No horsing around: Visiting a dude ranch is a great way to break the tedium of day-to-day city life and escape into the countryside for a weekend.
From horseback riding to cowboy games and beyond, dude ranches cater activities specifically to tourists who want a taste of the wild west.
So pack your jeans and cowboy boots and saddle up for a unique weekend getaway.
KD Guest Ranch
Family is everything to Dave and Kari Burkey, owners of KD Guest Ranch.
“My wife and I met on another guest ranch, 20 years ago, and through life evolution, we ended up moving back to her family farm and building our own guest ranch,” says Dave. “We started building the ranch in 2003, and then we opened for our first guests in 2007.”
Since then, the family has grown, and so has the guest base.
“There’s no such thing as a typical guest. We have anybody from 8 years old to … 90,” Burkey says. “We have people from New York that have only seen a horse at Central Park, so they come here to experience a different culture, as well as some guests who are very experienced with horses. I’ve had people from as far as Australia and Ireland to right next door in Columbus, Ohio.”
Guests who visit KD can expect a true western weekend, with horse rides across the scenic countryside of Adamsville and cowboy sports such as team penning. Expect home-cooked meals and fun activities every evening, accommodating guests from kids to adults.
“We have different things for the evening activities,” says Burkey. “We have bonfires, a movie theater, a mechanical bull or poker nights. It just depends on the group that is here.”
At the beginning of a week at KD, guests are matched with a horse so they can bond with the animal throughout the week during trail rides and games in the arena. And horses aren’t the only animals guests come to see.
“Obviously, most guests come for the horses, but people also enjoy interacting with the Pygmy goats because they have such fun personalities,” says Burkey. “It makes you smile to watch them. We never imagined that people would enjoy the rural lifestyle as much as we do.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Burkey family didn’t have to change much in their operations of KD, as they only take eight to 10 guests per week or weekend anyway.
“We stay small so we can keep it personable,” says Burkey. “It’s a family business. Our kids are very involved with the operation.”
The team aims to make every weekend at KD one to remember.
“Everybody says the pictures don’t do it justice,” says Burkey.
Smoke Rise Ranch
Guests who visit Smoke Rise Ranch truly experience the wild part of the wild, wild west. Cattle drives, horse riding and the unforgettable experience of robbing a train will make the getaway unforgettable.
“The train goes from Nelsonville to Logan and comes back from Logan, and we come out running on horseback, shooting guns with blanks, of course,” says James Birthisel, manager of the ranch. “We run the train down and they stop it, and we board the train, rob every car, then they let the customers get off and pet the horses. Sometimes we take a team and wagon, and we steal the money box off the train.”
It’s all part of the experience called Ohio’s Friendliest Train Robbery. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway sells out every time it announces a trip with a scheduled robbery from the Smoke Rise Gang.
“We’ve been robbing it, I’d say, at least 15 years,” says Birthisel.
Beyond experiencing the life of an outlaw, visitors to Smoke Rise can choose to pitch a tent, park a camper or rent a cabin or lodge to spend a few days on the ranch. Birthisel says 90 percent of guests visit for a weekend getaway, though other visitors may come for a longer stay, whether it’s a camp, retreat or just a week away from it all.
“Everybody’s welcome to Smoke Rise,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be a horse person. We enjoy having kids’ groups, scouts, 4-H. We have a team that comes and spends a week with us and we take them riding every day.”
Visitors can experience a true cowboy lifestyle, from horsemanship lessons to trail rides to cattle drives.
“Our cattle drives are a real big thing,” says Birthisel. “We do them once a month. A lot of people like to come and help bring the cows in.”
Beyond cows, horses and donkeys, Smoke Rise is home to a ton of animals.
“We’ve got a miniature horse and a miniature bull – he’s kind of our mascot,” says Birthisel. “We take him places with us. We have dogs and cats, and then there’s lots of wildlife. We have turkey and bobcats and coyotes and squirrels and rabbits and every kind of bird you can imagine. We’ve even seen a bald eagle.”
Nestled between the Wallace H. O’Dowd Wildlife Area and Wayne National Forest in the Hocking Valley, Smoke Rise is home to fishing ponds and hiking trails that guests may enjoy in addition to the cowboy activities.
Sarah Robinson is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at srobinson@cityscenemediagroup.com.
