White Stallion Ranch is a dude ranch located near Tucson, Arizona.  If you’ve never stayed at a dude ranch before, the summer is a great time to take advantage of special rates at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona like the Cactus Kids special!  The White Stallion Ranch hosted me and my family for two nights, but all opinions are my own.  From all special rates, horseback riding, entertainment, rock climbing, and other fun activities, here are 7 reasons for a summer staycation in Arizona at White Stallion Ranch!  Get your cowboy hats and boots ready and pull up a saddle….literally!

7 Reasons for a Summer Staycation in Arizona at White Stallion Ranch

One of the reasons I love traveling is to learn more about history.  And the White Stallion Ranch definitely doesn’t lack in history.  It was built in the 1900s and began as a cattle ranch.  It’s ownership changed throughout time, including a retired governess to the Dupont family.  The ranch was eventually purchased by the True Family, who have owned the ranch since 1965.  It’s now only one of two remaining ranches in Tucson.  Several western movies and TV shows have also been filmed on White Stallion Ranch property, including Arizona, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold, and High Chaparral.  The history of the property is worth a visit alone.  However, a visit to White Stallion Ranch includes even more than that.  From special rates, horseback riding, entertainment, rock climbing, and other fun activities, here are 7 reasons for a summer staycation in Arizona at White Stallion Ranch!

1. Special Rates
2. Location
3. Horseback Riding
4. Rock Climbing
5. Activities
6. Welcoming Atmosphere
7. Entertainment

Special Rates

One of the main reasons to plan a summer staycation in Arizona at the White Stallion Ranch are the special rates.  From June 1st through August 31st, guests can take advantage of the Cactus Kids Summer Fun package.  If you’ve never been to a dude ranch, it’s a great way to experience a vacation at a dude ranch at a discounted rate.  As someone who has lived in Tucson for many years, I know that summers in Arizona are hot.  However, even though my family and I stayed at White Stallion Ranch in July, and during monsoon season, we were still able to experience many of the activities available (more about that below).

The Cactus Kids Summer Fun package includes lodging, meals, and some activities.  The food, by the way, is mouth-watering delicious.  The menus vary day-by-day, but my personal favorite is the taco bar that was served one day during lunch, and the churro ice cream dessert that was served one evening after dinner.

Location

Location is everything!  The White Stallion Ranch is not only convenient for locals, but also those who live in neighboring states like California and Texas.  It’s located near a major interstate (I-10) and borders Saguaro National Park and the Tucson Mountains.  Also, while it’s located near an interstate, it’s very expansive.  White Stallion Ranch is over 3,000 acres so guests definitely still have a feeling of privacy.  The ranch itself has a very intimate feel to it.  It has all the amenities of a modern resort, but it still maintains its rustic charm.  Also, while there is no need to leave White Stallion Ranch, there are plenty of things to do for those who want to explore Tucson outside of the ranch.  Tucson is one of the best places to visit in Arizona because there are several things to do.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is definitely the main reason to plan a summer staycation in Arizona at the White Stallion Ranch!  There are several trail rides scheduled throughout the day and guests are matched up to horses depending on age, height, weight, and experience.  Kids as young as 5 years old can participate in the slow trail rides, so my son was excited to join me and my husband on the breakfast trail ride and the sunset trail ride.  More experienced guests have the option of continuing the trail ride but the slow trail ride was the perfect pace for us.

While White Stallion Ranch does its best to assign you the same horse during your stay, they can’t guarantee it.  However, my family and I were excited that we were assigned the same horses throughout our stay.  While my son has ridden horses before, it was with a lead line.  So this marked the first time my son went on his first trail ride, unassisted.  It was a huge success, in large part due to his assigned horse, Cherokee.  Cherokee is quite possibly the calmest horse I’ve ever met.  As for me, I was ready to bring my assigned horse (Chief) home with me!

