Embark on a Wild West Journey at These 10 Family-Friendly Ranches and Lodges

The allure of the American West is undeniable: a rich ranching heritage, lush valleys bursting with spring wildflowers, vibrant trout-filled rivers, and majestic stands of pine and aspen forests with views of snow-capped mountains. Few experiences match the thrill of staying at one of the country’s premier ranches and lodges—especially for larger groups seeking a peaceful escape.

Since travel restrictions during the pandemic prompted many Americans to explore domestic getaways, multigenerational trips to U.S. ranches and lodges have surged, a trend that appears to be continuing. In response, numerous retreats are expanding their seasons into fall and even offering winter activities for the first time, attracting group visitors.

Although there are numerous exceptional options available, Dinogo has carefully curated a list of the 10 best U.S. ranches and lodges, recognized for their historical significance, top-notch service, and outstanding conservation initiatives. Continue reading to discover these top 10 ranches and lodges in the American West, listed in no specific order, and begin planning that unforgettable family vacation.

1. The Resort at Paws Up

Located about 45 minutes from Missoula, The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana, is a nature lover's haven suitable for all ages. Spanning 37,000 acres, it features 100 miles of trails for horseback riding and walking, adorned with vibrant wildflowers in spring. Accommodations include 28 opulent homes, each equipped with Lexus SUVs for on-site use. The property also boasts 36 luxury glamping tents along the Blackfoot River, recognized for introducing modern glamping to the USA, open from mid-May to mid-October. Guests can expect personalized service from a butler to assist with campfire and meal needs.

Throughout the grounds, cattle and horses graze freely. A must-see experience is the morning roundup, where wranglers bring the herd out to pasture. Family-friendly activities range from horseback cattle drives and fly-fishing on the Blackfoot River to rock climbing; in winter, guests can enjoy skijoring, dogsledding, and sleigh rides. The Resort at Paws Up also features culinary weekends with top chefs from across the nation. For a romantic getaway, parents can leave the kids with grandparents and stay in the adults-only Green O, a collection of 12 modern Scandinavian-inspired homes nestled in a pine forest.

2. The Ranch at Rock Creek

In 2007, hedge fund investor Jim Manley acquired a working cattle ranch on a former silver mining site in southwest Montana to create a family retreat. By 2010, he opened The Ranch at Rock Creek to share Big Sky Country with other families. The property boasts 13 homes, ranging from one to five bedrooms, luxury canvas cabins for glamping, and a nine-room granite lodge. Each accommodation is designed by Jet Zarkadas, featuring deep leather chairs, cowhide and Navajo rugs, custom duvet covers, and vintage western art. Despite its remote location and 5,200-foot elevation, all lodgings provide Wi-Fi and cell service, with some offering private saunas, outdoor hot tubs, or indoor copper bathtubs.

Open throughout the year, the 10-square-mile property encompasses meadows, high country lakes, and grassy ridges, offering stunning views of the Pintler and Sapphire mountains. This self-sufficient adventure retreat provides enough activities to entertain multigenerational families for weeks. Options include horseback riding, heli-hiking, fly-fishing, river floating, high-tech mountain biking, rope courses, and trap shooting. An archery experience features powerful bows shooting life-sized animal models on a 3D course. Weekly rodeos and stagecoach rides enhance the western ambiance, while winter activities include cross-country skiing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. A kids’ club allows parents to enjoy spa treatments and other activities.

3. Mountain Sky Guest Ranch

Nestled in Paradise Valley, surrounded by a stunning landscape of sagebrush, meadows, and forests of pine and aspen, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch is one of Montana's most sought-after ranch experiences, with families returning year after year. Established in 1929, this working ranch is located only 30 minutes north of Yellowstone National Park, covering over 17,000 acres that invite exploration by foot, horseback, or boat. Activities are tailored to suit various ages and abilities, including hiking, trout fishing in Big Creek, hayrides, and cattle herding.

