Family Dude Ranch Vacations: Tanque Verde Ranch

If you think your child is too young to enjoy activities at a dude ranch, think again! I experienced one of my favorite family dude ranch vacations at the Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, when my son was 5 years old.  I discovered there are plenty of things to do with young kids at a dude ranch.  From horseback riding, to a playground with slides, to pools and more, there are several reasons why the Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona is one of the best family dude ranch vacations!

Disclosure:  While the Tanque Verde Ranch hosted me and my family for two nights, all opinions are my own.  My husband and I have previously paid for trail rides at the Tanque Verde Ranch and we paid to have our wedding there as well.

Family Dude Ranch Vacations: Tanque Verde Ranch

1. The Kids Club at Tanque Verde Ranch
2. Horseback Riding at Tanque Verde Ranch
3. Family Friendly Accommodations at Tanque Verde Ranch
4. The Cowboy Cookout at Cottonwood Grove
5. The Pool Areas at Tanque Verde Ranch
6. Kids Dining Room at Tanque Verde Ranch
7. Breakfast Ride at Tanque Verde Ranch
8. All-Inclusive Packages at Tanque Verde Ranch

It has always been a dream of mine to stay at a dude ranch, and the Tanque Verde Ranch is a favorite of mine for several reasons.  This is where my husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception, and my family celebrated my grandfather’s birthday here too.   It has truly withstood the test of time, and I suspect it’s one of the reason families return year after year.

However, I was on the fence as to whether my 5-year-old son would be able to enjoy the activities at a dude ranch.  The Tanque Verde Ranch far exceeded my expectations.  From the kids club to horseback riding, and other kid-friendly activities, there are several reasons why Tanque Verde Ranch is one of the best family dude ranch vacations!

1.  The Kids Club at Tanque Verde Ranch

Because dude ranches involve a lot of outdoor activities, it’s rare to find a dude ranch that caters to families traveling with younger children.  As a parent of a 5-year-old child, the fact that Tanque Verde Ranch has a kids club for children as young as 4 years old really appeals to me.   The Tanque Verde Ranch encourages families of all ages to visit, in large part due to the Buckaroo Bunkhouse, which is the kids club for kids as young as 4 years old.  This, especially, is one of the reasons why the Tanque Verde Ranch is one of the best dude ranches for young kids.

The Buckaroo Bunkhouse is the main hub for kids activities; there, you can sign your child in for the activities for the day.  The kids are separated into three different groups, based on their age:  the Buckaroos (for kids 4-6 years old), the Wranglers (for kids 7-9 years old), and the Outlaws (for kids 10-12 years old).

Because my son is 5 years old, my husband and I enrolled him in the Buckaroos program. My son loved it so much, he didn’t want to leave!  Some of the activities include arts and crafts, horseback riding, playtime in the playground, and yes, even swimming!  Each group is supervised by a camp counselor.

The cost for the activities is included in the all-inclusive package.  More about the all-inclusive package below, but my family and I are more inclined to stay at a resort where the kids club is included as part of the vacation package.  My son enjoys hanging out with kids his age, and my husband and I have the opportunity to relax in quiet (reading for him, time at the spa for me!).

2.  Horseback Riding at Tanque Verde Ranch

Horseback riding is a must at the Tanque Verde Ranch, and young kids are also able to participate. I initially thought my son would just be able to ride ponies.  I was wrong!   He was able to do more than that.  So much that he told me that his favorite part of our vacation was riding a horse.

There is a mini trail/obstacle course for them to ride the horses in a group.  Helmets must be worn at all times, and younger kids are led by wranglers.  Safety is a priority, but there’s just enough adventure for the kids to feel like they are part of the horseback riding experience.  The kids are able to ride a horse a few times throughout the day as part of the kids club activities.

3.  Family Friendly Accommodations at Tanque Verde Ranch

I always associated dude ranches with roughing it outside.  It turns out that it’s anything but!  I love being outdoors, but if I’m given the choice between a hotel room or camping, I’ll choose the hotel room. And I love that guests get the best of both worlds at the Tanque Verde Ranch.

While families can enjoy outdoor activities, they can come back to rest in spacious casitas.  Our casita was huge and has a beautiful view of the desert landscape.  Not only that, but our casita also had a sitting area, a fireplace, and large bathroom.  My son also had his own twin bed, which we all appreciated.

