Silver Spur Ranch Idaho

This 80-mile Horseback Ride Across Idaho Is the Ultimate Horse Girls' Trip

"A family-owned dude ranch near Dubois that offers immersive three-day, 80-mile horse drives across open plains, sagebrush and wildflower-lined terrain, often with a herd of nearly 50 horses thundering past distant peaks. Founded 30 years ago on a parcel of family land, the operation is now run by the founders’ son and daughter-in-law with help from guides (notably a Wyoming-born Stetson), rotating family members who cook and camp with guests, and seasoned ranch hands. The drives function as both ranch tourism and hands-on horse training: mounted vacationers help move and school dozens of unridden horses to improve their surefootedness while learning to handle spirited mounts at a brisk pace—so riding skill, stamina and tolerance for chafed thighs are essential. Days include fordings and creek baths, simple camp meals (think pulled-pork sandwiches and saddlebag snacks), encounters with regional wildlife (moose, antelope, mule deer, badgers and the occasional coyote or cougar), and rustic nights in sturdy tents; the experience aims to be authentic and rugged rather than high-maintenance." - Carrie Dennis Carrie Dennis Carrie Dennis is a New York City-based writer and editor with more than a decade of content strategy experience. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Gothamist, Time magazine, Men’s Journal, Redbook, and Thrillist. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines