A hundred horses and a lone donkey clattered out of the corral. Behind them the poplars burned egg-yellow and the mountains faded into silhouettes. Hooves drummed and dust scattered. I was promised a spectacle and this was it.
Every day before sunset, at the Circle Z Ranch in Patagonia, the herd runs to the night pasture in a thunderous sunset. It’s a highlight of the daily program at this more than century-old ranch – one of eight historic properties on the newly designated Arizona Dude Ranch Heritage Trail.
The “dude ranch” or “guest ranch” grew as a concept in the late 19th century, as wealthy people from the eastern United States and Europe were lured to the vast expanses of the American West – from Wyoming to Colorado and Arizona . Savvy farmers – who made a hard, dusty living running livestock – soon realized they could make extra money by housing wealthy travelers. And so the guest ranch was born.
More than a century later, the vast guest ranches are still woven into the gigantic landscapes of the West. The new trail – an initiative of the state of Arizona that connects the oldest of these precious properties – thus serves to safeguard a relic of Western history.
“We’re getting busier and busier every year,” said Diana Nash, co-owner of Circle Z Ranch, as we relaxed in the cozy cantina, warmed by a fireplace. I spent a few nights here, based in the spacious Lucia’s Suite with its plush king-size bed and views down to the corral. Circle Z has been in the Nash family since 1976 and, considering its founding in 1926, is the oldest continuously operating dude ranch in the state. “Dude ranches provide a way to share this lifestyle – of riding horses, of being outside in the open space. This is the original form of nature tourism,” she says.
The new course, Nash said, also showcases the breadth of Arizona’s terrain. Sprucedale Guest Ranch is the northeasternmost property on the route, nestled against the New Mexico border, woven into skinny pines. Towards the center of the state, in Mesa, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch is characterized by the lake of the same name and the winding Salt River. Then there’s the western Rancho de Los Caballeros, which is sewn into cacti-strewn plains that could have been plucked straight from a sizzling cowboy movie.
Circle Z bumps into the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area and the Coronado National Forest with some 200 miles of trails that venture into the wilderness—jumping over lazy Sonoita Creek and winding into mesquite-choked mountains, all within kissing distance of the Mexican Border. Nash explained that the country contains archaeological remains of indigenous cultures, such as the Sobaipuri and Papago tribes, who once called these lands home.
The waters are also an oasis for migratory birds and the region is the northernmost home to species like the coati, a raccoon-like creature common in South America.
But even more than the wild animals, the beloved horses (and Tony, the adopted donkey) are the lifeblood of this estate. Just as they have done from the very beginning of the ranch, the days here revolve around the herd, unfolding with long trail rides and ending with dinners served family-style and campfire singalongs (wrestler Kelly moonlights as a musician).
But the real beauty of today’s Circle Z Ranch is that it’s not much different from yesterday. “We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year,” horse groomer Alice shouted behind her as she guided me up a rugged mountain trail the next day. I rode Picante, a gentle, cinnamon-colored horse, who carefully picked her way along the path. “We already figured it out.”
The final of the course proved Alice’s point. The ground curved dramatically, revealing heart-in-mouth panoramas of the 265-acre man-made Patagonia Lake. Picante took a deep breath, as if she too was admiring the view.
But while ranches have both natural and historic value, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy ride, as Russell True, president of White Stallion Ranch, explained during my visit. White Stallion is located about 80 miles north of Circle Z, in Tucson’s saguaro-filled backcountry.
After checking into a carefully presented suite with wooden beams and Western-themed art, I sat with True on the patio, next to an adobe building built around the turn of the century. The land here was freehold beginning in 1936, and guest rooms were built in 1945, after the ranch was purchased by a wealthy Chicago liquor store magnate. At the time, White Stallion contributed to a rich puzzle of Arizona ranches.
“Arizona once had 338 ranches,” True said. “And of those 338, 127 were within a one-hour radius of Tucson. When my parents bought this ranch in 1965, 24 of the 127 ranches were still operating in Tucson. Now there are two. I’ve seen them shrink away.”
