horseback riding in winter. It’s located inside Grand Teton National Park, with absolutely stunning views. Read a full review of Triangle X.

Pros:

fun, exciting rides
beautiful setting
excellent evening programs and educational components
separate programs (including riding and dining) for adults and kids
nice cabin accommodations

Cons:

Inexperienced riders may feel in over their heads
separate programs for adults and kids
Meals are serviceable, but nothing fancy
WiFi in town only

Three Bars Ranch, Cranbrook, British Columbia:

Three Bars Ranch is set against the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, and offers a riding program that’s more family-focused. Rides are more flexible, with families able to decide whether to ride together or separately (kids together, with friends, etc) on the morning of each day. Rides are on the controlled side, with options to pick up speed as the week goes on. The ranch is picturesque, and many additional activities are offered. Read a full review of Three Bars.

Pros:

Beautiful grounds with comfortable cabins
WiFi available
family-focused with flexibility for mingling with others
safe horse program
multiple additional activities offered
above-average food
wranglers spend time with guests on and off the trails

Cons:

horse program may be too ‘tame’ for some advanced riders

Tanque Verde Ranch, Tuscan Arizona:

If you want luxury, head to Tanque Verde in the Southwest, or go north to Paws Up in Montana. Both ranches offer a full spa as well as decidedly upscale cuisine. Guests are lodged in luxury dwellings and service is on par with top luxury resorts. Don’t worry: kids aren’t forgotten; they still have a full program of offerings.

Pros:

dining is amazing
service is outstanding

Cons:

high price
riding sometimes takes a backseat to spa treatments or golf

Aspen Ridge Resort, Bly Oregon:

Want a non all-inclusive option? Several ranches in Central and Southern Oregon, such as Aspen Ridge, offer ranch programs with a more B&B feel. Families stay in log cabins with full kitchens, make their own meals, and plan only the number of horseback rides they want. The setting is lovely, and families get a good sense of what a working ranch really feels like. In addition to riding, families can bike, hike, and play tennis. Aspen Ridge is open year round, with snowshoeing offer in winter.

Pros:

stays can be shorter than the standard week
price can be lower, since you pay a la carte
dates are more flexible than an all-inclusive ranch

Cons:

riding is individualized, not in a program (could be a pro)
dining is on your own, or in Aspen Ridge’s dining room (a la carte)

Have you gone on a dude ranch vacation? What’s your pick?

Photo credit: Ken Bosna, Amy Whitley

The Home Ranch review: Colorado dude ranch

July 2, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

If you book a stay at The Home Ranch, located just outside Steamboat Springs, Colorado, you’d better get used to hearing the word ‘yes’. As in, ‘Yes, we can accommodate that’, or, ‘Yes, we’ll make that happen’, or ‘Yes, you most certainly can’. And yes, this ‘can do’ attitude is a delight to hear during a dude ranch vacation.

We discovered this rhetoric early on during our early summer visit, when I hoped to spend a little extra time with my assigned horse for the week in the fenced riding arena before hitting the many bridle trails. Immediately, despite (or perhaps because of) a daily schedule that runs like a well-oiled machine, head wrangler Michael Moon made sure it happened. I had two excellent sessions in the arena, with wranglers Davy and Bree. I heard ‘yes’ again and again throughout our stay: yes to the family hoping to hop on mountain bikes at the last minute, yes to dietary needs that ranged from pescatarian to vegan, yes to a run for blueberries at breakfast, yes to fly fishing at a specific location.

We’ve now sampled four North American dude ranches, all of which serve up all-inclusive vacations located amid stunning natural beauty with plenty of opportunity for outdoor recreation. All require Western riding boots and cater to families seeking week-long stays. After that, they differ considerably, which is why it’s important to know how to pick the right dude ranch for your family. Or you can cheat, and book The Home Ranch without risk of disappointment: for almost all families, this Colorado dude ranch will tick all the boxes.

What makes The Home Ranch perfect? Three factors: the variety of included outdoor activities offered in addition to the riding program, the level of service and culinary standards (The Home Ranch holds membership in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux hotel association), and the friendliness and flexibility of the staff, from the dining team to the barn director.

Lodging options at The Home Ranch:

Founded in 1978 by the Stranahan family, The Home Ranch sits on 4,000 acres along the Elk River, in the shadow of the Zirkel Wilderness and the Sawtooth Mountains. The cozily sprawling main lodge houses six guest rooms, several of which have lofts to accommodate kids in a suite-style layout, plus communal ‘living room’ space with a river rock fireplace and tucked away sunroom, a dining room and no-host bar, and front and back decks with lots of lounging options. Out front sits the children’s recreation building, outdoor pool and hot tub, and within easy walking distance amid the aspen trees, eight cabins accommodate from four to eight guests each.

Each of the cabins and the guest rooms in the lodge include in-room WiFi, a small fridge stocked with some sparkling water and snacks, pantry snacks such as granola bars and homemade cookies, and a Keurig coffee maker (in the lodge, we just stepped downstairs in our provided robes to use the Keurig at the wet bar adjacent to the living room). The Home Ranch does not use keys, but you can lock yourself into your room with a deadbolt, and a safe is available in each room and cabin. You also get a hair dryer and makeup mirror, humidifier, and the aforementioned bathrobes. Cabins have fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. We were very comfortable in our lodge room…the only thing I missed was a patio or balcony, so I could enjoy a beverage in the morning or evening while looking out over the beautiful Alpine valley views.

A typical day at The Home Ranch looks a little like this:

Breakfast is served in the lodge dining room from 7:30 am until 9 am, with continental offerings and coffee and tea set out earlier. At breakfast, which is made to order (just about anything you could ask for), with two featured specials per day, head wrangler Michael makes the rounds, taking ‘orders’ for the day’s activities. Morning rides depart from the barn around 9:30 and 10 am, and in addition to kids’ rides led by specialized children’s counselors and adult rides split into ability groups, families can ask for individual family rides as well.

Lunch is served on the front deck, and always included sandwich makings, a variety of salads and veggies, two soup options, and something on the grill every day. Around 2 pm, an afternoon ride is offered for all groups, or families can opt for pool time. During both the morning and afternoon rides, staff members from the hiking and fishing huts offer fly fishing clinics and trips, guided hikes, guided mountain biking on state-of-the-art suspension mountain bikes, and nature walks. Most days, we opted for a morning ride followed by an afternoon playing in the mountains in another capacity.

After the afternoon rides and activities, kids are kept busy with the children’s counselors while parents freshen up or enjoy a dip in the pool, and children’s dinner is served on the deck around 6:30 pm, with adult dinner in the dining room around 7 pm. The kids continue to be looked after until 9 pm.

