Snow on the ground? Give your trail horse a break, and enjoy the rustic elegance of a Tucson guest ranch.
You awaken to the sound of galloping horses thundering into a corral. Out your window you catch glimpses of these steeds racing through clouds of dust to wranglers’ shouts. After a hearty breakfast, you find your personal horse, and mount up.
You pen horses, tend cattle, then enjoy a rugged ride in the mountains followed by a lope through an endless desert. A great sense of freedom and serenity settles in. You have a tasty lunch on the trail, then ride back and settle down on the ranch house’s front porch until time for a chuckwagon barbecue dinner. You top off the evening with a soak in a spa and the libation of your choice.
Welcome to a guest-ranch vacation in warm, welcoming Tucson, Arizona. The area is steeped in Western history and cattle ranching, a heritage local guest ranches keep alive for all to enjoy.
We’ve found that a guest-ranch experience can be life-changing. Many folks leave the ranch with a renewed sense of purpose. Guest ranches also create a sense of family that will tempt you to return year after year.
Ready to hit Arizona trails and enjoy authentic accommodations? Here’s the rundown on four of Tucson’s best guest ranches: Elkhorn Ranch, Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, Tanque Verde Ranch, and White Stallion Ranch.
Elkhorn Ranch
Elkhorn Ranch (elkhornranch.com), 50 miles southwest of Tucson, focuses on top-notch trail horses, a value passed down through generations. In 1922 Ernest and Grace Miller started their first Elkhorn Ranch in Montana’s Gallatin Valley. In 1945 the Millers came to the Baboquivari Mountains, 50 miles southwest of Tucson, to establish a winter-season working and guest ranch.
This story is from the February 2018 edition of Horse and Rider.
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This story is from the February 2018 edition of Horse and Rider.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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