Are you looking for your next vacation experience? At a Dude Ranch, you can experience a frontier lifestyle with adventure and excitement, all while living with comfortable and luxurious amenities of a modern ranch.

You can find your frontier at a classic Wyoming Dude Ranch, the T Cross Ranch, with timeless magic. The T Cross Dude Ranch lies inside the Shoshone National Forest at an elevation of 7,800 feet, high enough to refresh your senses and admire the vistas. The ranch is surrounded by an untouched region of pine forests and open meadows, trout-rich streams, small lakes, and endless vistas rising over 11,000 feet. The scenery is magnificent.

Through the T Cross gate you will discover a pristine wilderness. Our backyard, the Washakie Wilderness Area of Wyoming, covers 704,274 acres, adjoining the southeastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the Teton Wilderness in one huge chunk of very wild country. From atop our well-trained horses, guests discover rugged mountain trails revealing a myriad of wildlife seen only in the greater Yellowstone area. Most guests, however, remember the T Cross for its familiar atmosphere that blends the color of the West and the relaxing comforts of home.

Looking for the perfect riding ranch? While Three Bars Guest Ranch offers a variety of activities, their horseback riding program is in a class of its own. It was developed, and is directly overseen, by the Beckley family. Nowhere else will you find a combination of such great horses, beautiful riding terrain, and world-class horsemen with generations of experience preceding them.

Three Bars Ranch
Horses at Three Bars Ranch

Three Bars Guest Ranch is home to over 110 horses, and our horse-to-guest ratio is over 2-to-1, allowing us to suit horses to each rider’s individual ability and experience level. Our horses range from “bomb proof” kids’ horses all the way to young horses suitable for experienced riders. So, whether you’re an old hand or someone who needs a helping hand, you can be sure to enjoy your time in the saddle. Your horse will be just that – YOUR horse for the week. He will be ready and waiting for you every morning of your stay, along with the saddle that suits you most.

Many travelers are also looking for another traditional Dude Ranch activity: the opportunity to work with and herd cattle. At Sweet Grass Dude Ranch, this is what brings many guests back year after year. Since the cattle graze on Sweet Grass Ranch lands for most of the summer, Sweet Grass Ranch guests have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the challenges and joys of caring for a herd of grass-fed, range cattle, monitoring their health and moving them to new grazing grounds as water and grass vitality dictates. You may do some cattle work on any given week, and are often checking fences, grass conditions, and putting out salt and minerals. On these working rides, guests are always invited to join in whenever they desire a taste of the cowboy life.

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For those looking for that working ranch experience of a cattle drive, there are certain weeks they are sure to move cattle. Here’s a chance to drive cattle from one ranch to another or over to different grazing lands. (These dates may change slightly from year-to-year, so its best to plan ahead for your trip.)

With many of our ranches located on private pristine waters, Fly Fishing is one of the activities that will make any angler happy.  Spotted Horse Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming is no exception. Their one-acre spring-fed pond holds Snake River Cutthroats, a unique strain of cutthroat and the only native trout to Jackson Hole. A resident since the last ice age, this gem of a fish sports a golden bronze body stippled with black spots, all accented by a scarlet slash under each gill plate. Please be gentle with these fish should you be fortunate enough to make their acquaintance. Land them quickly and send them on their way unharmed.

A pack trip through the wilderness offers an exciting yet relaxed adventure.
A pack trip through the wilderness offers an exciting yet relaxed adventure.

Spotted Horse Ranch has some of the best streams and rivers for spawning and growing trout in the “back yard”.  Snake River Fine-Spotted Cutthroat, Rainbow, and Brown Trout thrive in the cool waters around the ranch. Vigorous and hungry, they offer virtually every level of flycaster could want, offering a satisfying experience.

So, if you’re thinking about your next trip and want to experience the outdoors, the frontier life, riding and fishing, and nature at its best, check out these Dude Ranches or others from the Dude Ranchers’ Association.

 

The Dude Ranchers’ Association is a sponsor of Budget Your Trip.