While this is the general schedule, every day holds a different surprise, such as a brunch ride one day (riding horses to an 11 am brunch), an ‘all day ride’ offered several times during the week (a few hours in the saddle followed by lunch at a remote location and a few hours back), and evening activities that include wine pairing dinners, cookouts, and barn dances.

Highlight: kids are supervised with their own programming with their own dedicated counselors during the morning ride, after lunch, during the afternoon ride/activity time, between activities and dinner, during dinner, and after dinner. That’s a lot of supervision! Of course, you can always take your kids out of the children’s program for any family time. However, kids are not allowed at grown-up dinner.

Dining at The Home Ranch:

When you drive up to the ranch on arrival, the first thing you notice might not be the barn and horses. It might be a greenhouse and gardens. That’s because The Home Ranch hires a horticulture team headed by Home Ranch team member Allison to provide some of the food for the ranch kitchen; in fact, I was told 80% of their salad greens and veggies are homegrown…not an easy feat at elevation in Colorado. Chickens and livestock are also raised on-site for local, sustainable meat and eggs. There are even beehives.

Executive chef Jonathon Gillespie is highly creative (we affectionately called him the mad scientist chef) and our meals were extremely fresh, inventive and delightful every night. All meals utilize the fresh food available, with a whole food-bent. All diets can be accommodated. You will never go hungry; Pastry Chef Douglas Short’s pastries and freshly baked breads were my personal downfall.

The honor bar in the lodge is fully stocked with a good variety of wines, local beers, liquors, and all the mixers you might need. Just go in and help yourself, writing down any selections on the provided tickets organized by cabin or room name. Not realizing The Home Ranch would have such a fully stocked bar, we brought a fair amount of our own booze, and if we had had a balcony in our lodge room, we might have made our own drinks to enjoy there (guest-brought alcohol is permitted, but only in rooms and cabins). However, we quickly realized we didn’t need to. Wine, cocktails and beer can be ordered at dinner as well. Each dinner menu offered two featured wine suggestions, but everything in the bar is available during meals as well.

Included activities at The Home Ranch:

In addition to the elevated cuisine and service, the amount of included activities at The Home Ranch is what sets it apart for me from the others we visited. We tried out just about everything, and the only things we encountered with an extra charge included alcohol (both from the bar and at dinner), items bought in the gift shop, and on-site massages. Of course, you can add more to this list if you ask the ranch to arrange off-site activities, such as clay pigeon shooting, river rafting, hot air balloon rides, or gravity-based (lift-served) mountain biking at Steamboat. However, all on-site activities were included.

Horse program:

The horse program at The Home Ranch offers the best first-day orientation we’ve encountered so far at a dude ranch. The wranglers take the time to explain not just what to do on the horses, but why, and extensive (but not too lengthy) instruction is given in the arena before riders hit the trails. Each guest who wants to ride horseback is paired with a horse of their own for the week, which is very nice for consistency. Wranglers divide up rides into small groups based on ability levels and desires (grouping all riders who want to trot and lope together, for instance, and all riders who want to only walk together). Every wrangler we rode with was excellent, and I never rode the same trail twice. The topography varies between high mountain meadows, woods, and ridges, with plenty of interesting moments as horses picked their way carefully down steep grades or loped along fence lines (as desired by the group of riders).

I never grew tired of riding. As noted above, all-day rides are offered several times during the week, as well as a ‘Ride Fish Ride’ offering, which combines the two sports. One day during the week, wranglers invite guests to help them bring in the cattle from a distant pasture, and the week often culminates in a ‘rodeo’ of horse and cattle games in the arena.

Hiking, biking, and fishing:

Next to the recreation building in front of the lodge sits the hiking hut and the fishing hut. Visit either (or just talk to Michael at meals) to arrange hiking, mountain biking, or fishing. Daily organized hikes were led during our visit by guide Gage, whose repertoire of hikes include trails on the North Fork, Hinman Lake and Overlook, Home Mountain, Burr Ridge, Hahn’s Peak, Three Island, and Zirkel Circle. He can also bring in additional guides for specific routes or needs. Gage also led the mountain biking, which included single track and dirt road biking on The Home Ranch’s off-site (but close by) property, called Murphy-Larson. He also leads additional rides into the national forest land adjacent the ranch, when permitted.

The Home Ranch is an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge, which means that when you visit the fishing hut, the friendly fishing guide staff can outfit you with Orvis gear and offers a fly fishing clinic on the lawn and in the stocked pond on ranch property. We caught two fish in the pond, then one member of our group fished the Elk for two afternoons, catching multiple trout (catch and release). Three miles of the Elk flows right through the property.

Don’t overlook the hiking, biking, and fishing opportunities at the ranch. While horseback riding is often the main draw, some guests spend their entire time fishing or hiking, and we can see why!

Check week-long rates for The Home Ranch here. During the early season and late season, sometimes four-night stays can be accommodated if needed, but we recommend the full week-long program. You won’t want to go home earlier!

Disclosure: We checked out The Home Ranch at the invitation of the ranch, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain my own.

Oregon Cowboy vacation: Wilson Ranches Retreat

April 27, 2018 By Sharlene Earnshaw

Guest post by travel writer Sarah McCully-Posner.

Wilson Ranches Retreat is a really special place. It is an authentic, family owned, working ranch just outside of the small town of Fossil in Eastern Oregon. The ranch lies within the beautiful Butte Creek Canyon and on your drive in you not only see the cattle grazing lazily in the fields, but song birds flying above, and quail scurrying across the road.

We signed in at the registration desk and made our way to our lovely room.

Tip: if you don’t have a reservation when you arrive, pick an available room in the book and make yourself comfortable. Weekends get very busy, so reservations are recommended.

The Wilson Family takes “Pioneer Hosipitality” very seriously; your kids will be hugged and they love to tell funny stories that bring about big belly laughs. The family has an incredible sense of humor that we all enjoyed. They are available to the guests at all times and do their very best to help in every way possible.

Guest rooms:

Rooms are tidy and sweet and each offers a little something different than all of the rest. Each room had lovely, soft robes for guests to use and extra blankets for chillier nights. Rooms on the main and second levels have air conditioning for warm summer nights. Some rooms have TVs, but the main TV and VCR are in the living room and there is a large library of videos for people of all ages. Board games can be found in the day light basement for more entertainment and there is a lawn where we enjoyed throwing the Frisbee and football. There are 3 bathrooms in the house which are shared by everyone. BBQs, microwave, guest fridge, coffee makers and tea pot are always available.

