Choosing a Ranch Vacation for Your Family

Ranch getaways are becoming more popular, but how do you go about choosing the right one for your family’s getaway? For many families — especially those traveling as a group, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins included — exclusivity and privacy are high selling points when it comes to making a final decision on where to stay.

“More than ever, our souls crave opportunities to tune out the world and totally disconnect because we are over-stimulated in our day-to-day lives,” said Stacy Mach, area director of sales, Auberge Resorts Collection. “The idea of a private retreat like Sleeping Indian Ranch appeals to those who dream of wide open spaces and real privacy without sacrificing the comforts, services and amenities that come with being a part Auberge Resorts Collection.”

The collection’s Sleeping Indian Ranch recently opened in Colorado, alongside Middle Creek Ranch, another Auberge Resorts Collection property. The luxury and exclusivity found at both have been compared to the same high level of luxury and exclusivity travelers might find when renting a yacht for a week or a luxury villa in the Caribbean. An emphasis is placed on care, but also privacy and plenty of room for travelers to bring along as many people as they want — a perfect perk for families. Middle Creek Ranch, for example, caters to families of up to 20 members, and gives them access to a private chef, accommodations over three houses or cabins and staff to help with horseback riding and other typical ranch activities.

However, you don’t need to spend a massive amount to enjoy this same type of exclusivity. Other properties offer similar private ranch retreats, where you get the majority, if not all, of a ranch to yourself and your family. To help you find those retreats, ranchvacations.com is a new service helping you sort through the available options. You can search for ranches based on amenities offered or destination, and ranches range from luxury to working, resort to boutique. You can even explore ranches with activities and programs for children and teens.

“Today, many guest ranches offer complete buyouts of their properties. However, now there is a new breed of ranches that offers only private, exclusive buyouts. Ranch vacations are more popular than ever. Ranch life remains one of the last authentic traditions in a landscape of technology where everything is instantaneous and ‘virtual’ in reality. Ranch vacations are down-to-earth immersions that helps us reconnect with ourselves and the natural rhythms of the earth,” said Gene Kilgore, founder, Ranch Vacations.