White Stallion Ranch; A Review for Families
/
White stallion ranch opened our eyes to the family ranch experience and now its one of our favorite family experiences ever
If you’re looking to plan the most memorable trip your family has taken, you’ve made it to the right page. Whether you are looking for the best family dude ranch in the Southwest, trying to find a unique stay and the best things to do in Tucson with kids, or looking for the best family friendly accommodations near Saguaro National Park, this guide will help plan the perfect family trip. Here you’ll find nods to the Wild Wild West, gorgeous wildlife and outdoors, a rejuvenating spa, and incredible activities for absolutely everyone in your family!
We stayed at White Stallion Ranch in October 2020 and again in June 2022. We are planning to go back again in the future. White Stallion is an inclusive dude ranch and one of the best family dude ranch vacations in the United States. We stumbled on the Ranch when researching where to stay while visiting Saguaro National Park and ended up falling in love with the ranch. I never knew how amazing family ranch vacations were or how much we would grow to love the experiences and memories we have from White Stallion.
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
Practicing Cow Penning!
Table of Contents
Why A Dude Ranch is the Best Family Vacation
Waiting for his name to be called to mount his horse!
Dude ranches started not long after the Battle of Little Bighorn in the 1880’s. Wealthy foreigners from all over the world made the trip to the American West to experience hunting the abundant wild game and see the magnificent unspoiled scenery. The romance and allure of of the American Wild West was brought to the rest of the world through famous artists and writers. Everyone wanted to get their turn at the freedom of the frontier. One of the most famous dudes in American History is Theodore Roosevelt. He participated in many dude ranch adventures.
Today, Dude Ranches are sprinkled across the United States and are one of the most memorable family vacations on the market. A family ranch vacation will bring your family closer together through hands on activities, learning new skills, and getting everyone away from the endless screens of today. White Stallion Ranch offers one of the best dude ranch vacations for families through horseback experiences, hands on ranching skills, and daily ranch activities while also offering resort amenities such as a spa and pristine pool.
White Stallion is not only one of the best all-inclusive dude ranches for families, it is also one of the very affordable family dude ranch vacations. With each visit the staff has bent over backwards to accommodate us; from finding a babysitter to helping us gently remove cactus needles from a little hand. The entire experience on the ranch is amazing.
Latham, age 5, riding Custer! This was his assigned horse the entire time we stayed at White Stallion
Accommodations at White Stallion Ranch
The accommodations at White Stallion Ranch are an unexpected mix of the American South West, comfort, and convenience. One of the reasons we say this is the best dude ranch in the Southwest is due to the comfort and cleanliness of their rooms.
All of the rooms on the property are a short walk from the dining area, corrals, and all on-site activities. There are 43 guest rooms and The Hacienda, a lovely 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home perfect for larger families or family reunions.
the accommodations at white stallion are stunning; check out the deluxe room or the 2-room family room.
Family Suites: This 484 sq-ft suite offers two bedrooms and are perfect for families or friends traveling together. In the master bedroom, you’ll find a king bed, while the adjoining bedroom offers three twin beds. These rooms accommodate up to 5 people, and feature a large bathroom, with a separate vanity area.
Deluxe Room King + Twin: This 373 sq-ft room offers picture-perfect mountain or cactus garden views. The comfortable sitting area is a great place to relax after a busy day. The room also includes a mini fridge to keep your favorite drinks and snacks cool. Each room has a private patio with gas fireplaces add to your enjoyment of Arizona evenings under the stars. This is the room we have had on each of our visits - The couch easily becomes another twin bed, so these rooms are perfect for a family of 4.
Hacienda: This 2,200 sq-ft home is perfect for large families, small groups of friends and fabulous girlfriend-get-aways. The Hacienda offers an open floor plan including a living room with a working beehive fireplace, separate dining room and plenty of room for families and friends to relax and enjoy each other’s company. The house has a fully equipped kitchen and laundry room as well as 3 full bathrooms and plenty of closet space.
To see a full tour of the rooms we stayed in, click HERE. I have a full walk through showing the property.
Having snacks by the fire on the cool desert nights was such an amazing way to end each day
READ NEXT: National Park Guides for California
On Site Dining at White Stallion Ranch
Enjoy open fire grilled ribs for dinner at the nightly community dinner
The dining options at White Stallion are what makes this such a family friendly dude ranch.
Meal Plans: You can choose between two meal plans: The All American Plan or The Bed & Breakfast option.
In my opinion, the All American plan is the best option for a family vacation to Tucson. This plan includes all meals, non alcoholic drinks, and snacks for the entirety of your stay. Since you’ll be out riding horses, practicing archery, or sitting pool side — let the Ranch do all the cooking for you.
The Bed & Breakfast option only includes a full breakfast plus snacks and non alcoholic drinks.
