Idaho Dude Ranches & Guest Ranches

Choosing a dude ranch in Idaho

Idaho's guest ranches fall into two very different regions: the high, wild country around Stanley in central Idaho, and the forested Panhandle in the north. Both are less crowded than the ranch regions around Yellowstone.

Central Idaho: Stanley, the Sawtooths and the Frank Church

• Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is a historic guest ranch on nearly 900 acres in the Sawtooth Mountains, with cabins, lodge rooms and natural hot springs.
• Diamond D Ranch is a family-owned ranch inside the 2.4-million-acre Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, reached via Loon Creek Road out of the Stanley area, with pack trips, fly fishing, a private lake and a pool.

The Idaho Panhandle

• Red Horse Mountain Ranch, about 7 miles from Lake Coeur d'Alene, is an all-inclusive family ranch with week-long stays from May to October, your own horse for the week and an adventure program with a zip line, climbing wall and sporting clays.
• Western Pleasure Guest Ranch near Sandpoint is a small, family-run ranch for about 20 guests, open all year, with weekly cattle gathers in summer and cross-country skiing in winter.

When to go

The central Idaho ranches are summer destinations, and the high country stays cool at night even in July. In the Panhandle, Red Horse runs from May to October and Western Pleasure is open year-round, with no minimum stay in winter.

Getting there

For the Panhandle ranches, Spokane International (GEG) in Washington is the usual airport: about 70 miles from Red Horse and about 90 from Western Pleasure. The Stanley-area ranches are remote, so ask the ranch about the best route and road conditions when you book.