Montana’s 30,000-acre Triple Creek Resort Ranch has mastered the fine art of healthy holiday hedonism by mixing tailormade ‘adult only’ adventures with luxury since the late 1980s. More red carpet than rugged, the ranch’s 25 beautifully appointed accommodations, which are set in the Bitterroot mountain range of the Rockies, feature wood-burning fireplaces, original Western art work and hot tubs. Horseback rides, cattle penning and even hatchet throwing are just some of the authentic activities, and since the owners don’t allow hunting, large herds of elk are often spotted on the guided four-wheel scenic drives and back at the ranch. Six nights with Ranch Rider from £3,035pp (two sharing) including accommodation, all meals, most ranch activities, gratuities and taxes.  Excludes transfers and return flight. Prices available on request  Year round departures.

Stay at Colorado’s Vista Verde Luxury Guest Ranch, the mountain retreat lying just outside Steamboat.  Taking the dude ranch experience up a notch or two, you can expect a few additional perks in your private cabin, including Italian linens, plush robes and even a hot tub to soak away any saddle sores. Guided horseback riding, fly-fishing, rock climbing and even hot air ballooning make this the perfect stay for anyone craving adventure, and in June, the ‘wild yoga’ quite literally brings the outdoors in. Saddle up for a trail ride to a secluded aspen grove, your nature fuelled downward dog grounding you and awakening your senses.  Seven nights with Ranch Rider from £3,339pp (no single supplement) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire and return flights. Prices available on request  Departing May to October.

British Columbia’s Siwash Lake Luxury Guest Ranch sits on 80,000-acres of pristine wilderness, the property boasting boutique lodge rooms and luxurious safari-inspired glamping tents. Horse-riding, fly-fishing and lake swimming are just some of the refreshing pursuits on offer, and the guided eco-adventures will leave you in no doubt as to nature’s regenerative powers. Billed as an “Indiana Jones” type experience, the Waterfall Ecology Hike, is part reflection – the journey detailing the devastation of the 2017 wildfires – and part inspiration – the adventure prompting you to heal yourself and the planet after giving you the rare opportunity to see the real effects of climate change. There's also the opportunity to tune into your own natural rhythm at the Star Camp (set in its own private dark sky reserve), the site set deep in the Cariboo wilds.  Seven nights with Ranch Rider from £10,173pp (two sharing) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire and return flights. Prices available on request. Departing June to September.

Book the Cypress Hills Cowboy Adventure Package at Saskatchewan’s Historic Reesor Ranch, this one of the officially curated Canadian Signature Experiences. Uniquely positioned for horseback safaris, the ranch adjoins the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Wilderness Area (home to over 250 bird species and 47 different mammals), and ATV rides on the ranch’s private lands will take you through winding trails and deep into spruce and pine forests. Cattle work is also available at the Provincial Heritage Property, your day in the saddle followed by cosy campfires and soulful Western prose from a genuine cowboy poet. When  it comes to accommodation there is a choice of rough-and-rustic rooms located in the old barn, or more upscale hillside cabins complete with refreshing Jacuzzi tubs.  Seven-nights with Ranch Rider from £1,185pp (no single supplement) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities and taxes. Excludes car hire and return flights. Prices available on request. Departing 01 June to 30 September.

Meet challenges head on and build a whole new you at Idaho’s Red Horse Mountain Ranch, this adventure-on-tap property located on 560 deeded acres, with over 150,000 acres of permitted outfitter area.  Raw and exhilarating, the mega zip will take you across the valley floor – your final destination, the spring-fed pond. There’s also a high element challenge course and a climbing wall available, but a horseback adventure through the wooded and secluded trails is sure to blast away any remaining Covid cobwebs. The ranch’s longest trail ride is The Huckleberry, a refreshing picnic lunch in a picturesque meadow breaking up the journey. The perfect health and wellness getaway you can also start or end the day with a full body massage.  Six nights with Ranch Rider from £2,295pp (two sharing) including accommodation, all meals, ranch based activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes return transfers and return flights. Departing May to October.

