For a California adventure that feels like summer camp, head to a dude ranch
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Growing up in a ranching community on California’s Central Coast, I reaped the benefits of being surrounded by vast landscapes — hikes in the nearby mountains, adventurous lake activities and family games under the sun. Now, living in the city, I crave these experiences. In planning vacations, I often daydream about trading office lights and parking meters for dusty boots and wide-open spaces.
Enter the dude ranch, a cattle ranch-turned-resort that lets guests live like a cowboy (or gal) — sans the early morning chores. California has several of these destinations spread across picturesque landscapes, from the oak-studded hills of Central California to the dramatic Sierra Nevada foothills. At these family-friendly ranches, you can choose your daily adventures among a full slate of activities and programming. You might take a morning wagon hayride in the mountains, try fly fishing or archery in the afternoon, kick up your boots at a line dancing soiree in the evening and end the night with a s’mores-filled campfire under the stars.
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And you can ride horses, of course. Ranch staff and professional wranglers are usually on hand to tailor your experience, whether you’re a skilled rider or have a kid getting in the saddle for the very first time. At a weekly rodeo at Alisal Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, intermediate and advanced riders can enter a team sorting competition, an exciting event where participants must move cattle against the clock.
At dude ranches, accommodations range from cozy log cabins to upscale lodges and usually include hearty ranch-style meals, often made from locally sourced ingredients. Most ranches offer all-inclusive packages, though some activities and excursions require an extra fee.
As more people live out their Wild West fantasies through travel, staying at a classic dude ranch has become a unique vacation style. But ranching has long been a way of life in California. The state’s ranching roots stretch back to the late 1700s when Spanish settlers introduced cattle and established sprawling ranchos. These vast tracts of land, worked by vaqueros (a.k.a. the original cowboys), laid the foundation for California’s farming culture. Since the early 20th century, ranches have been welcoming guests from the city, offering a taste of unplugged cowboy life.
Today, a dude ranch vacation is more than a peaceful getaway. It’s a connection to a rich, dusty legacy that helped define the American West. Step into the boots of a cowboy — if only for a few days — at one of these guest ranches across California.
Rankin Ranch
The morning starts with a hearty country breakfast served family-style in the dining room of the main house, where old photos of the Rankin family adorn the walls. Guests are encouraged to mingle with each other, which happens naturally, but especially over the communal dining tables at the evening patio party. During the summer months, dinner is served in the front yard of the original 1870s Rankin House, furnished with heirlooms and antiques.
Simple, rustic cabins are nestled in the trees just a short walk from the recreational area. In the main hub, you can read a book by the swimming pool, challenge your family to a ping pong match or try your luck in the horseshoe tournament.
Ranch activities: There’s horseback riding on trails that wind through rolling hills dotted with oak trees and grazing cattle. Kids get a summer camp experience away from their parents with a counselor-supervised program. Think treasure hunts, handmade boat races and talent shows.
Rates: All-inclusive lodging starts at $280 per person, per night, during low season.
Alisal Ranch
But upscale certainly doesn’t mean uptight. This is the kind of place where you can spend the morning horseback riding, the afternoon fishing on the private lake and the evening sipping local wine under the stars. On the weekend that I went, I was able to squeeze in a massage at the spa. A much needed reprieve from daily life.
Accommodations range from refined yet rustic studios to spacious homes that can sleep up to 12, all featuring fireplaces and private patios.
Ranch activities: A Saturday morning highlight is a truck-pulled wagon hayride into the serene mountains, where breakfast is served under the oak trees. I was delightfully surprised by the captivating cowboy poetry performance by a veteran wrangler. Sunday morning is for collecting fresh chicken or duck eggs in the barnyard that you can take home. That’s my kind of souvenir.
Rates: All-inclusive rates start at $959 per night. Children 6 and under are free.
Greenhorn Ranch
Meals are served in the Chuckhouse, where you can chat with the friendly staff about the day’s activities. Most of the staff members live on the property, giving your stay a real summer camp vibe.
Evening activities in the Saloon are for the adult campers, with whiskey and wine tasting on Wednesday nights and line dancing lessons on Thursdays. As I struggled to keep the different steps in the right order for each dance, the instructors — the wranglers and staff I saw around during the day — helped slow things down.
Ranch activities: Highlights include misty morning fly-fishing at the water’s edge and archery in the forest. With the archery option, this isn’t your typical aim-and-release bow shooting. Challenges are set up throughout the trees, so you’ll get to traverse through the forest as you work on your aim.
Rates: All-inclusive packages start at $625 per night for guests ages 12 and up.
Hunewill Ranch
There’s a certain amount of freedom visitors experience there — especially kids, who chat, play and engage in simple activities together, like catching frogs and singing campfire songs. The cabins are simple but nice with patios for stargazing. Meals are served in the dining room of the founder’s Victorian ranch house.
Activities: What sets this ranch apart are the vast open meadows that allow for horseback riding on flat ground. With 170 horses on site, staffers are sure to find the right one for you. Every night there are evening activities for the whole family, like bingo, s’mores roasting and square dancing. The talent night is popular among families who come year after year, many of whom prepare months in advance for their time to shine.
Rates: The minimum three-night package starts at $1,607 per person for double-occupancy and $1,187 for single-occupancy. With this booking, you’ll arrive at the ranch on Friday for dinner, ride Saturday and Sunday and leave Monday after a morning horseback ride and lunch.
Marble Mountain Ranch
Meals are served buffet-style with two entrees, which include veggies from the garden and homemade bread every night. About 80% of the produce is grown on the ranch, including fresh eggs from the coop.
This is an off-grid experience with no cell service or in-room phone lines. Anyone looking for you can call the ranch’s landline, and Heidi will cheerfully answer any questions.
Activities: Rafting on the Klamath River is family-friendly with a range of rapids. Kids and grandparents opt for Class 2, while the more adventurous types can paddle against Class 4. The week starts off with an easy horseback trail ride and increases in difficulty as the days go on and riders feel more comfortable in the saddle.
Rates: $2,595 for five nights includes all activities, all meals and a complimentary alcoholic beverage with dinner.
