10 Guest Ranches To Coddle Your Inner Cowgirl

Blue skies, lush mountainside trail rides, rustic rooms and spectacular views are just some of the amazing offerings these dude ranches have for you!  Grab your boots, hats, and favorite cowgirls and plan a vacation adventure to remember.

Bar W Guest Ranch

Whitefish, Montana

The Bar W is offering an all-inclusive package for women to “Cowgirl Up” with their best friends, sisters, and daughters to enjoy the camaraderie as the “girls” take over the ranch.  This package combines the splendor of nature with Western hospitality to offer a true Montana retreat.

You and your galpals can explore Montana’s spectacular scenery by horseback, or relax and let your stress evaporate into the fresh mountain air.  Explore the mountainous terrain surrounding the ranch and the open meadows surrounding Swisher Lake or enjoy arena activities including barrel racing, cow sorting, and horsemanship lessons.  Just when you think life doesn’t get any better, kick off your boots for an afternoon at the spa.  After a full day of riding, fishing, or hiking, wind down and enjoy a private vintner’s presentation and a hearty, Montana-style meal.

Ladies also have the option to saddle up for a Western tradition: a full day cattle drive.  This once-in-a-lifetime experience takes place east of the ranch on the open range.  Round up and push cattle while soaking in panoramic views of a mountain backdrop.  You’ll think you are in a postcard!

thebarw.com • 406-863-9099

Blue Sky Sage

Big Piney, Wyoming

Be the heroine of your own life with a trip to Blue Sky Sage.  Here, you can learn how to take the reins of your life back into your own hands and liberate yourself from whatever may be holding you back.  With wide-open spaces as your dojo and a trusty horse as your Sensei, the possibilities for you to prioritize your own healing, health, and serenity of heart and mind are as vast as the blue Wyoming sky.  Whether you are meditating in the saddle or while soaking in the creek, you’ll be able to find peace with Mother Nature.

There is nothing better for the soul than the whisper of a summer wind on the skin and that unique feel of a good saddle horse as you swing into an easy lope across the sagebrush sea.  Shed the stress of daily life, eat great food and enjoy a good drink, while getting to engage with other women in lots of laughter, and to breathe deep of fresh mountain air.  Everything you need to be the heroine of your own life is waiting for you on a Blue Sky Sage horseback riding retreat; all you have to do is give yourself permission to start.

blueskysage.com • 307-260-7990

The Resort at Paws Up

Greenough, Montana

Want to learn the ropes firsthand from some top-shelf Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees?  Then set your sights on the 2020 Cowgirl Spring Roundup at The Resort at Paws Up next April.  Lucky roundup participants will learn from legendary Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees and renowned equine artists, photographers, and horsewomen.

After the educational workshops, you’ll ride pristine mountain trails, share cowgirl campfire stories, and enjoy exquisite dining and luxurious accommodations.  The Resort at Paws Up is a 37,000-acre cowgirl playground that features more than 100 miles of trails and 10 miles of private access to the legendary Blackfoot River.  You’ll be surprised at how quickly friendships form and memories are made.  Before you know it, you’ll hear yourself saying, “See you next year!”  Note: Limited to first 50 registrants, 12 and older.

pawsup.com • 406-244-5200

White Stallion Ranch

Tucson, Arizona

Cactus Cowgirls:  This exciting eight-night excursion, kicking off with a margarita party, will treat you to the varied activities of two different ranches: one in the magnificent saguaro-studded desert and the other in the grasslands surrounding the historic town of Tombstone.  Not only will you ride in two totally different ecosystems, but you will also visit some of the “must see” sites in southern Arizona.

Early morning and evening rides bookend days of planned special activities and sightseeing.  There will also be chuck wagon breakfasts, archery, and shooting at Tombstone Monument Ranch.

The cultural excursions will include day trips to Tumacacori to visit a non-restored mission that was established in 1691; Tubac, a historic Presidio with a 250-year-old Spanish history that is now Arizona’s fastest-growing artist colony; the Sonoran Desert Museum, a world-renowned living museum and zoo; Kartchner Caverns; and Arizona’s newest state park, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, preserving “the town too tough to die.”

whitestallion.com • 520-297-0252

The Hideout

Shell, Wyoming

Amidst the gorgeous backdrop of majestic mountains, stunning foliage and crystal-blue water that adorn Shell, Wyoming, lays a treasure that is the Hideout Guest Ranch.  Guests will not be disappointed in the authenticity this dude ranch has to offer throughout the atmosphere and experiences.

There is no shortage of experiences to choose from when visiting the Hideout. You and your girlfriends can choose to go trail riding, go on cattle drives, or take clinics.  There are even options for the novice rider to learn necessary skills and techniques.  In addition, there are non-riding adventures such as archery, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking, tours, and much more.

