Summer weeks
Lodging, daily horseback rides, three Country Gourmet meals a day, beer and wine, evening entertainment and all ranch amenities.
Summer season: May 30 – Oct 2, 2027 The week's schedule What's included Extras
At Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, experience the spirit of the west on an All-Inclusive Guest Ranch Adventure Vacation. The warm, western hospitality, country gourmet dining, and the beauty of Idaho’s wilderness will make your guest ranch stay not just a vacation, but an authentic western experience with memories that last a lifetime.
All-Inclusive Guest Ranch vacations include lodging in one of our cozy Grand Lodge rooms or Log Cabins, daily horseback rides, three Country Gourmet meals daily, evening entertainment, beer and wine, and access to all ranch amenities.
Our horses are perfect for the beginner or the experienced rider. For the non-rider, our many other activities will fill your day with relaxation, education, or adventure. When you’re looking for a fantastic family guest ranch adventure vacation or a ranch that you can visit as a single or a couple, look no further than Western Pleasure Guest Ranch!
We offer fun and exciting experiences for everyone. You will love our hands-on approach to horseback and trail riding instruction and the personal attention you will receive. We limit the number of guests participating in our summer ranch program to about 20. As a result, you can be assured that you won’t get lost in the crowd. We specialize in personalizing guest ranch vacations to fit you. You have special requests, just ask!
Most of our guests arrive on a Sunday and depart on a Saturday. Keep in mind that the only meal served on Saturday is breakfast. Sunday is the horse’s day off so no horseback rides are available.
Take an evening walk to the meadow to meet the ranch horses and be introduced to your own horse for the week.
Check-in. Unpack, explore the grounds, play yard games, or kick back and relax.
Happy Hour. Beer and wine will be served at the lodge.
Dinner. Dinner is served in the great room of the lodge.
Mosey down to the horse pasture to see the ranch horses. You may even get to meet your horse for the week.
Test your archery skills with traditional bows and 3D Targets.
Wranglers run the horses up from the meadow.
Breakfast
Meet at the horse barn for your horseback orientation in the indoor arena and a trail ride. Kids' orientation will begin in the tack room.
Lunch
Afternoon Ride (1-hour ride or 2-hour ride offered) Or skip the ride and go for a self-guided hike or mountain bike ride.
Wranglers run horses back to the meadow.
Happy Hour. Beer and wine are served at the lodge.
Dinner
Archery Range
A guest ranch vacation wouldn’t be complete without a Dutch Oven cookout and cowboy music around the campfire.
Cowboy Coffee at the firepit.
Wranglers run the horses up from the meadow.
Breakfast
Meet at the barn for a morning ride (1 and 2 hour options) and the lope lesson. If you wish to go on a fast ride, you must first be cleared through a lope lesson. Kids will have a biathlon trail ride.
Lunch
Choose one
Horses and Happy Hour. Meet at the parking lot for transportation to the field for a tailgate party-style happy hour in the field with the horses.
Wranglers run horses back to the meadow.
Dutch Oven Dinner served outside around the campfire.
Music around the campfire.
Boot branding at the campfire
Campfire S'mores bar and Yard Games.
Wranglers run the horses up from the meadow.
Breakfast
Choose one
Return to the lodge
Wranglers run horses back to the meadow
Happy Hour
Dinner served in the Great Room of the lodge.
S'mores Bar at the campfire.
Rotating activity list: Paint and Sip, yard games, roping lessons, baseball game Availability based on weather, facilitators, etc. One activity will be offered each week.
This evening, put on your cowboy best for our Cowboy Ball, complete with square dancing.
Meet at the barn to mount up for the breakfast horseback ride and Ebike ride.
Meet at the parking lot for vehicle transportation to breakfast.
Off-grid breakfast at the Cabin in the Woods
Horseback ride from breakfast (short and long ride options). Kids return to the ranch for arena games.
Lunch
Choose one
Youth Horsemanship Horse Show. Participants of the Youth Horsemanship program show off what they have learned in a fun horse show complete with ribbons.
Wranglers run horses back to the meadow
Cowboy Ball Dinner
Cowboy Ball Square Dancing
This is a more relaxed evening with no specific evening itinerary. Take this last opportunity to relax before your busy travel day on Saturday. The highlight this evening is a ranch-raised beef steak dinner and, of course, all the ranch gourmet fixings to go along with it.
Wranglers run horses up from the meadow.
Breakfast
Choose one
Lunch
Choose one
Happy Hour in the lodge
Steak Dinner
No Goodbyes here, just until next time!