True primarily blames both the “explosive growth” of urban areas and the soaring price of land for this decline. The latter, he explained, is partly due to the pandemic, which has seen land seized at an alarming rate as people flow out of cities.
“You can’t run a dude ranch and then have nowhere to ride,” he said. “A dude ranch isn’t about riding around an arena.”
Fortunately, there is plenty of land at White Stallion. The ranch extends over approximately 3,000 acres and borders the border of Saguaro National Park, which is used for the property’s horseback riding programs. Paths weave among the towering saguaro cacti, which only grow in the Sonoran Desert.
The hope really is that the trail will put Arizona’s ranches back on the map. “These ranches are an important part of our heritage,” he says. “The new course is a way to talk about that.”
For a dude ranch to qualify for the trail, it must have been operational for at least 25 years; spread over 1,000 contiguous hectares; and offering activities such as horseback riding or working on a cattle ranch.
But while this heritage is vital (“horses, herding, hospitality, heritage, honesty and heart” are the six cornerstones of ranching, according to True), he recognizes the value of diversifying operations at White Stallion.
“Some people just want to get down the trail quickly; other people want to leisurely drive out and come across a tray of wine and cheese,” he chuckled.
The wine and cheese rides (not to mention the beer and cheetos rides) are a hit with guests, who can also enjoy activities like rock climbing, jeep rides, or an evening at the ranch’s private movie theater. One afternoon I switched saddles and rode a fat bike into the desert, zooming past curious longhorn cows and teetering cacti in the shadows of Panther and Safford Peaks.
The offerings at the luxurious Rancho de los Caballeros – about an hour northwest of Phoenix, in Wickenburg – are equally varied. I arrived just after sunset and settled into a rustic-chic casita, complete with a roaring fire and a giant bathtub. Dinner took place in the ranch’s chic Main Dining Room, where my vegetarian request was met with eggplant steak, buttery mash and sticky, sweet Brussels sprouts. The next few days unfolded in a whirlwind of archery, trap shooting and evenings by the roaring fire in the lobby – the ranch’s most recent addition being a “Director of Fun”.
“The modern dude ranch has evolved into something more versatile,” general manager George McGann told me one afternoon. Rancho de los Caballeros opened in 1948 and was run by the same family for 74 years before recently coming under new ownership. “We are more of a resort now; We have the golf course, we have the spa. You would never have found a spa on an old ranch.
“The horses are still our main attraction – people want to come here and put on their cowboy boots and hats – but we have a lot of diversity in our attractions and I think that’s what most people are looking for today.”
Later, I headed into the Sonoran Desert for one last ride with horse groomer Shelby Norris. Norris regaled me with one of the many legends surrounding the town’s founder, Henry Wickenburg – he reportedly launched a rock at a circling vulture and found fortune when the rock shattered, revealing veins of gold. Along the way, she also identified abundant desert flora: the crafty palo verde and the scalpel-sharp teddy bear cholla, named for its deceptively fluffy appearance. There were more saguaros too, their giant arms arching toward a powder blue sky.
As we rode, I was reminded of the real, beating heart of every ranch: the wild, legend-woven American West and the chance to explore it on horseback.
Essentials
Jacqui Agate was a guest of the Arizona Office of Tourism (visitarizona.com).
Rancho de los Caballeros (+1 928 684 5484; anchodeloscaballeros.com) has double rooms from £248 including breakfast.
Circle Z Ranch (+1 520 394 2525; Circlez.com) has double rooms from £1,269 pp for short stays from Sun to Thursday, or weeklong stays from £2,221 pp including meals, horse riding and all planned activities, plus tax and tip.
White Stallion Ranch (+1 520 297 0252; whitestallion.com) has double rooms from £316, including meals and horse riding.
You can fly direct from London Heathrow to Phoenix with British Airways (britishairways.com) from £548 return.