Ranches by Experience
The infamous COVID-19 has caused an upheaval in our everyday lives and especially our travel plans. We don’t know about you, but being in quarantine for 30+ days, and doing our best to practice social distancing, has created an even stronger bond between our electronic devices and our hands…worse than before!
We live in a world where everything we want and need to know is at our fingertips. News, funny pictures videos and messages from family and friends come to us in a matter of seconds and the convenience cannot be beaten. Recently it feels like it all we do is stare at our devices. We all hope that COVID-19 will soon pass and our “normalcy” will start again; we will be able to leave our houses, get back to work, take a vacation and take some time away from our devices – a digital detox is just what you will need! If you are looking for a vacation destination that offers the best practices for a digital detox, look no further than a dude or guest ranch, it does not get any better! Take a look at some ranches below that specialize in digital detox vacations and start planning yours today!
Dude and Guest Ranches that Offer a Digital Detox
Absaroka Ranch ~ Wyoming
Escape to Absaroka Ranch and enjoy the serenity and beauty of the Absaroka mountains in Wyoming. The horseback riding and fly-fishing opportunities here will be something you remember forever, along with the rustic cabins, fabulous food and warm hospitality from your hosts, the Betts family. Absaroka Ranch is a hearty 15 miles from the closest town and several of those miles are a dirt road. At this ranch, you will escape the realities of everyday life and reconnect with nature and those around you. The beautiful surrounding landscape of this ranch is something you probably once saw on your devices, but when you vacation here you won’t have to live vicariously through a screen, you will be right in the middle of it. Absaroka is far out of cell phone service and the internet is scarce. The ranch does have a landline in case you need to check in with anyone. Once you arrive at the ranch, you will be swept away into a peaceful environment and detox from much more than just your devices. Come enjoy this incredible family-operated ranch in the wilds of Wyoming.
Broken Arrow Lodge and Guest Ranch ~ Montana
At Broken Arrow Lodge and Guest Ranch in Montana is where you will find some of Montana’s most beautiful country. Nestled in the Ruby Valley, Broken Arrow provides a setting that is perfect for a digital detox. Enjoy comfortable lodge rooms, delicious meals, wonderful hosts and activities that will keep everyone busy all day long. Horseback riding and fly-fishing are the main activities on this ranch, but hiking, bird watching, children’s programs and more are available. If you want to head to the mountains for more than just a couple of hours on horseback, you can also book one of Broken Arrow’s famous pack trips. Truly indulge yourself in nature, get to escape the hustle and bustle (including electricity) and just enjoy the fresh mountain air, great company, trusty horses and meals cooked over a campfire. We all know if there is no electricity, there is no Wi-Fi and if you are in the mountains, you can almost guarantee there is no cell phone reception! Take some time off from your digital world and detox at this great ranch.
Western Pleasure Guest Ranch ~ Idaho
If you are looking for a family-oriented, small and intimate dude ranch, Western Pleasure Guest Ranch is a great place to vacation that will include a digital detox for the whole family! At Western Pleasure, there will be no time for devices! Amazing activities like river rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, shooting sports are available and everyone, from the grandparents to the kiddos, will be busy enjoying all this ranch has to offer. This is truly a multi-generational destination, even if the adults choose not to participate in all the activities they can relax and be at ease knowing that their family is happy and enjoying something other than a game, video or social media app on some sort of device. At Western Pleasure, you will experience top-notch hospitality from the Schoonover family, delicious meals for every palate, well-trained horses, activities for the entire family, digital detox and beautiful mountain landscapes of Northern Idaho.
Flat Creek Ranch ~ Wyoming
When you vacation at Flat Creek Ranch, cell phone reception and the internet are truly non-existent, and that is just the way they like it. We promise you though, you won’t need or want either type of reception when you are at this ranch. You will be far too busy enjoying the woodfire hot tub or sauna, fly-fishing the stream that flows right in front of your cabin, paddle boarding or swimming in the lake, riding horses and making memories that you will never forget. Flat Creek Ranch is where you visit to truly unplug and reconnect. You will reconnect with clean food, nature and the 13 other people that surround you, that is if the ranch is full. With capacity for only 14 guests, this ranch is intimate and is your personal playground. You will truly understand the definition of “backcountry” by the time you leave the ranch and you will be more refreshed than you could ever imagine. Flat Creek is a ranch that operates “off-the-grid”. The ranch is powered by a series of solar panels and is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable vacation destinations you will find. This beautiful ranch will make you want to have a digital detox more often! Your days here will probably go by much faster than you would like but remember you can always come back, and most people do!
Sweet Grass Ranch ~ Montana
Adventure in the Big Sky State and Sweet Grass Ranch in Montana. This family-owned and operated working cattle ranch lies close to Yellowstone National Park and provides ample opportunities for digital detoxing, reconnecting with nature and family and fulfilling your inner cowboy and cowgirl! If you want to be involved in a true cattle drive, be sure to check out Sweet Grass’s website, they only do these a couple of times a year but it is an experience you will talk about for years to come! Along with horseback riding and cattle work, Sweet Grass also has pristine fly-fishing and hiking opportunities, water sports (they have a natural water slide!), fun for the kids and so much more! This is the perfect ranch for a family that is looking to be introduced to the western way of life and wants to detox from their devices. The folks at Sweet Grass will keep everyone busy and away from their screens.
Rainbow Trout Ranch ~ Colorado
Grab the family and head out on your digital detox vacation at Rainbow Trout Ranch. The Van Berkum family will be sure that everyone is entertained and enjoy great Western activities. Try your hand at team sorting (working cattle in an arena), shooting sports, fly-fishing and of course horseback riding. The children’s program at Rainbow Trout is incredible and the kiddos will be very busy building new friendships and learning new things! That is the great part about dude ranches, they are not just a fun, memorable vacation, they are also very educational and this kind of education doesn’t require a screen! Enjoy the beautiful scenery of southern Colorado, friendly company, cozy cabins, fantastic meals and everything else that this ranch has to offer. This is truly a great family ranch that will bring your group together and make memories that you never could have imagined. Grab the entire family and embark on a vacation that will leave make the group want to leave all devices and explore the great outdoors. After being cooped up in quarantine, they will all be ready for a dude ranch vacation!
The Dude Rancher’s Association
No matter what ranch you choose, whether it is one of the ranches listed above or if it is one of the other 90+ ranches the Dude Ranchers’ Association has to offer, at DRA ranches you will find the best atmosphere for a digital detox. We know that you might not be ready to venture out and travel yet with everything still going on in the world, but the best part about dude ranch vacations is they will all still be waiting when you are ready! Start planning your dude ranch and digital detox vacation today; contact the Dude Ranchers’ Association and they will help you get started.
info@duderanch.org ~ 307-587-2339