Dining:

Breakfast in the morning is served at 8:00am. You will wake up to the sweet smell of fresh coffee and bacon being fried up. Nancy and Phil cook for all of the guests and everyone sits down family style to share the meal and lots of stories. Prepare to laugh! Farm fresh eggs, bacon, oatmeal, peaches, biscuits, gravy, juice and all of the toppings make for full, happy bellies which will sustain you throughout your ride and much of your day.

Activities:

Wilson Ranches Retreat offers horseback riding for adults and kids age four and older, which we were quick to take advantage of as we have a little city slicker with a big cowboy heart. We did an hour and a half ride, but ride times can vary. Just talk to your wonderful hosts and they will help you organize everything. The horses are calm and gentle and I had no worries about my six-year-old riding on his own. The horses are matched up to you based on your size and experience. If you do not have boots or hats, they have them for you to borrow for your ride. Rides for younger kids are scenic, although you might get a chance to ride among some of the cows. Families with older kids can enjoy cattle drives, checking fence lines or for strays, and taking part in pasture moves. Riders in groups of 1-3 are $45/hour each, riders in groups of 4 or more are $40/hour each.

There are so many other things to do off the ranch as well. You can dig for fossils of ancient flora on the hill behind the high school. Cost is $5/person, or $15/family of four. They have tools there for you to use and as you can dig as long as you like. This is like searching for treasure, but you always come away with something amazing! We also had a look at the Painted Hills National Monument. The hour drive each way is worth it for an incredible sight everyone should see. The intense colors and textures had our heads spinning. There is also rafting, fishing, hiking, biking, museums, fairs, rodeos, and more. Wilson Ranches Retreat is a great home base for all of it.

Rates:

This B&B house is not your standard B&B. We have never really considered staying in one as a family since most are usually set up for couples. Wilsons Ranches Retreat has six rooms that can accommodate anywhere from 1-6 people. Room prices start at $105/night for the cozy Wrangler Room (sleeps 1-2 people) and go up to $185/night for the massive Homestead Room (sleeps 1-6 people). The prices are based on a double occupancy and include breakfast. Each additional person (including kids) is $10 which includes their breakfast.

Directions:

The ranch is accessible from both I-84 and Highway 97, making the drive from Bend or Portland very easy! For full directions to Fossil, start here!

Sarah and her family stayed at Wilson Ranches Retreat as guests of the B&B, for the purpose of review. We thank them for trekking to Eastern Oregon to explore (and hope to do the same soon)!

Montana dude ranch vacation: Flathead Lake Lodge

August 23, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

On my very first morning of a week-long dude ranch stay at Flathead Lake Lodge in western Montana, I sat down to breakfast in the historic lodge dining room and couldn’t find a spoon. I looked about, but the wait staff was busy, so I turned to a fellow guest…a veteran of many summers at the dude ranch. “Oh, just start checking the drawers,” she said, pointing to a cabinet. “I think they’re in the second from the left.”

I felt odd, digging through a restaurant’s silverware, but before I’d reached the second drawer, I had more help. “Spoon? Oh yeah, right here,” a man said, directing me to the correct drawer. When looked up to thank him, I realized the owner of the lodge himself, Doug Averill, had come to my rescue. “We’re really causal here,” he assured me, waving away my sheepish apology for helping myself. “Whatever you need, just feel free.”

I quickly learned that this sense of ownership and familiarity is typical at Flathead Lake Lodge. Take the mid-week morning, for instance, that I rounded the corner from the main lodge toward the outdoor volleyball court to see my eighteen-year-old giving a new eight-year-old buddy a piggy back ride toward the barn…a little boy we’d never met before that week. Or the time my 12-year-old informed me he couldn’t tell me where he was headed, because he and a gaggle of other middle schoolers had found themselves a ‘secret’ hideout never before discovered. Or the time the owners took their staff out on Flathead Lake one evening for an appreciation party, leaving with a cheery, “Try not to burn the place down!” in farewell.

Guests at the ranch would never mistake this casual approach to hospitality for neglect, however. The ranch staff, from wranglers to housekeeping to water sports instructors, were attentive, friendly, and enthusiastic, without exception. The difference was, we were treated like family rather than like visitors. And at a ranch like Flathead Lake Lodge that caters to providing a full but relaxed family vacation, this treatment made all the difference.

We’ve now stayed a week at three different dude ranches, and have learned extensively about many more. They each offer their own take on the dude ranch experience, but I have taken to calling Flathead Lake Lodge a ‘dude ranch plus’. More than any other ranch we’ve reviewed, it embodies a full mountain vacation experience. Horseback riding and ranch life is a big part of it, but by no means defines it. Flathead Lake Lodge is just as much an ‘all inclusive lakeside resort’ as it is a dude ranch.

What to expect from a Montana dude ranch vacation at Flathead Lake Lodge:

Flathead Lake Lodge sits on 2500 acres of lakefront and forest on Flathead Lake, Montana. It’s just a short walk from the quaint town of Bigfork, and about 45 minutes from both the airport in Kalispell and the entrance to Glacier National Park. On the property, guests enjoy private shoreline of the lake, with a small but well-stocked marina that includes three small sailboats, two larger sloops, several cruiser boats, motorboats, a ski boat, and a collection of paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. Also on the lake front are docks to fish from and swim from, a swimming pool, and plenty of lounging space on rolling lawn.

Just up from the lake sits the historic main lodge, which dates from 1945. This houses the communal dining room with its massive stone fireplace, the kitchen, bar, and the lodge office. The main lodge is a central hub at the ranch, where guests and staff alike relax, eat, and mingle.

Tucked around the lodge is a smattering of small cabins, ranging in size from one to three bedrooms, which house guests, as well as the South Lodge, which offers lodge rooms for guests who don’t require an entire cabin. Our family of five stayed in the South Lodge in two adjacent rooms, one of which included an upper loft. All lodge rooms have their own bathrooms. The sand volleyball court sits between the South Lodge and the main lodge, and a path up the hill away from the lake leads to the gift shop and laundry facilities, tennis courts, and barn.

If the main lodge is the central hub for meals, the barn is the central hub for horseback activities and the central play area for children. How so? Above the working space of the barn (where horses are saddled, etc) the upper level houses ping pong tables, a pool table, and other games. Kids tend to gather here before or after their rides. Below the game area, a well-stocked and staffed arts and crafts room occupies a large space. Behind the barn is a large horseback riding arena, with pastures on other sides.