The 33 log cabin accommodations, some dating back to the 1920s, offer one to three bedrooms, featuring a rustic chic aesthetic with rugged wooden bed frames, stone fireplaces, and spacious verandas. Emphasizing disconnection, there is minimal cell service and no TVs in the cabins. Dining presents an opportunity to mingle with other guests, offering everything from casual barbecue lunches to five-course tasting dinners featuring dishes like bison tenderloin and blackberry cabernet sorbet. For entertainment, visit the Saloon for live music and games; for tranquility, the Wellness Center provides massages and access to the heated outdoor pool.

4. Dunton Hot Springs

Nestled within a ghost town, Dunton Hot Springs offers a captivating glimpse into the past. This collection of restored cabins from a 19th-century gold mining community is located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, not far from Telluride. The log cabins feature king-size beds, cozy wool blankets, wooden furnishings, and wood-burning stoves, with the former General Store cabin housing its own hot spring for private soaks. Chuck’s Cabin is particularly family-friendly, boasting a master bedroom and two additional bedrooms with bunk beds. For a more immersive nature experience, consider Dunton River Camp, which offers eight canvas-walled tents situated four miles down the road on a 500-acre cattle ranch, open seasonally from June 1 to mid-October.

Explore the many hiking trails around the property and enjoy fly-fishing in the resort's private river. Winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and cozy afternoons filled with hot chocolate and board games. Evenings invite socializing with fellow guests at the large communal table in the historic saloon, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are said to have carved their initials into the bar. Take a relaxing soak in the on-site sulfuric hot springs, which were once a healing site for the Indigenous Ute people.

5. Brush Creek Ranch

Brush Creek Ranch is an operational ranch located in southern Wyoming, close to the quaint town of Saratoga, approximately 150 miles south of Casper. The ranch encompasses three unique properties: The Lodge & Spa welcomes families with its 44 luxurious accommodations in log cabins and lodge rooms. The French Creek Sportsmen’s Club caters to families with an interest in fishing and hunting, featuring four cabins and a glamping-style yurt. For families with older children or groups of friends, the nine-cabin Magee Homestead offers an adults-only experience and is a proud member of Relais & Châteaux.

Regardless of where you choose to stay, expect charming touches like Pendleton blankets, cowhide rugs, and natural wood furnishings. All guests can enjoy a variety of activities such as horseback riding, ATV excursions, mountain biking, fly-fishing, and clay shooting. The ranch's Lil Wranglers kids club provides tailored versions of many of these activities for younger guests. In 2019, The Farm, a new culinary and agricultural center, was introduced, featuring a robust produce farm along with a goat cheese creamery, brewery, and distillery, hosting workshops for those eager to enhance their culinary skills.

6. The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection

Nestled within 3,500 acres of the scenic Wasatch Mountains near Park City, Utah, this resort redefines the luxury ranch experience for the modern era by blending sleek, contemporary accommodations with the beauty of nature. The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection features 19 minimalist one- and two-bedroom rooms and suites in the main building, along with a separate structure housing 16 one-bedroom Earth Suites, each equipped with fireplaces and outdoor terraces with showers. Families can connect multiple rooms for added space. Additionally, five exclusive Creek Houses for adults are situated along Alexander Creek, featuring king beds, leather chaise longues, and some with expansive private verandas and firepits.

Adventure awaits outside with seasonal activities such as fly-fishing, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and skiing. The resort also boasts a 1.5-acre farm and horse stables that house the Saving Gracie Horse Foundation, established in 2014 as a sanctuary for neglected horses. During the summer and early fall, the Little Vaquero’s Kids Camp engages children aged 5 to 12 in farming tasks, horse grooming, and fun activities like treasure hunts and yoga.