They say a change is as good as a rest so why not swap your city lifestyle for a week as a cowboy in New Mexico. Set in the foothills of the Sacramento mountains, Burnt Well Guest Ranch is every bit the real deal, your time spent rounding up cattle, checking fences, helping with branding calves (seasonal) or assisting with more general cowpoke chores.  A chance to revisit simpler times, end your day round the campfire and enjoy some cowboy camaraderie under a blanket of twinkling stars. Seven nights with Ranch Rider from £2,977pp (no single supplement) including flights to Roswell, transfers, accommodation, food, and all ranch activities. Excludes return flights prices available on request. The ranch is closed mid June to mid August and mid-November through mid-January.

California’s Greenhorn Guest Ranch is located in the little known and well-named Lost Sierra. Hidden between the larger Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, the region’s name was coined at the time the Pony Express riders galloped through Northern California to deliver the mail. Fitting then, that this is the only dude ranch in the Golden state that allows its guests to go faster than a walk on a horse – riders hitting the trail and breathing in fresh mountain air scented by the pine, fir and cedar forests. Fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and archery are alternative pursuits, every adventure undertaken in spectacularly scenic surroundings. Six nights with Ranch Rider from £3,192pp (two sharing) including accommodation, all meals, ranch based activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes return transfers from Reno and return flights. Departing May to October.

The 103,000-acre Zapata Cattle and Bison Ranch sits on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado.  Composed of meadows, wetlands and cottonwood groves the backdrop is scenically therapeutic, the property overlooking the Sangre De Cristo mountains and the huge rolling sand dunes that make up the Great Sand Dunes National Park. A genuine working operation, there is always plenty of cattle work to be done, and on the Restorative Retreat (25-29 May, 2022), you can combine the cowhand lifestyle with daily guided breathwork and restorative movement. Taught by a licensed therapist and XPT Master Coach, this is an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how your body responds to stress and anxiety, the retreat equipping you with the skills you need to move through life confidently and peacefully. Offering a boutique retreat for everyone, at Zapata, the ranch's special stays focus on everything from branding and horsemanship through to writing and painting.  Six nights with Ranch Rider from £2,700pp (no single supplement) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities (including riding close to the bison herd and across the Great Sand Dunes National Park), use of ranch facilities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes transfers and return flight. Departing May to October.

At British Columbia’s 160-acre Echo Valley Ranch & Spa, there is an East meets West approach to wellness. Many of the spa treatments take their cue from traditional Thai medicine, the yoga included, the Ruesri Dat Ton twice daily classes paying homage to the South East Asian country.  The owners claim to have sensed a spiritual connection to this portion of the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, the ranch’s guests also commenting on this same earthly bond. Whether you are fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, or horse riding, you are certain to feel at one with the wilderness. Your spiritual journey will continue back at the ranch, with resident Gitxsan artist and Native American, Michael Blackstock. Blackstock's artworks are showcased in the ranch’s rooms and cabins, his mask carvings in room 12 depicting the faces of his indigenous ancestors.  Six-nights with Ranch Rider from ￡3,520pp (two sharing) including accommodation, meals, a half-day of riding each day, unlimited fly fishing, nature hikes, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire and return flight. Prices available on request. Departing May through October.

Located in the heart of the Big Horn Mountains near Buffalo, Wyoming's Paradise Guest Ranch is a haven for anyone in search of respite. Saddle up to the sounds of birds chirping, bask in the sunshine and breathe in the scent of lupines, with the spectacular wildflowers blanketing the Bighorns from late spring through summer. Ride and recharge in the wilderness with horse riding, fly-fishing and hiking. And, a hoe down that will energise your spirit, get your honky tonk on at the weekly square dance. Seven nights with Ranch Rider from £2,200pp (two sharing) including  accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes transfers and return flight. Prices on request. Departing June through October.

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Editor's Notes

Ranch Rider also offers riding holidays in Argentina, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya. The specialist tour operator is part of the Frontier Travel collection, which also includes Frontier Canada, Frontier Ski, Frontier America, American Round-Up, Holidays 2 and Independent Traveller's Africa programme. The company offers tailor-made skiing holidays, bespoke itineraries, including fly-drives and escorted holidays, and ranch holidays.