Guests arrive and depart on Sundays. Upon arrival, we were shown to our rooms and given the chance to get settled, then were able to attend an orientation at the barn, which introduced us to the wrangler staff and horse program. I liked that there’s a chance for guests to get up on a horse Sunday evening; this is perfect for people who are less familiar with horses and want to get their feet wet in the controlled space of the arena under the watchful eye of a wrangler.

It’s not necessary to sign up for horseback rides, as they’re offered daily with no reservations required, but on Monday morning, guests have the opportunity to sign up for additional activities that do require advanced notice. These activities include the ones offered by outside outfitters or operators, such as guided fishing trips, mountain laser tag (more on that later), whitewater rafting, clay pigeon shooting, massages, and yoga. These activities come with an extra charge. Monday morning is also the time and place to sign up for horseback riding lessons in the arena, guided hikes, and guided or non-guided mountain biking, which are offered by lodge staff (of these, some hikes and mountain biking do come with an extra cost).

Here’s what’s always included in your stay, and do not require a Monday reservation:

horseback riding
water sports including waterskiing and wake boarding
canoe, kayak, and paddle board use
sailing (sailing on the large sloops requires a day-of sign up)
horseback lessons (you can sign up for these on Monday but also make reservations later)
hiking or mountain biking on your own (with your own bikes)
long rides (that include lunch or breakfast)
all meals, including the ‘riding’ meals to a steak fry dinner and to breakfast
tennis
volleyball
kids activities, including campout, fire truck riding, and kids’ rodeo

Meals are served in the main lodge, and include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast cereals and pastries are available from about 7 am on, with either a hot buffet or plated breakfast (depending on the day) served at 8:30 am. Lunch is buffet style, served at 12:30 pm. Dinner is served buffet style for kids at 6 pm and as a plated meal for adults at 6:30 pm (one choice of entree, with specialty options such as vegetarian or gluten free meals offered with advanced notice). Kids can absolutely eat with the adults; the 6 pm buffet simply gives you the option in case you have kids who would rather eat and run. My teens ate the adult meal with us every evening, while my 12-year-old opted for the kid fare so he could go play with friends.

On the schedule, there are also kids’ meal times for breakfast and lunch listed (30 minutes before adult dining), but we found these times to be more of a suggestion: the food is the same, but the lodge staff simply puts it out half an hour earlier for kids should they want it. Adults can certainly jump in line with the kids. As noted above, everything is causal at Flathead Lake Lodge.

We found the food served at Flathead to be well above average for a dude ranch. Dinners were exceptional, with entrees such as salmon, beef tenderloin, and chicken with risotto on the menu. Lunch buffet was so good, we often over-ate…I tried very hard to utilize only the well-stocked salad bar at lunch, but often found myself tempted to sample far more. The buffet items included a pasta bar, Mexican and Chinese food days, and seafood. Breakfast included fresh fruit and berries, plenty of cereal and granola choices, and hot dishes that usually included breakfast meats, eggs, hash browns or potatoes, or pancakes. Between meals, snacks are always on offer on a counter in the lodge, and water, lemonade, and tea are always available, as well as coffee.

Kids’ activities such as lawn games are usually scheduled for the 6:30 hour so adults can know they’re busy doing something with staff while they eat dinner, but everything is optional, and there’s no formal childcare or kids’ club (you’re responsible for your kids). Before dinner, there’s always a happy hour in the bar from 5:30-6:30 pm. The way the bar operates is unique: while some bottles of wine and beer are available for purchase, guests are encouraged to bring their own liquor, beer, and wine to the lodge, label it with their last name, and store it in the bar. During happy hour, the bar is staffed and the bartender will mix drinks and pour wine, with appetizers served. This is a great time to chat with fellow guests about the day. At any other time, guests can treat the bar as their own, stepping behind the counter to access their own alcoholic beverages.

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Experiencing Oregon ranching at Aspen Ridge Resort

June 20, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

Located in south-central Oregon in the heart of ranching country, Aspen Ridge Resort is one of those tucked-away gems begging to be discovered by families. With cabin-style lodging, a relaxed atmosphere, and plenty of low-tech, low-cost activities right at its doorstep, Aspen Ridge is the type of place parents can take their kids for a true getaway that won’t cost a fortune or run you ragged.

Aspen Ridge’s 14,000 acre spread is a working cattle ranch, and guests are invited to feel part of the dude ranch vibe. Families can horseback ride, or explore on their own, utilizing hiking and biking trails right on the property. Note that the resort is not all-inclusive, as many dude ranches are; rather, it’s dining and horseback riding is added a la carte.

Resort lodging:

The resort offers lodge rooms and suites, and individual cabins. We recommend the latter for families, as cabins include full kitchens and sleep six. They have cozy front porches and plenty of room to spread out. Plus, kids can step right off the porch and find themselves in wilderness and pasture.

Tip: the closest grocery stores to the ranch are in Klamath Falls and Lakeview, Oregon, both an hour’s drive away. Plan to pick up groceries for your stay en route!

Activities:

Horseback riding: Most people want to experience horseback riding while at the ranch. Owner Karen Simmons assures me they are accustomed to riders of all experience levels, from the complete novice to those who have horses of their own. Since Aspen Ridge is a working cattle ranch, their livestock are the focus of every ride they take. Guests can join wranglers as they monitor animal health, doctor sick animals, check moms and babies during calving season, sort, gather or simply scatter cattle around the ranch. For young children unable to control an animal, they offer a riding experience in a round corral or horse pasture. Adult horseback rides are $45.00/person/ride (approximately two hours) and child horseback rides are $30.00/hour/horse.

Additional on-site activities: Families can play tennis, hike and ride bikes (trails are on-property). The resort lake has swimming and catch-and-release (it’s stocked). Fishers just need an Oregon fishing license which can be purchased at many retail locations or online through the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department.

Note: Aspen Ridge is off the grid – internet reception is limited to the main lodge and cell service is non-existent. It’s excellent!

Off-site activities: Guests can discover turn-of-the-century homestead remains, enjoy bird watching and wildflower hunting (both especially plentiful in the spring and early summer), or check out our many lakes and streams within easy driving distance. Outside the ranch the Corral Creek Trailhead to the Gearhart Wilderness is approximately a forty-five minute drive. From there, it’s an easy mile hike to the Palisades, an area with spectacular rock formations and a big view of the valley below.

Dining:

Families will likely cook most meals in their cabins, but won’t want to miss the lodging dining for at least a few meals. The on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers options for the whole family. The dinner menu consists primarily of USDA Choice steaks as well as chicken and children’s portions. Entrees are BBQed over mesquite charcoal on the lodge’s back deck.