7. Taylor River Lodge

Nestled in a scenic canyon of the Colorado Rockies near Crested Butte, Taylor River Lodge is an intimate property from the renowned retreat collection Eleven Hospitality. It creates a unique atmosphere for family bonding with six rustic log cabins featuring twin-bedded lofts, along with two spacious three-bedroom homes available for group bookings. The lodgings showcase rough timber walls, wood-beamed ceilings, and plush bedding draped with soft duvets.

Guests gather at the charming Main Lodge, a transformed general store, to enjoy cozy drinks by the fire, including locally brewed beers, and to savor daily meals inspired by the seasons. Summer activities include trout fishing, floating on the Gunnison River, hiking, games, and toasting s’mores under a breathtaking night sky. The ranch is also open in winter, focusing on wellness and movement with snowshoeing, forest bathing, spa treatments, and relaxation in the airy new Bathhouse.

8. Rawah Ranch

Nestled on 250 acres of Colorado’s Roosevelt National Forest, Rawah Ranch is home to diverse wildlife, including prairie dogs, moose, bighorn sheep, bobcats, and black bears. Established in 1948, this guest ranch aims to immerse visitors in its stunning natural environment, a mission that continues over seventy years later. Open seasonally from early June to early October, Rawah remains a cherished destination for families, many of whom have been returning for generations.

Rawah Ranch features nine inviting cabins adorned in a western style, complete with timber floors and walls, wool blankets on king-size beds, cozy wood-burning stoves, and porches fitted with rocking chairs. Welcoming guests of all ages, the ranch offers a variety of activities such as hiking and biking trails, backcountry horseback rides (with opportunities for kids to learn about grooming and feeding the resident horses), fishing in the Big Laramie River, and even supervised tomahawk and knife throwing or archery.

9. Evergreen Lodge

Imagine nightly s’mores around the campfire, zip lines weaving through ponderosa pines, a refreshing saltwater pool, and cozy log cabins equipped with modern amenities. These are just a few of the attractions that draw families back to Evergreen Lodge, a mountain resort conveniently located near the west entrance of California’s Yosemite National Park.

With over a century of history, Evergreen Lodge is now led by two Stanford Business School graduates who prioritize social responsibility in their hospitality approach. They run a youth employment program, offering high-potential young adults from urban areas paid seasonal internships focused on developing job skills, life skills, personalized support, and outdoor experiences. Additionally, the lodge is a certified B Corp and features Tuolumne County’s first commercial graywater system.

Guests can enjoy quality family time at the on-site tavern or restaurant while participating in Evergreen’s wide-ranging outdoor recreation activities, which include guided snowshoe hikes, naturalist tours of Yosemite Valley, rafting, bike excursions, and much more.

10. Vermejo, A Ted Turner Reserve

Media mogul Ted Turner, one of the largest private landowners in the U.S., dedicated decades to acquiring land for the conservation of North American wildlife, including bison, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and recently, Mexican gray wolves. In recent years, he has opened his properties for eco-tourism, allowing visitors to experience the American West as it was centuries ago. Among his Ted Turner Reserves is Vermejo, a collection of lodges and guest houses in northern New Mexico, set on over 550,000 preserved acres where 1,200 wild bison roam freely. Accommodations can be booked individually or reserved entirely, catering to larger groups of various ages.

Among the lodgings is Casa Grande, a striking stone mansion built by an industrialist in 1909, featuring a grand room and seven bedrooms. This was Turner’s former family retreat, showcasing four-poster beds and European antiques that evoke a bygone era. Nearby, the Turner House offers 10 bedrooms and ample communal spaces for family bonding. Both properties serve as excellent bases for horseback riding, mountain biking, archery, wildlife tours, and other on-site activities. Vermejo also features an additional property about 45 minutes by car from the main area: the timber-walled Costilla Fishing Lodge, which boasts eight rooms with private baths and a cozy main room with a fireplace. This lodge is ideally situated by rivers where native Rio Grande cutthroat trout have been reintroduced. For those seeking extra privacy, several individual stone Guest Cottages are available.