Availability of Horseback Riding

Trail rides are available throughout the day, but we signed up for the first ride of the day that was scheduled for 7 a.m.  It worked out perfectly.  It wasn’t hot at that time, and the cloud cover and slight breeze made the trail ride very enjoyable.  Something to keep in mind, though, is that the horses are not available on Sundays so you’ll want to take note of that when booking a stay.

There are several horseback riding options available, depending on age, interest and experience, but for families with younger kids, I definitely recommend the slow trail rides.  Below is a video I filmed of my son on the trail ride.  It’s one of my favorite memories of our summer staycation.

Rock Climbing

White Stallion Ranch is the only hotel/ranch in Tucson that has rock climbing available on property.  We’ve never been rock climbing before, but this gave us the opportunity to try it out in a non-stressful environment.    Wade Purswell from Wild West Climbing is the guide and not only is he extremely nice, but he’s a certified instructor, which is extremely important for an activity like rock climbing.  All we had to do was meet him in the lobby at the designated time.  Wade provides the equipment, the shoes, and the helmet.  Wade described rock climbing as a confidence builder, and I agree with his assessment wholeheartedly.  As for my son, there wasn’t any pressure for him to participate in the rock climbing.  Initially, he was reserved.  However, after meeting Wade, and seeing the equipment like the helmets and the shoes, he was excited to give it a try.  I wouldn’t have let him participate if I didn’t feel like it was safe, and he ended up really enjoying it.

It’s available for an additional charge at the White Stallion Ranch.  It’s currently $100/person for 2 hours and there is rocking climbing available depending on levels of experience (beginner, intermediate, and advanced).  I’m glad we had the opportunity to experience it, and I recommend it for those who would like to try something different in a safe environment.

Activities

Whether you want to go swimming outside, or hang out indoors, there are plenty of activities available at the White Stallion Ranch.  My son loves swimming so pool-time during our stay was a must.  White Stallion has one main heated pool, with plenty of lounge chairs, and a wooden hot tub.  Pool noodles and beach balls are also available for guests to use.

There is also an an enclosed petting zoo at the White Stallion Ranch.  It quickly became a favorite of my son’s.  There are several animals in the petting zoo, including a goat, a peacock, and a rooster.  Guests can feed the animals for a minimal charge.

For those who want to spend time indoors, though, there are several activities available in the recreation room, thanks to the foosball table, ping pong table, a pool table, and air hockey!  There’s even a little LEGO table for those who like to build with LEGOs.  And last but not least, there’s also a movie theater at the White Stallion Ranch, where guests can watch Netflix.

Welcoming Atmosphere

The White Stallion Ranch is very welcoming, from the time of check-in, to signing up for activities, to dining, and accommodations.  The True Family goes out their way to make sure you feel at home while at the ranch.  For example, Russell True meets with guests during dinner, and tells them about the activities for the next day.  While the atmosphere is very inviting, it definitely feels more intimate.  The wranglers also do a great job of getting to know the guests by name.

As for the rooms, there are different rooms and suites available, depending on the number of people you are traveling with.  We stayed in the Deluxe King Twin room, and it definitely felt more like a suite, with a couch.  The rooms are very clean and the beds are very comfortable.  My son loved that he had his own twin bed.  Details really do matter at the White Stallion Ranch, and you can see it especially in the decorations.  Like other dude ranches, White Stallion Ranch did not have a TV in the room.  However, we didn’t miss the TV at all.  There is Wi-Fi available, though, for those who can’t completely disconnect.

Evening Entertainment

The evening entertainment is also one of the reasons for a summer staycation in Arizona at the White Stallion Ranch!  Depending on the day, some of the entertainment includes art classes, western line dancing, cowboy musicians, and star gazing!  During our stay, we had the pleasure of listening to David Rychner perform country western songs like Rawhide.  My son enjoyed bopping along to the music, and it’s a very relaxing way to end the evening!  And there’s nothing like seeing the Arizona sky at night, with the desert landscape as the backdrop.

We loved our summer staycation at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.  There are so many things to do there, and the summer is a great time to take advantage of special rates.

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