The menu is available online here: http://www.aspenrr.com/menu.htm. Reservations are required for dinner, but guests are welcome to walk-in for breakfast and lunch.

If you go: be sure to ask what ranching activities will be happening during your stay. For instance, kids love being at the ranch during calving season, when they can accompany ranch hands to check on newborn calves.

Cost:

Cabins start at $180/night (see this page for full pricing). Be sure to budget extra for horseback riding and a few lodge meals, but otherwise, ranch activities are free.

Directions:

Aspen Ridge Resort is located in Bly, Oregon, about one hour from Klamath Falls. Full directions.

Best travel experiences of 2015: Our top family trips

December 7, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

In the travel industry, there are a lot of articles and advertising messages that tell parents to hurry up and see it all. Go before they grow up. See it before they’re out of school. You only have X number of years left. While I appreciate the effort to get families out their front door, I urge parents to remember that primarily, travel is about time together, sharing experiences and new places, wherever that may be.

Fun contests like the #LuvRitzSweepstakes get this, and help parents take the pressure off travel and add the fun. After checking out our favorite destinations for 2015, let us know where you’d like to go, for a chance to win $5000 in Southwest gift cards. (More info below!)

In the meantime, here are our top travel experiences for 2015! We logged over 70 travel days in 2015. We visited many good destinations, a few just ok ones, a couple of duds, and a handful of absolutely amazing ones. Picking just five for our top travel picks proved hard, as usual!

Three Bars Ranch, Cranbrook BC:

Snagging the top spot is an all-inclusive dude ranch tucked into the Canadian Rockies. Three Bars Ranch eclipsed even our already high standards when it came to dude ranch vacations (Wyoming’s Triangle X Ranch made our top five in 2014). What made it so special: somehow, the team at Three Bars have managed to find that perfect balance of relaxation and adventure, all wrapped up in a friendly atmosphere. It’s 1/3 summer camp, 1/3 cruise, and 1/3 mountain lodge. A week at Three Bars actually leaves you feeling refreshed, instead of needing ‘a vacation from your vacation’.

Black Hills, South Dakota:

Readers of Pit Stops for Kids know we like our vacations rugged, usually with some mountain air thrown in. I didn’t expect to enjoy South Dakota as much as I did. What made it special: beyond Mt. Rushmore, much more history awaits, ready to be peeled like layers on the proverbial onion. Badlands National Park doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves (think of it as a less crowded Canyonlands), and Custer State Park sports over 1000 buffalo, making us wonder why more families don’t opt to come here in lieu of Yellowstone.

Hanalei, Kauai:

I haven’t met a Hawaiian island I didn’t like, but I fell in love with Kauai. With a less touristy and more artsy feel than any other tropical island I’ve experienced, Kauai also offers some of the best hiking I’ve seen. We recommend basing a stay in the small town of Hanalei (or in a home rental in nearby Princeville), and spending the majority of your vacation on the wilder, rainier North Shore. Hit an authentic farmer’s market, swim, and try surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, or tubing. Check out all our Kauai coverage.

Palm Beach, Florida:

Families on the East Coast wanting sun, sand, and Caribbean waters can find all of the above within an easy flight or drive into West Palm Beaches. (There is something to be said for accessibility!) I liked the way city and ocean meet in West Palm Beach, making it easy to spend a full day in the surf followed by a night out with kids in one of the many open-air restaurants. Plus, there are excellent harbor waters in the area, perfect for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. This part of Florida has interesting history, too: we liked checking out the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Hands down, stay in a Marriott Vacation Club property like Oceana Palms for the convenience of in-room kitchens.

San Juan Islands, WA:

If you want one location that combines family-friendly activities, outdoor exploration, fine dining, and quaint town life, and you’re on the wrong coast for a visit to Nantucket, head to San Juan Islands, WA. What we love: the natural beauty of the islands, the ferry-entrance, the many state park beaches and coves, the cute towns, and the excellent lodging options. To up your adventure a few notches, book a 2-3 day kayak trip with Crystal Seas.

Honorable mention: Idaho Panhandle

We have to give this awesome region of Idaho a shout-out, because it never fails to surprise us…in great ways! In summer, families can base themselves in either the mountain lake towns of Coeur d’ Alene or Sandpoint, or tuck themselves into the mountains at Kellogg or Wallace. This entire area is rich in mining history and abundant with outdoor opportunities: bike on the newly constructed Hiawatha trail, kayak or swim, or fish. In winter, the skiing is excellent (and affordable) at Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass.

Where would YOU like to go?

Ritz and Southwest Airlines want to know where you want to go and how you enjoy Ritz Crackers. One lucky winner will win $5,000 in Southwest gift cards! Just Tweet or Instagram your response along with #LuvRitzSweepstakes to be entered. (Example: “I want to go to #Dallas for the holidays and enjoy Ritz Mint Thins #LuvRitzSweepstakes”) Personally, the peanut butter, banana, and honey snacks get my vote!

Need more inspiration? Read about our best trips of 2014 and top experiences of 2013!

I partnered with Southwest Airlines and Ritz Crackers on this post. All opinions and destination picks remain my own.

A week stay at Three Bars Ranch, British Columbia

July 27, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

There are beautiful resorts and vacation properties all over the world. The best start with a stunning destination, then add experiences, dining, and activities in a way that feeds both a sense of adventure and the need for relaxation. Then there are a few truly special, tucked-away places that manage to do all of the above, plus add a certain something that take them over-the-top for family travel. What is this secret sauce? It’s hard to say, but you know it when you experience it: it’s genuine, organic, and rooted in excellent guest service. These magical places make our top 1% of destination reviews.

The Three Bars Ranch in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia is one of these places. One of the top 1% ones. One of the cream of the crop ones. They don’t get this rating from us by offering the most luxurious accommodations we’ve ever seen (we’ve seen nicer). They don’t get it from serving gourmet food. They don’t get it with a Michelin rating or a bunch of diamonds after their name in the guidebooks. They get it by being themselves, which is an authentic guest dude ranch with a long-standing family history, and by doing for guests: if it’s on your bucket list and can be done in the Rockies, they’ll make it happen.

We’ve now reviewed multiple dude ranches, and our standard advice continues to be: know what you want before you book, then book accordingly. Some dude ranches we’ve experienced focus almost exclusively on their riding program, and are best for experienced riders. Others are more like B&Bs or farm stays. Three Bars Ranch wins in the ‘all-round best for everyone’ category, but after staying for a week, I urge families not to think of it as a dude ranch.

