By PGTravelTips Reporter.
For a truly memorable vacation, nothing beats a Western cattle drive.
Straight from the big screen, these working cattle drives, offered through various members of the Dude Ranchers’ Association, transform a movie moment into a real-life vacation experience unlike any other.
The cattle drive experience varies from ranch to ranch, with some ranches providing only two drives (one in the spring and one in the fall) while others offer cattle activities every day.
The purpose of the drives, however, is universal—move cattle from one location to another without losing any animals along the way.
Saddle up...experience the thrill of becoming a cattle rancher for the day.
Guided by expert wranglers, cattle drive participants shoulder important responsibilities as they keep the herd together, chase down stragglers, and stay on the move.
For just a taste of the real cowboy life, dude ranch visitors can participate in other cattle activities. Moving cattle for the day or gathering and doctoring are just a couple of the “real” experiences while saddling up with the hired hands.
Days-long cattle drives fill the urge for the more adventurous to taste the true Western experience.
These drives often include river crossings, mountain riding, and range roaming as the herd travels miles from one location to another.
"Days-long cattle drives often include river crossings, mountain riding, and range roaming as the herd travels miles from one location to another."
Of course, long days of riding are rewarded with evenings of fly fishing, card playing, and other rest and relaxation—just like in the days of the real cowboy.
The exhilaration of combining real work with real pleasure is impossible to ignore, and nothing beats riding herd in the broad expanse of the Wild West.
Since 1926 The Dude Ranchers’ Association has been helping folks find quality ranch vacations by establishing and enforcing high standards for its members.
The associations’ original membership of 35 ranches from the Yellowstone area has now grown to 100-plus member ranches in 12 western states and 2 Canadian provinces.
In spite of this growth, the Association today remains dedicated to preserving the beauty, natural resources, and the original western ranch experiences that attracted the first visitors.
www.duderanch.org.
PGTT.