Make it a trip to remember by planning to visit with your closest cowgirl saddlepals during ladies’ week in April 2020, called the Tammy Pate Horsemanship and Yoga Retreat.  Yoga, horses, empowered women, and immaculate landscape—what’s not to love? 

thehideout.com • 307-765-2080

Vista Verde Ranch

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Located just outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, this Rocky Mountain resort is all the right kinds of intimate.  With a maximum of around 40 guests, there’s a 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio that offers a fully personalized service to every visitor.  The seclusive setting of the ranch is ideal for spending quality time with your friends and family while enjoying some of your favorite activities.  With luxurious accommodations, spectacular views, and rustic ranch decor, this is a true vacation destination.

The fully all-inclusive price covers everything from wine and tours to lessons and transfers.  With stunning views, trail rides, and tailored experiences, this resort is an ideal place to meet up with your girlfriends to catch your breath, unplug, and get pampered—any time of the year.

vistaverde.com • 970-879-3858

Brush Creek Ranch

Saratoga, Wyoming

Glamping more your style?  Brush Creek Ranch offers an elite, transformational experience, where you’ll become familiar with deeply rooted nomadic tradition as you venture to the ranch’s most remote corners.  You can saddle up for a horseback ride to Jim’s Draw Yurt, a 700 square-foot, four-season tent that provides endless luxe comforts—exclusively yours for a single, special night.  Other glamping spots on the ranch include Platte Canyon on Sanger Ranch and the French Creek Sportsmen’s Club.

Get out and ride: Choose from four levels of difficulty that match your interest and ability level.  The trail rides last anywhere from one to three hours.  You’ll mount a horse handpicked for you based on size, ability, and temperament.  This is not a “nose-to-tail” trail ride: Brush Creek encourages riders to spread out when the trails open up.  Their network of 55 miles of single and double-track trails ranges from easy to intense terrain.  Brush Creek also offers a 28,000 square-foot equestrian arena with indoor and outdoor riding areas, horse stalls, and veterinary facilities for the best in horseback riding in Wyoming.

brushcreekranch.com • 480.948.2100

Triple Creek Ranch

Darby, Montana

Calling all cowgirls for Triple Creek Ranch’s “Klicks for Chicks” in October! Ranch owner and avid horsewoman Barbara Barrett invites you to join these all-women Western riding adventures.  Explore the vast terrain of Montana’s Bitterroot Mountain Range in the company of kindred spirits.

Cowgirls will venture into deep canyons, over mountain passes, past crystal-clear lakes and through pristine meadows to discover the “last frontier” and wilds of the Rocky Mountain West.  During the five-day adventure, riders return each evening to the ranch where the home fires burn and cocktails, gourmet food and luxury cabins await.  Then, after a restful night, cowgirls mount up and venture out for another day on the scenic ‘Big Sky’‘ frontier.

A fireside awards ceremony at the home of Triple Creek Ranch’s owner, Barbara Barrett, will follow the final day’s ride.

triplecreekranch.com • 406-821-4600

Red Horse Mountain

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Imagine lying in the woods on a far-off mountain top: smelling the pine-scented air, listening to the crickets, and catching the final rays of summer on your face overlooking Idaho from a distant peak.  Stress has melted away. You’ll be headed back on your trusted horse soon; you can almost feel the warm embrace of the hot tub and taste the chilled glass of Chardonnay.  Outdoor adventures, massages, homemade desserts, and close friends have filled your week.  It’s been full of great conversations, boot stompin’ evening entertainment, side-splitting laughs, and gracious hospitality.  It’s been a vacation to remember and you can’t wait to do it all again.

Red Horse Mountain Ranch’s Women Only Week, held once in June and twice in September, can make that all reality!  It’s a week of laughter, healing, sharing, and spectacular adventure and relaxation.  Whether you arrive alone or with your friends, you’re guaranteed to have a week filled with memories.

They have everything you need to enjoy your getaway, offering adventures such as horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, hiking, fishing, and mountain biking and ample amenities including rustic luxury accommodations,  a nightly cocktail hour, chef-prepared meals, and evening entertainment.

redhorsemountainranch.com • 888-689-9680

Latigo Trails

Kremmling, Colorado

For an experience catered exclusively for you and your cowgirls, check out Latigo Trails.  In addition to learning horsemanship skills and riding in spectacular Rocky Mountain splendor, you will meet new friends and have a great adventure together.  Spend some time with genuine working women of the West and hear their stories.

If you plan your trip for Women’s Special Week, held in June, a bevy of talented women will meet you on your visit: Dee, a farrier for more than three decades; Lindy, the large animal veterinarian; and the neighboring Taussig women cattle ranchers who were featured in Western Horseman.  The Taussigs usually bring some of their mama cows and calves up to Latigo for summer pasture that week.  Caitlyn, an accomplished musician with a beautiful voice, often performs contemporary cowgirl and Western songs as well.

There are numerous exciting activities to add to your stay including rifle shooting, shotgun shooting, single-action revolver shooting, line dancing, a breakfast ride, a sunset ride, a horse-drawn covered wagon ride, a fly-fishing lesson, all-day rides, and moving cattle, plus hot-tubbing, hiking, swimming, whip cracking, tomahawk throwing, and more!

latigotrails.com • 970-724-9008