Arizona Guest Ranches & Desert Dude Ranches

Choosing a guest ranch in Arizona

Arizona turns the dude-ranch calendar upside down. While mountain ranches close for the winter, the desert ranches around Tucson and Wickenburg open, and late fall to spring is the best time to ride here. Expect saguaro and mesquite instead of pine forest, warm days and cool nights.

Where Arizona's ranches are

• Tucson. Tanque Verde Ranch in the Rincon Mountain foothills and White Stallion Ranch on the edge of Saguaro National Park, both close to Tucson International (TUS).
• The border country. Rancho de la Osa at Sasabe and Circle Z Ranch near Patagonia, in grassland and oak hills south of Tucson, plus Tombstone Monument Ranch just outside Tombstone.
• Wickenburg. About an hour northwest of Phoenix: Rancho de los Caballeros, with riding and golf, and the small historic Kay El Bar.

When to go

Many Arizona ranches, including Circle Z, Rancho de la Osa and Kay El Bar, open from about October and close in spring before the summer heat. A few, such as Tanque Verde and Tombstone Monument Ranch, take guests year-round. Spring brings wildflowers in good years, and the holidays and spring break are the busiest weeks.

Getting there

Tucson International (TUS) serves the Tucson and border ranches, and Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) the Wickenburg ranches. Stays are usually shorter than at mountain ranches, often with a three-night minimum, which makes Arizona an easy add-on to a winter trip.