The Menu: The on-site breakfast includes a cooked-to-order menu as well as a delicious continental buffet. The lunch buffet includes a selection of two entrees, several side dishes and salads, a salad and a sandwich bar. Fresh fruit is always available. Dinner is often a full buffet with the main entrees grilled outdoors with a choice of two entrees and an ever-changing variety of side dishes. Delicious dessert options change every night; my kid’s favorite was the brownie with ice cream while I was a fan of the cobbler and ice cream.
Happy Hour: Every evening, all guests can enjoy the happy hour before dinner. There are self serve drinks including wine, beer, prickly pear margaritas, and a full array of non alcoholic drinks. In addition to refreshing drinks, guests can enjoy a selection of Hors d'Oeuvres that changes nightly.
Join everyone at the nightly happy hour where you can refresh with beverages and appetizers! Take your snack outside to watch the gorgeous sunset behind the Tucson desert.
Happy Hour on the ranch is a great way to meet other guests and wind down after a long day of activites. This is the prickly pear margarita and it is so delicious.
I absoltely love meal time on the ranch. We usually sit with other guests and make friends. By the time we left, the kids had created their own “kids table” and all the kids on the ranch hung out together for dinner and eveniing entertainment.
READ NEXT: Tips for Traveling with a Picky Eater
On Site Activities at White Stallion Ranch
Everyday on the Ranch, there is a new activity schedule. Guests will be given a log in link to sign up for what ever their family wants to do by 7PM the night before. This means you make your own daily schedule. Sign up for as many or as few activities as you’d like1
This is an example activity schedule (schedule changes daily):
8:00am Rock Climbing
8:30am: Nature Walk
8:30am: Breakfast Ride w/ Echo Mountain continuation
8:30am: .45 Caliber Shooting
9:00am: Slow Ride
10:00am Rock Climbing
10:30am: Cattle Sorting
11:00am: Black Powder Shooting
11:00am: Fast Ride
1:00pm: Lessons
2:00pm: E-biking Beginner
2:00pm: Slow Ride
2:15pm: Wine & Cheese Ride
4:00pm: E-Biking Intermediate
4:00pm: Black Powder Shooting (5ppl)
4:00pm: Fast Ride or Team Penning
I highly recommend trying as many activities as you can. You never know what your family will fall in love with. There are slow trail rides for younger kids and new riders, but also fast trotting rides for more experienced and older riders. For us, the kids absolutely loved Cattle Sorting. We signed up for this as many times as we could. We also loved to take a break in the afternoon heat with time by the pool or taking part in one of the many indoor crafting classes (horseshoe painting, leather pressing, etc). A few other activities not listed; Archery Lessons and Guided Hikes.
***Children must be 5 years old to ride slow rides, 8 years old to ride fast rides, and any age can ride the pony rides.
****Wranglers offer additional, optional riding lessons every day at lunch for 50 minutes for $20. These can greatly increase riding skills and confidence.
THe Leather press class is so much fun! we made these leather key chains and mine is still in use today!
Evening Entertainment:
After dinner White Stallion Ranch offers nightly entertainment. The rotating schedule includes moonlight bonfires with a cowboy singer, an astronomy show with a large telescope and local astronomer, line dancing lessons for all ages, nature and animal programs, watercolor classes with our resident artist Ute Vaughn, and do not miss the Loop Rawlins’ Wild West Show of Trick Roping, Whip Cracking & Gun Spinning. No family ranch vacation is complete without whip cracking, amiright?
The kids were obsessed with Loop Rawlins’ and the Astronomy show! They also had the chance to hold a giant boa constrictor at one of the animal programs!
Weekly White Stallion Rodeo:
When you’re deciding which part of the family dude ranches is the best, consider the Rodeo! Once a week the True family and friends present an exhibition rodeo in the large arena. Guests will get to see Team Roping, Barrel Racing, Break-a-Way Roping and Bulldogging (or Chute Dogging). Watching the wranglers and local professionals showcase their skills in the arena really brings the Wild West to life! The Rodeo is definitely a highlight of a stay at White Stallion. The kids absolutely loved seeing real cowboys and cowgirls performing!
Look through a telescope with a local astronomer at an organized nightly stargazing event!
Try your hand at Archery! This is one of the daily activities offered at White Stallion Ranch!
An afternoon crafting class is a must while at White Stallion! This time we painted horse shoes!
Loop Rawlin’s’ is an excellent show - he iputs on an amazhing show of Trick Roping, Whip Cracking & Gun Spinning.
What to do near White Stallion Ranch
White Stallion Ranch is conveniently a short drive from SO many amazing family things to do in Tucson! You don’t ever have to leave the ranch, but if you’re looking for another way to spend a day - here are some incredible options for things to do with kids in Tucson!
Saguaro National Park and White Stallion Ranch share a land border! You must visit Saguaro while visiting White Stallion.