Instead, think of Three Bars as an all-inclusive Canadian holiday, or as a family camp. With rafting, mountain biking, sport shooting, tennis, swimming, fly fishing, hiking, and golf in addition to its riding program, Three Bars truly does have something for everyone. But it’s more than that: remember the secret sauce? Three Bars manages to offer all of the above, and do so seamlessly, in a way that makes families feel relaxed, welcome, and comfortable both with the ranch staff and with each other. Trust us: not all dude ranches achieve this.

What to expect at Three Bars Ranch:

Like most dude ranches, families typically book at week at Three Bars. We arrived on a Sunday in late June, pulling up to the ranch house, barn, and other structures at about 4 pm. We were greeted by two of our wranglers at the main lodge, and shown to our cabin, one of about 20 circling the lodge on a grassy court. We settled in, and explored the grounds.

Three Bars is situated on over 1200 acres of pasture, forests, and mountainsides, plus uses an additional 60,000 acres of leased land in the heart of the Canadian Rockies along the St. Mary’s River. The ranch property includes the main lodge where we checked in, the cabins, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool and hot tub, an activities barn with mountain bikes, and the horse padlocks and barns. Right away, it was clear that we were to consider this property ‘ours’ during our stay, and immediately, the kids felt comfortable wandering (as did we). They found the ping-pong and foosball tables, the pool table in the bar (open to youth players), the cozy gazebo, and the petting ‘zoo’, which is a true manaserie of animals all in need of lots of petting and holding (including a donkey, pigmy goat, pony, chickens, kittens, and goats).

After a Sunday evening meet-and-greet, welcome dinner, and orientation, daily life at the ranch settles into a routine. Every day, a bulletin board will list the day’s schedule, which will always include a morning and afternoon horse ride, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an evening activity. Alternative afternoon activities are always offered: whether it be a scheduled rafting trip or a specifically arranged fly fishing trip, ATV ride, or mountain bike trip. Every morning, head wrangler (and ranch owner) Tyler Beckley comes around to each breakfast table to arrange the day’s activities for each family. This is the time for families to choose which type of ride to go on, or what alternative activity to schedule. As the week wore on, we, like many families, met friends and arranged to ride and play together, asking for teen rides, group rides, and ladies only rides. All were easily arranged.

Our typical day (Mon-Fri at the ranch) started by barely waking up in time for 8 am breakfast (unheard of for us, early-risers!), taking a morning ride of our choice (usually a fast ride while the kids rode with friends, or a family ride), coming back for lunch and a little break, an afternoon activity, which alternated between another ride or a different activity (one afternoon we went target shooting, another we went rafting), then down time in the late afternoon.

We filled this time by swimming in the pool, playing ping-pong or tennis, riding a bike along the trails, or just sitting on the porch of our cabin with a glass of wine.

Our family especially love riding bikes along the single track horse trails and many dirt roads and ATV trails around the ranch; bikes are available in the activities barn (the smallest being 17″ during our visit…a good size for a 10-year-old or up). From the barn area, trails can be accessed easily, either from the pastures or the trails past the large reining barn. We also swam and played tennis, and other families went fly fishing (equipment is available to use) and ATV riding (extra fee).

The ranch bar opens each day at 5 pm, and families tend to gather there to compare notes on the day. Kids order smoothies and play pool, and adults relax over a beer or cocktail. Dinner is at 6:30, followed by an evening activity, always with the wranglers, who also eat meals with guests and socialize naturally with everyone.

Evening activities during our stay ranged from a reining horse demonstration by horse trainer Jessie Buckley to a volleyball match and a cowboy guitar entertainer. Because it doesn’t get dark in summer in this part of the world until almost 11 pm, the kids tended to play on the lawns or soak in the hot tub until well after 9 pm, with lights out for our crew of school-aged and teen kids well past bedtime.

The Three Bars riding program:

If I had to pick one part of the Three Bars Ranch that is at the heart of the stay, it would be the riding program, though I want to emphasize again that this ranch is about so much more than riding. That said, compared to riding programs at dude ranches we’ve visited that have more of a ‘riding is everything’ attitude, Three Bars is still very much on par.

The riding is incredible. The horses are very well trained and responsive, and to a person, the wranglers were friendly, competent, and helpful. During our visit, there was a very even mix of ability level on horseback, with about 1/3 of the riders considering themselves novices, 1/3 experienced riders who don’t ride often, and 1/3 frequent riders. On Day 1, everyone was introduced to their horse, pre-selected based on a questionnaire asking for experience level. Every one of the 30+ guests were happy with their horses during our stay.

The first day, everyone I spoke to began by walking only, with wranglers keeping a careful eye on ability level and horse/rider compatibility. We didn’t mind, even though we were eager to trot and lope our horses, because the first ride was a great opportunity to get to know the area and see some of the scenery away from the ranch proper. By our second ride (afternoon of Day 1), our family was trotting, and by Day 2, we were loping (by request…this is not necessary). At another ranch we’d visited, rides started out fast and furious…great for experienced riders but uncomfortable for those who ride only occasionally.

On subsequent days, we verbalized what type of ride we wanted during the morning check-in with Tyler, whether it be a walking ride, ride with plenty of breaks and play time for kids, medium ride (with trotting and some loping), or fast ride (with more bouts of loping). We rode with our family unit and also with new friends. I absolutely love riding, so I greatly enjoyed the riding program, but individuals who would rather pursue other actives could absolutely do so. My kids loved having their ‘own’ horses for the week, and bonded with them quickly. In fact, even though 13-year-old Calvin, who liked riding fast, ended up with a very slow horse, he didn’t want to switch…he’d learned to love slow Chico!

Dining at Three Bars:

Meals are served at 8 am, noon, and 6:30 pm at Three Bars, and the food is always good. Occasionally during our stay, it was only ok, and sometimes, it was amazing. Full disclosure: I’m not a foodie. Especially during a vacation where we work up such an appetite, I’d honestly rather have good food, and plenty of it, than great food, in tiny, fancy portions.

At Three Bars, you get the former. We had no complaints, and always had our fill. The dining staff did an excellent job accommodating my pescetarian dietary needs, as well as others’ gluten-free needs. They can accommodate any type of need, with advanced warning. Breakfast included staples such as egg dishes, hash browns, pancakes, and granola, and there was always cereal, fruit, yogurt, and toast. Coffee was average (if you’re a coffee connoisseur, bring your own!) and water, tea, and coffee was always set out during the day.