Breakfast
Check Out
In the summer, horseback riding is the main activity on the ranch. The riding program begins with an orientation where the wranglers introduce you to your horse for the week and give instructions on how to ride and what to expect throughout the week during your horseback experiences. Each day you will enjoy morning and afternoon rides where you will explore the north Idaho mountains, valleys, and meadows around the ranch. One day, you will pack up for a day ride to Grouse Creek Falls for swimming or enjoy a ranch perimeter ride with views of the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountain Ranges. One morning, saddle up for a breakfast ride to enjoy breakfast on the trail at an off-grid cabin in the woods.
Other horseback experiences include lessons in the arena, moving cattle, wagon rides and arena games. Our 70′ by 150′ indoor arena means even if it’s raining, we will have horseback activities available.
See horseback riding for who can ride and what to wear.
Children staying with family at the ranch on our All-Inclusive Package have the opportunity to be involved in one of the most educational and fun dude ranch children’s programs available, designed for kids age 6 – 18. Read more about the Youth Horsemanship Program.
Guided eBike tours are part of our All-Inclusive Guest Ranch Packages. eBikes give you access to the backwoods with less physical effort than a traditional mountain bike. The minimum age for this activity is 13.
First, hone your skills on our stationary course, then hit the trail on a mild, guided walk through the forest. Along the way, you will stop at each 3D archery target and see if you can beat your fellow archers to the bullseye.
On Tuesday afternoon, trade your horse in for a shotgun and work on your aim. In Skeet Shooting, participants, using shotguns, attempt to shoot clay targets flung into the air before they hit the ground. The minimum age to participate in this activity is 13.
On Friday afternoon, wind down the week with some 22 target practice. The minimum age to participate in this activity is 10.
What’s better than a team of draft horses? A cooler of draft beers to go with them. Join us for a wagon ride along our sprawling ranch trails where the views are wide and the drinks are chilled. It’s the perfect blend of rustic charm and liquid relaxation.
Take a self-guided mountain bike ride on the ranch’s 1,300 acres. We have mountain bikes of varying sizes available for you to use at any time during your dude ranch vacation. The terrain on the ranch varies from rolling hills to more extreme elevation changes. Grab a trail map bandanna at the ranch office and pick your trail route to fit your riding experience.
With the scenic beauty of the Cabinet Mountains at your cabin’s doorstep, hiking at the Western Pleasure Guest Ranch is a great way to experience the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Get your map from the ranch office and explore our piece of North Idaho paradise on a self-guided hike.
At the end of the day after all your guest ranch adventures, the hot tub is the perfect way to unwind and relax. The outdoor covered hot tub is located just outside the lodge with easy access from the lodge rooms or cabins.
Not included in the week
These are not part of the all-inclusive package. Each is an add-on, paid for separately.
After a few days in the saddle, an hour on the massage table is hard to beat. Sarah Meers gives one-hour massages in the ranch’s own massage cabin throughout the summer season.
Sarah grew up in a holistic home that gave her a passion for health and wellness. She became a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2016, then added massage therapy and craniosacral therapy to complete her practice. “I believe all massage is therapeutic,” she says, “with profound abilities to bring balance to the mind and body.”
Looking for a day away from the ranch, or have someone in the family who would rather hold a fly rod than a set of reins? We can connect you with Long Drift Outfitters for a chartered fly fishing trip on the Kootenai River. Full-day and half-day trips are offered.
Fly rods and reels, all flies, lunch, and a dry bag for your personal items are provided. Anglers need to be 10 or older, depending on the child. You can drive to meet your fishing guide or arrange a shuttle.
A fishing license is not provided, so you will need to get your own. We are happy to walk you through it.
Sandpoint, Idaho is an outdoorsman’s paradise. Other off-ranch activities can be arranged for you for an additional fee. Lake fishing on the beautiful Lake Pend Oreille with local outfitters is a fun and exciting day activity. Kayaking on Lake Pend Oreille is relaxing and the perfect half-day or day-long outing for a hot summer day. Make it a real day on the lake adventure and rent a boat and explore all of Lake Pend Oreille’s 111 miles of shoreline. Still looking for something else? Ask us about other outdoor adventures in the Sandpoint, Idaho area.
If you are wondering what to pack on your dude ranch vacation, see what to bring on a guest ranch vacation. Are you an “always be prepared” sort of traveler? Read How Do I Prepare for a Dude Ranch Vacation for some tips on getting physically prepared for horseback riding, and How to Plan a Guest Ranch Vacation.
See which summer weeks are open, and what each room costs.
