by A hundred horses and a lone donkey clattered out of the corral. Behind them, cottonwood trees burned egg yolk yellow and the mountains blurred into silhouette. Clumps of drums and scattered dust. I was promised a show and here it is.
Every day before sunset, at Patagonia’s Circle Z ranch, the herd runs toward the night pasture in a thunderous sunset stampede. It’s a highlight of the daily schedule at this century-old ranch—one of eight historic properties on the newly designated Arizona Dude Ranch Heritage Trail.
The “ranch guy” or “ranch guest” grew as a concept in the late 1800s, as wealthy people from the eastern United States and Europe were attracted to the vast expanses of the American West – from Wyoming, to Colorado and Arizona. Savvy farmers – who made a hard and dust-covered living running cattle – soon realized that they could earn extra money by hosting wealthy travelers. And so the guest ranch was born.
Fast forward over a century and sprawling guest ranches are still embedded into the titanic landscapes of the West. So is the new trail – an initiative of the State of Arizona that connects these oldest and most valuable properties – to protect the history of the West.
“We get busier and busier every year,” said Diana Nash, co-owner of Circle Z Ranch, as we relaxed in the snug cantina warmed by an open fire. I was spending a few nights here, staying in Lucia’s spacious Suite with its pillowy king bed and views down to the corral. Circle Z has been in the Nash family since 1976 and, having been established back in 1926, is the oldest continuously operating dude ranch in the state. “A dude ranch provides a way to share this lifestyle – riding horses, being out in open spaces. This is the original form of nature-based tourism,” she says.
The new trail, Nash said, also showcases the vastness of Arizona’s terrain. Sprucedale Guest Ranch is the most northeasterly property of the trail, right up to the New Mexico border, and is woven into its sparse pine trees. Towards the center of the state, in Mesa, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch is characterized by its namesake lake and the Salt Snake River. Then there’s Rancho de Los Caballeros west, nestled in cactus-studded plains that could have been plucked straight from a cracking cowboy flick.
Circle Z meets Sonoita Creek State Natural Area and the Coronado National Forest with about 200 miles of trails that meander into the wilderness—they meander over lazy Sonoita Creek and into mesquite-studded mountains, all within kissing distance. of the Mexican border. . Nash explained that there are archaeological remains from 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 of species such as 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 property. Just as they have been since the ranch’s early days, these days are focused on the herd, starting with a long drive on the road and ending with dinners served family style and a campfire lit (the wrangler Kelly moonlights as a musician).
But the real beauty of Circle Z Ranch today is that it’s not that different from yesterday. “We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year,” Alice’s wrangler called out behind her, leading her up a rough mountain track the next day. I was riding Picante, a sweet, cinnamon-colored horse, who carefully chose her route on the journey. “We’ve already solved it.”
Alice’s territory was the point of the trail. The land sloped dramatically, revealing heart-in-mouth panoramas of the 265-acre man-made Lake Patagonia. Picante let out a thick puff of breath, as if she too was taking in the sight.
But while a ranch with a dude in spades has natural and historical value, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy ride, as Russell True, president of White Stallion Ranch, explained during my visit. The White Stallion is about 80 miles north of Circle Z, in Tucson’s saguaro-filled hinterland.
After checking into a thoughtfully presented suite with wooden beams and Western-themed art, I sat with True on the patio, next to a turn-of-the-century adobe structure. The land here had been homesteaded since 1936 and guest rooms were built in 1945, after a wealthy Chicago liquor store owner bought the ranch. Back then, White Stallion contributed to a rich jigsaw puzzle of Arizona dude ranches.
“Arizona had 338 gig farms at one time,” True told me. “And of those 338, 127 were within an hour radius of Tucson. When my parents bought this farm in 1965, 24 of the 127 gig farms were still operating in Tucson. Now there are two. I watched them decline.”
Fíor mainly blames the “explosive growth” of urban areas and skyrocketing land prices for this decline. The latter, he explained, is partly due to the pandemic, in which rural land fell at an alarming rate, and people poured out of cities.
“You can’t run a gig farm and have nowhere to ride,” he said. “A farm boy doesn’t ride around a field.”
Happily, at White Stallion, land is plentiful. The ranch spreads over approximately 3,000 acres and brushes up against the boundary of Saguaro National Park, which is used for the property’s equestrian programs. Paths zigzag among skyscraping saguaro cacti, which only grow within the Sonoran Desert.
Real hopes the trail will put Arizona’s dude ranch back on the map. “These dude ranches are an important part of our heritage,” he says. “The new track is a way to talk about that.”
For a gig farm to qualify for the track, it must have been in operation for at least 25 years; to be spread over 1,000 contiguous acres; and offer activities such as horse riding or cattle ranch work experiences.
But while this heritage is vital (“horses, hats, hospitality, heritage, honesty and heart” are the six linchpins of dude ranching, according to True), he recognizes the value of diversifying the activities of the White Stallion.
“Some people want to go quickly down the path; others want to ride leisurely and find a wine and cheese tray,” he said.
The wine and cheese tours (not to mention the beer and cheetos tours) are a hit with guests, who can also enjoy activities like rock climbing, jeep tours or an evening at the ranch’s private movie theater. One afternoon, I switched saddles and headed into the desert on a fat bike, whizzing past the odd long-horned cow and tearing up cacti in the shadow of Panther and Safford Peaks.
The offerings at the upscale Rancho de los Caballeros—about an hour northwest of Phoenix, in Wickenburg—are just as varied. I arrived just after sunset and settled into a rustic-chic casita complete with a roaring fire and a giant tub. Dinner was in the farm’s swish Main Dining Room, where aubergine steak, buttery mash and sticky-sweet Brussels sprouts served my vegetarian request. The following days unfolded with archery teasing, trap shooting and nights by the roaring lobby fire – the latest to rent the ranch was the “Fun Director”.
“The modern dude ranch has evolved into something more diverse,” 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 now have more choice; we have the golf course, we have the spa. You’d never find a spa in an old dude ranch.
“The horses are still our main draw – people want to come here and put on their boots and cowboy hats – but we have a lot of variety in our attractions and I think that’s what most people are looking for. people today”.
Later, I hit out to the Sonoran Desert for one last ride with wrangler Shelby Norris. Norris regaled me with one of the many legends related to the founder of the town, Henry Wickenburg – purportedly he sent a rock by a circling vulture and got lucky when the rock broke to reveal gold veins. She also recognized abundant desert flora along the way: palo verde willow and bear-sharp scalpel, named for its vaguely beguiling appearance. There were also more saguaros, their huge arms swinging towards a powder-blue sky.
As we rode, I was reminded of the true heart of any ranch: the Wild West, the legends of America and the opportunity to explore it on horseback.
Fundamentals
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 £1,269pp for a short break from Sun–Thu, or week stays from £2,221pp including meals, horse riding and all scheduled activities, plus tax and gratuity.
White Stallion Ranch (+1 520 297 0252; whitestallion.com) has double rooms from £316, including meals and horse riding.
British Airways (brithairways.com) can fly direct from London Heathrow to Phoenix from £548 return.