Lunch ranged from sandwich fixings to make-your-own-burrito bars, always with freshly-baked cookies and side salads. Dinners ranged from ribs to herb chicken to Italian pastas, always with something for everyone. If you come expecting gourmet fare, you’ll be disappointed, but if your primarily goal is to be served hearty fare, you’ll go away happy. We had brought snacks for our room, but never needed them.

Lodging at Three Bars:

The cabins at Three Bars are very comfortable, visually beautiful, and convenient. Each has a TV with plenty of channels (though we hardly ever turned ours on), coffee service, a full bathroom with tub, WiFi (a godsend since I had to work during the stay), and very cozy beds with high-end linens.

There are different cabin configurations, but we ended up with two connecting rooms (one with three beds for the kids and a queen bed for me), giving us two bathrooms. Rooms have mini-fridges and cabinet space for snacks, plus plenty of closet space for riding gear and outerwear. Each cabin has a porch with table and chairs out front, all overlooking the main lawn and lodge.

What to know before you go:

Everyone will need riding boots. The good news: boots can be rented from the ranch for $30/stay. This is a great value if you have older kids, as boots are expensive.
Everyone will want a cowboy hat. They have them for sale in the store for a reasonable price. We had our ahead of time.
Kids under 12 must wear a riding helmet. I felt great about this rule.
Remember you’ll need passports or copies of the kids’ birth certificates to get across the Canadian border.
Once at the ranch, you don’t need cash other than gratuity. All extra charges will go on a room charge. Tip should be 5-10% of the cost of the vacation, and can be given at the end of the stay.
The activities that are not all-inclusive include ATV-riding, shooting, fly fishing, golf, and alcohol from the bar.
All riding levels are accommodated. Don’t worry about lack of experience, or having too much experience.
The wrangler staff are primarily young people from Canada and Australia. All are wonderful, and will make your kids feel special.
Activities such as mountain biking, fishing, golf, and ATV riding can be scheduled at any time. Shooting sports and rafting are scheduled for set times.
Kids can participate in shooting sports, regardless of experience. As non-gun-owners, we felt the experience was very safe and positive, with an emphasis on respect for guns.
Bring several pairs of jeans per person, and plan to do laundry!
Expect to miss your horse when you leave!

We experienced Three Bars Ranch as guests of the ranch, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Best of 2014: Best destinations for families you can book now!

December 22, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Every December, we take time to reflect upon the past year of travel, and select five experiences—yes, just five!—that we crown the best of the year. Last year, our top travel experiences of 2013 took us from Alaska to the Caribbean. This year, we’re focusing on the American West and MidAtlantic, showcasing everything from five-star city hotels to cabins. We stand behind these picks as the best destinations for families, 2014.

Best Destinations for Families: our picks from 2014

Experience Grand Teton National Park ‘behind the scenes’:

You’ve heard it from us before: no outdoor tour operation does family adventure better than O.A.R.S. We loved their Rogue River itinerary, so we embarked on their OARS Jackson Lake 2 night adventure confident we’d have an amazing time. What makes it so great? Beyond the near perfect guest service we’ve found consistently with O.A.R.S., the Jackson Lake kayaking adventure allows families to see a new side of Grand Teton National Park. We slept literally in the shadow of the peaks of Grand Teton, hiked to lakes less traversed by car camping families, and swam on the far banks of the lake, inaccessible to anyone without a boat. Check out our full review of the O.A.R.S. Jackson Lake 2 night kayak tour.

Play cowboy or cowgirl for a week:

Also located within the boundary of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Triangle X Ranch is has been around for generations as a working ranch and guest ranch. For many, it’s become an annual summer tradition; when we visited, we were surprised to learn that almost 80% of guests are on a return visit. That’s your true review, right there! While at Triangle X dude ranch, we got to ride our personal horses for the week two times per day, hike, relax at the ranch, go on Snake River float trips, and enjoy plenty of family bonding time around the campfires, in the kitchen and dining rooms, and while on the trail. Want to take your whole family to summer camp? This is it. Read our full review of Triangle X Ranch.

Learn US government and history in our nation’s capital:

School-aged kids get so much out of Washington DC! Truth be told, so do parents. I didn’t expect to love our time in the nation’s capital as much as I did; Washington DC is safe, walkable, and family-friendly. Best of all, almost all the attractions you’ll want to visit are free to the public. Many tours do require advanced planning, however, so best get started for your spring or summer visit! We recommend a Club-level stay at Grand Hyatt Washington: it’s a spurge, but also makes good travel sense. You’ll be close enough to the action to walk everywhere, and can eat most meals in the relaxed atmosphere of the club. Read our full review of Grand Hyatt DC.

Step back in time in Gettysburg:

What a sobering, awe-inspiring, and important historical landmark to visit with kids! Gettysburg, PA is a must-do with kids old enough to learn about Civil War battles in the context of US history. We recommend this trip for kids ages 8 and up, and suggest families stay 2-3 days before or after a trip to study more American history in Williamsburg or Philadelphia. The Gettysburg historic battlefield is best toured with a licensed battlefield guide; book one to ride with you in your car for the absolute best experience. Be sure to leave time to explore the town, too. Read our full review of our time in Gettysburg.

Play in the snow in the Colorado Rockies:

Keystone Colorado is arguably the most family-friendly ski resort in the Rockies. It certainly goes out of its way to cater to kids. However, this doesn’t mean Keystone isn’t up to the challenge of serious skiers and snowboarders: behind kid-centric Dercum Mountain, two more peaks await, with steeps and deeps, cat-accessed terrain, and plenty of bumps. After each ski day, Keystone pulls out all the stops, with daily Kidtopia activities geared just for kids 12 and under, weekly parades, and even fireworks displays. No wonder Keystone has been compared to Disney…on ice. Check out our long weekend at Keystone.

Where did your family’s 2014 travel take you? What are your top picks?

Family dude ranch vacation: a stay at Triangle X Ranch

October 8, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

There are many family dude ranch vacation options to choose from, and the time to book for next summer is…now. Dude ranches fill up fast, as many families book repeat visits. What sets Triangle X Ranch apart?

