 Be sure to practice your John Wayne walk before working at a dude ranch. |
Howdy, partner! Dude ranches (also known as "Guest Ranches") specialize in providing an authentic Western experience for their guests. These ranches range from working ranches that take in only a few guests per year to "ranch-style" resorts that attract thousands of visitors per season - though they still have all the horses and cows you could shake a stick at!
Dude ranches are known for accepting telephone interviews and for hiring people from all over the country. Unless you have riding experience, you shouldn't count on being a full-time wrangler your first summer. Most people are hired for the many hotel, restaurant, or assistant wrangler positions first, and then move up to full-time wrangler or trail guide after gaining experience. One big plus of dude ranch employment is that many of these employers are quite small, and there is often a great deal of variety in the jobs you do each day. So you could be making breakfast one minute and organizing a hike the next!
What's it like working on a dude ranch? Expect an activity-filled day that doesn't follow a strict 9 to 5 schedule, with lots of interaction with guests and other employees. Ranches usually organize evening activities for guests, and employees are usually expected to participate.
Virtually all guest ranches provide free food and lodging, and housing arrangements may vary from dorm-style bunkhouses to rustic cabins. Since even the largest guest ranches hire fewer than 100 employees per year, a friendly atmosphere is the norm and workers often make friends that last a lifetime. Employee satisfaction rates also tend to be quite high, with as many as 50% of seasonal workers returning for more than one season with some employers.
Some guest ranches also operate year-round, especially if a ski area is nearby. Check the employer profiles below for more details!