Saguaro National Park:
This National Park is the only home of the Saguaro Cactus. These Cacti only grow in the Sonoran desert; starting out as a seed the size of a pinhead and growing to over 70 feet tall and can live for well over 200 years. Saguaro National Park was established as a National Monument by President Hoover in 1933 and upgraded to a National Park in 1994. Whether you are traveling with kids or without, you’ll fall in love with this absolutely gorgeous National Park. Saguaro National Park is visited by approximately 1,020,000 people annually and is about 91,715 acres. It is the 41th largest National Park of the 62 in the United States.
Saquaro is only about a 10 minute drive from White Stallion Ranch, so it’s a must do while visiting! I have a full guide to Saguaro National Park HERE.
The kids exploreing saguaro at sunrise
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum:
Located only about 15 minutes from White Stallion Ranch, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is a world famous fusion experience for all ages. It includes a zoo, botanical garden, art gallery & classes, natural history museum, and aquarium. Their mission is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert. This is one of the top rated things to do with kids in Tucson.
We visited the wildlife museum in June 2022 and while it was HOT, the kids absolutely loved it. We explored the Reptile, Amphibian & Invertebrate Hall, got up close to an owl at one of the Docent Demos, walked through the Zoo where we spotted Mountain Lions, wolves, and bears. A few of our favorite spots was the cave experience where we explored a replica limestone cave with real gemstones and the new Packrat Playhouse! This playhouse is INCREDIBLE and is fully climate controlled. We spent over an hour in here while the kids played, climbed, and explored desert from the perspective of a packrat!
There are several dining options on-site including a coffee shop, the Ocotillo Café and Ironwood Terrace.
Don’t forget to ask for a military discount & children under 3 are free.
Plan to spend at least half a day here.
Get up close to the animals on one of the docent demos! This little owl was so precious!
The Sonora Desert Museum is an absolute must visit for anyone in Tucson
Want to hear like a packrat? Check out the limestone caves to find these ears!
Mount Lemmon:
Located only about 90 minutes from White Stallion Ranch is Mount Lemmon. The mountain offers an escape from the blazing Tucson sun by being an average of 30 degrees cooler than the desert floor. This special place is a haven in the summer and an outdoor playground in the winter. I was surprised to learn that Mount Lemmon’s peak is 9,171 feet! It is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains and is one of the Sky Islands in Coronado National Forest.
We made our way to the top of Mount Lemmon in January and were happy get some incredible views and experience snow in Arizona.
If you decide to escape the Ranch for a mountain experience, there are more than 1,000 miles of trails in Coronado National Forest for hikers, equestrians and cyclists. You can also stop at one of the many incredible overlooks on the drive up the mountains. The drive and hikes are fun cheap things to do in Tucson that the entire family will enjoy. There is skiing available in winter at Ski Valley. In summer the ski lift is one of the really fun things to do in Tucson for kids. Also, you’re visiting in summer, don’t miss “The Sampler” at the Mt Lemmon Cookie Cabin!
drive up mt lemmon for a gorgeous view of the tucson landscape. You may even see snow!
Baby charletta sitting in the snow at an overlook at mt lemmon
San Xavier Del Bac Mission
The San Xavier del Bac Mission, a National Historic Landmark, was founded in 1700 by Father Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit explorer who worked to spread Christianity in New Spain. The Mission was completed by the Franciscans in 1797. Often called the “white dove of the desert,” the mission is located in the San Xavier Reservation, part of the Tohono O’odham nation.
This Mission is on the South side of Tucson and located only 30 minutes from White Stallion Ranch. This is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit or attend a Mass. San Xavier Del Back is a great family friendly thing to do in Tucson.
explore the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac; a spanish Catholic mission
San Xavier del Bac mission is Often called the “white dove of the desert”
Tombstone, Arizona:
Almost everyone has heard of the famous Tombstone, Arizona. There is even a famous Hollywood movie called Tombstone that showcases the famous WIld West town. You can’t get as far south as Tucson and not make the short trip down to Tombstone!
The real Tombstone is located only 90 minutes from White Stallion Ranch and is packed full of history. Here you can stroll down the same historic streets that Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Clantons walked over 140 years ago. The historic town is packed full of restaurants, shops, saloons, and historic attractions. When we visited, we had to capture our experience through one of the old timey photo booths. I definitely recommend snagging your own Tombstone memory photo!
Only 90 minutes from white stallion ranch is the famous town of tombstone, arizona! spend a day or an afternoon iexploring the wild wild west!
White Stallion Ranch is the best dude ranch family vacation in the Southwest. This family friendly ranch offers something for every single interest and age. Bring the entire family for one of the most memorable family reunions you’ll ever have. Even if your family has no experience riding horseback, you’ll find your place here.
After two stays at White Stallion, I can easily and confidently say that this is an incredible dude ranch for kids and one of the best family ranches on the market. You will not regret making White Stallion your first dude ranch family vacation!
White stallion ranch is the best dude ranch for families! I highly recommend a visit for every family
PIN ME:
AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
There are links on this site that can be defined as “affiliate links”. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links provided.
Big Brave Nomad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.