Let’s start with the family history. And I’m not talking about the Turner family history, even though this Wyoming family has owned and run the ranch for five generations (and counting). I’m talking about the guests’ family histories. During my time at the ranch, I talked to not one, not two or three, but the vast majority of guests who told me they’ve been coming to Triangle X for years, some decades. Parents brought their children, who now bring their children. Grandparents bring the grandkids. Children grow up coming, from age six up.

triangle-x-ranch

And yes, this is your view daily. When I asked one guest how he’d heard about the ranch, he explained that his parents had met here, and that none other than Harold Turner, current patriarch of the ranch, had been their best man. Triangle X may be owned by the Turner family, but longtime guests consider it pretty much theirs, and treat it with the appropriate care, bordering on devotion.

family-dude-ranch-vacation

Is all this history intimidating to new families, exploring Triangle X for the first time? It can be. The first day of our week-long visit, we watched multiple ‘Triangle X reunions’, as families embraced after a year apart. It felt as though everyone else knew where to sit in the Main House dining room, where to gather for a game of cards, and each others’ names. But it didn’t take us long to notice something else: everyone was welcoming. Without exception, every guest was quick to introduce themselves, and offer a tidbit of information about the ranch.

triangle-x-ranch

Due to communal dining and recreation, we quickly met other families who were at Triangle X for the first time. Our kids blended quickly and easily into groups where many children already knew one another, and thanks to social mixers, dances, and multiple riding options, we adults did the same.

triangle-x-ranch

Most people seem to hear about Triangle X by word-of-mouth, but those who find it through research learn that it’s the only dude ranch operating inside the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. It’s all-inclusive, focused primarily on horseback riding, and structured with a ‘family camp’ vibe. The setting cannot be beat—the Tetons are your backdrop for the entire week—and the children’s programming is at once intensive and casual. What you get is great riding in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Triangle-X-Ranch

It’s all about the riding.

While families can certainly take days or half-days off to hike, raft, or relax, the primary focus of Triangle X is definitely horseback riding. It’s a dude ranch in the traditional sense: on the Monday morning of each weeklong stay, each guest is paired with a horse who will stay with him or her through Saturday. Two rides per day are scheduled, with multiple options for all riding levels. Guests let the ranch know their riding abilities and experience pre-stay, and on check-in day (Sunday evening), head wrangler Megan comes by each cabin to introduce herself and answer any questions.

riding-at-triangle-x

During our stay, the following dizzying array of ride options were offered morning and afternoon: fast ride, medium ride (sometimes a fast-medium ride), scenic walk ride, lesson ride, kids’ ride, and teen ride. Within the lesson ride category, rides were organized into walking lessons, trotting lessons, and loping lessons. Not sure where to start? Ask Megan.

triangle-x-ranch

Tip: If you have little or no experience on a horse, a lesson ride is a great idea. Start slow: the week is long, and you’ll get plenty of time to step things up. In my experience, lesson rides are the only place to get instruction. All other rides will proceed assuming you know the basics. For kids and teens with little experience, the kids’ ride starts out slow, then divides into several smaller groups based on experience level. Parents can ride with kids and teens on their rides, but not vice versa; no kids on adult rides.

dude-ranch-vacations

Daily rides start from the ranch, and follow one of many trails in the national park boundary. My favorites meandered along the banks of the Snake River. Depending on the ride you select, the group may be loping long distances, forging streams, or navigating narrow trails. On every ride, a wrangler oversees the group. Safety is important, but only discussed on Monday morning, so as noted above, a lesson ride will help those with less experience. Rides depart at 9 am and 2 pm, and last a few hours each. On select days, additional or different rides are offered, such as a sunset cookout ride, an all-day ride high into the mountains, and a family ride. Guests can, of course, opt out of any scheduled ride, and do something else instead.

Kids and teens:

triangle-x-ranch

At Triangle X, kids and teens have their own distinct programs, and are separated from adults most of the time. This, of course, can be viewed as a positive or a negative. While we usually experience vacations as a family, I have to say my kids loved their uninterrupted friend time on the ranch. Kids age 6-12 eat in their own dining area, and ride together morning and afternoon. Teens 13-17 do the same. Both groups have their own dedicated wranglers. The kid and teen program is not as structured as a ‘resort program’, where kids are checked in and out and multiple activities are offered; rather, it’s an organic experience that seems to hold together like glue. Expect wranglers to be supervising during rides, but not during time around the ranch. At times, adult rides or activities would be scheduled during kid free time; you’ll want one adult to be on-hand to check in on your ‘free range’ kids. Children share cabins with their families, of course, and in the evenings and between rides, can opt for family time or friend time (they have the run of the ranch).

Lodging:

triangle-x-cabins

I’d describe the Triangle X cabins as ‘upscale rustic’. Our ‘Berry’ cabin slept six, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but most were smaller, with 1-2 bedrooms. Each has a covered porch with chairs, electricity, heater, and a small refrigerator. It’s worth noting that cabins do not have wifi, phones, or TVs. Maid service is available, or families can opt for fresh towels only. We were perfectly comfortable. Most cabins have views of the Tetons, with the exception of the few at the far end of the first row. These have wooded views, which I found just as charming.

Dining:

triangle-x-dining

Expect ‘camp’ or ‘ranch’ fare, and you’ll go home happy. We were completely satisfied with the dining service, but foodies should note: it is not gourmet. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served communally in the lovely dining room, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and water available at all times. Beer and wine are BYO, and can be brought to the table. When away from the ranch, sack lunches can be requested (the night before). We were never hungry, but we were also never wowed. Since we hadn’t expected to be, we were perfectly content. All food is kid-friendly, and allergies or special preferences are accommodated.

Other activities:

snake-river

If (or rather, when) you need a break from riding, Triangle X also offers guided fishing trips and float trips. The Turner family knows their stuff, so you’re in good hands. The ranch is also only 10 minutes from excellent hiking, swimming, and and kayaking in Grand Tetons, and approximately 45 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. Jackson Hole is 30 minutes away, where most families plan to attend the weekly rodeo.

snake-river

During our stay, we hiked directly from the Triangle X property, drove to Jackson Lake and String Lake in Grand Tetons, and enjoyed Jackson. On one day of the week, the teens head to town for a movie, and on another, the kids enjoy their own float trip down the Snake.

Cost:

Triangle X is an all-inclusive vacation, and the weekly rate ranges from about $1800-$2200 per person, in the peak season. See rates for full details.

Why consider a dude ranch vacation:

family-dude-ranch-vacation

After experiencing Triangle X, I favorably compare it to other low guest ratio inclusive vacation experiences like small-ship cruises, adventure travel operations, and boutique all-inclusives. You can unpack once, stay a week, and parents have nothing to worry about, from planning recreation to planning meals. Yes, you’ll need to enjoy horseback riding, but that’s stating the obvious. (You wouldn’t take a ski vacation if you didn’t like—or didn’t want to try—skiing, right?) After a week with Triangle X, we left saddle sore, but happy, relaxed, and ready to tackle the rest of our summer with renewed energy.

wildflowers

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced Triangle X as guests of the ranch. Despite the fact that my kids wanted to move in, all opinions remain our own.