The 11 Best Dude Ranch Vacations in the U.S.
The origin of the dude ranch vacation is a fascinating story. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, "dude" was the name given to "big-shot city slickers" by Western cattle ranchers (or cowboys). When these "dudes" left their big eastern cities to head out West, ranchers would host them on a complimentary basis at their guest or dude ranches. In fact, offering to pay a rancher for their hospitality was considered an insult. The first known dude ranch, Custer Trail Ranch, was started by several brothers in the 1880s in the Dakota Badlands. After President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Eaton brothers' property, the word spread about this Western cowboy life with horseback riding, hunting and fishing. Roosevelt even purchased a ranch nearby, known as the Maltese Cross Ranch. Eventually, ra...