The casita also has a coffee maker and a mini-refrigerator, which we put to good use.  Like most dude ranches, the casitas at Tanque Verde Ranch don’t have televisions.  While some may prefer TVs in the rooms, we were actually fine with it.  It gave all of us the opportunity to disconnect for the two days that we were guests at the ranch.

For those who can’t completely disconnect, though, there is wifi available, although the wifi in our casita was spotty at best.

4.  The Cowboy Cookout at Cottonwood Grove

Nothing says dude ranch like a cowboy cookout!  Tanque Verde Ranch has a cowboy BBQ cookout twice a week for dinner at Cottonwood Grove.  It’s a great way to unwind from the day, eat delicious food, and listen to western music. There’s also a variety of food available to eat at the cowboy cookout, including steaks, hot dogs, and mac and cheese.

Before guests start serving themselves, though, a guest is selected to ring the bell. During the night of our cowboy cookout, our son was selected to ring the dinner bell and he was extremely excited!

The cowboy cookout is also part of the all-inclusive vacation package, so there’s no excuse to not put on your cowboy hat and mosey over to Cottonwood Grove to partake in the festivities.  Kids can also make s’mores after dinner, which is also a fun way to participate in the cowboy cookout.

5.  The Pool Areas at Tanque Verde Ranch

The Tanque Verde Ranch has three pools, making it one of the reasons why it’s one of the best dude ranches for young kids.  There’s the main pool (which is heated), a smaller kids pool, and an indoor pool.  The weather was beautiful during our visit, so we were able to enjoy the main pool outside.

My son enjoyed using the pool noodles to swim around and he also enjoyed spending time in the kids’ pool with some of his friends from the kids club.

6.  Kids Dining Room at Tanque Verde Ranch

Kids can dine with their parents in the main dining hall; however, there is also a separate kids dining room, where they can interact with other kids while they eat favorite kids meals like grilled cheese sandwiches.  They are supervised by the camp counselors and unlike the casitas, there is a TV in the kids dining room that plays children programs.  My son actually preferred eating in the kids dining room, instead of eating with me and my husband!  It’s also a win-win situation for parents.  It’s great to have this option available for parents who want to enjoy a quiet dinner alone.

7.  Breakfast Ride at Tanque Verde Ranch

One of my favorite activities at Tanque Verde Ranch is the breakfast horseback ride.  Guests must be a certain age to participate in the breakfast ride, so my husband and I decided to drop our son off at the kids club so we could participate.  It turns out that kids can still meet parents for breakfast, though!  Instead of riding on a horse to meet us at breakfast, my son and the other kids were taken to the breakfast via golf cart.  Once breakfast is over, the kids meet back up with the camp counselor to get back on the golf cart and return to the kids club while the adults head back to to the ranch on horses.  I love that the Tanque Verde Ranch doesn’t make anyone feel left out from activities.

8.  The All-Inclusive Package at Tanque Verde Ranch

I have a better appreciation of all-inclusive vacations now that I have a child of my own.  Food, especially, can add up, and as my fellow parents know, many kids (including my own son) have a habit of not eating their entire meals.  Additionally, I’m a fan of vacation packages that include not only meals but also activities.

For that reason, I highly recommend the all-inclusive package when booking a stay at the Tanque Verde Ranch.  It includes all the activities listed above, like the kids club, activities, breakfast ride, the cowboy cookout, and three meals a day.  In fact, most everything is included, with the exception of sunset rides and private lessons.

As for the food, it’s fantastic and would easily cost more than $100 if not included as part of the all-inclusive package.  And because the kids club is available for kids as young as 4 years old, there’s no need to hire a babysitter.  While spending time as a family is important at Tanque Verde Ranch, the Ranch also recognizes that sometimes families don’t want to do everything together.

Once our weekend was over, I asked my son if he’d rather stay at a ranch or go to Disneyland.  His response – he’d rather stay at a ranch.  And I agree with him wholeheartedly.  There’s just something special about staying at a dude ranch, connecting with nature and enjoying outdoor activities like horseback riding.

If you’re looking for other family friendly dude ranches in Arizona, click here to read about our experience at the White Stallion Ranch.