These Southern Dude Ranches Combine Luxury and the Great Outdoors
The term “dude ranch” dates back to the late nineteenth century in the American West. “Dudes,” a slang term for city dwellers from the East Coast, were drawn to the romantic, rugged appeal of ranch life—including such “chores” as horseback riding, hunting, foraging, and tending a garden.
Today, that desire for the simple pleasure of living in tune with the land hasn’t waned and, in fact, has only grown stronger for many people. While the American West lays claim to this classic form of cowboy hospitality, the South, too, has bookable farms, ranches, and pastoral estates that welcome guests looking to trade cell phone pings and the noise of the city for the sounds of crickets and creaking saddles. Whether in the misty Blue Ridge valleys of North Carolina or the rolling pastures of Alabama, these modern Southern ranches and farm inns offer a blend of adventure, nature, and luxury.
Gay, Georgia
Once the home of an Italian duke and duchess and a hunting playground for their visiting friends, this halcyon South Georgia land is now open to guests as Quercus, an eco-conscious working ranch, farm, and wellness resort. Today, the royals’ daughter, Chiara Visconti di Modrone, and her husband, Angelos Pervanas, oversee it.
Opened last fall, Quercus welcomes an intimate few guests at a time for an all-inclusive stay, which includes such activities as guided fly or float fishing trips, a gardener-lead tour through the certified naturally grown farm, and an equestrian program that bonds human and horse without physical restraints—known as the Liberty Method. At night, dine on a seasonal tasting menu created by Michelin-starred chef Ryan Smith at the on-site restaurant, Uberto. Expect to find dishes that celebrate the land, with ingredients like local beef, squash blossoms, and nasturtiums.
South Boston, Virginia
Southern Virginia’s rolling hills are the background for Shangrila Guest Ranch, operated by Gary and Julie Holmes, a tree-loving couple who purchased some eight hundred acres to protect the land from development. Stay at the ranch in either an 1801-built cottage, a renovated tobacco-packing barn, or a small log cabin tucked away in the woods. Known for its all-inclusive horseback riding vacations (including all-female Cowgirl Retreats that include wine tastings and massages), the ranch trades the distractions of modern life for days spent winding beneath ancient oaks and cedars. Personalized riding experiences cater to all skill levels, and evenings are signaled by the scent of home-cooked meals prepared by Julie.
Waynesville, North Carolina
Once a potato farm and family home, this Smoky Mountains estate is now a modern mountain retreat perched on a scenic ridge less than an hour from Asheville. Guests are encouraged to return to the rhythms of the land with guided forays into beekeeping, cooking, forest bathing, and Appalachian music making, led by rotating Experts in Residence. If you’re looking to saddle up, you can embark on a horseback ride through the Smokies from nearby Cataloochee (see below).
Maggie Valley, North Carolina
The lodge’s parlor room at Cataloochee Ranch.
Owned by the same couple as the Swag, Cataloochee Ranch is another luxe mountain getaway but with its own distinct vibe. Annie Colquitt, innkeeper and co-owner, describes the difference simply: “The Swag is for romance and the ranch is for adventure.” Predating the Swag by about fifty years, Cataloochee dates back to 1933, when it was the first overnight resort for visitors to the newly minted Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today, the Relais & Chateaux property contains a modern lodge and elegant cabins located in the wide open valleys of the highlands. Amble on horseback atop Tennessee walking horses, or watch the ranch-reared Black Angus cattle roam between paddocks. For a softer side to ranch life, stay cozy in the lodge’s parlor room with a book by the stone fireplace, or take a class in the art of leatherworking.
Madison, Georgia
A working horse farm in the heart of Georgia, Southern Cross is an equestrian lover’s dream—even if they’re a total newbie. Guests of all riding levels are encouraged to “find their horse” with an all-inclusive riding stay that includes two daily adventures. Trot through rolling meadows and shaded forest trails and experiencing the landscape as generations of Southern ranchers have before. Accommodations trade a dude ranch’s typical bunk beds for seventeen charming post-and-beam rooms decorated with equestrian art and country antiques atop fireplace mantels.
Marfa, Texas
You’ll find Cibolo Ranch in the foothills of the Chinanti Mountains in West Texas’s Big Bend Country. One of the oldest ranches in the state, this antiques-filled resort spans 30,000 acres of cinematic desert landscapes. Stay in renovated historic forts and casitas or in rooms that open up to a natural spring-fed stream. Shooting, hunting, horseback riding, and even tours of the ranch by open-air humvees get you up close to the property’s springs and trails. But perhaps the most remarkable feeling is the distinct sense of place afforded by the ranch’s impressive collection of Texas and North Mexican artifacts and fine Western art.
Dillard, Georgia
The Derby Cottage front porch.
This modern farm resort, comprised of tiny cottages, isn’t a dude ranch per se, but it certainly gets guests closer to farm life and the land in the Appalachian mountains of Rabun County. Guests can pick their own bouquet of zinnias, wildflowers, sunflowers, and cosmos from the on-site flower farm. Tours of the property offer a chance to meet the animals that call Julep Farms home—highland cows, babydoll sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, and cats. Over the course of a weekend stay, guests can even explore the terroir of the valley by vineyard-hopping with a guide at the six nearby vineyards.
