Definition

1. Noun:
   • A holiday resort offering ranch activities: A commercial vacation facility, typically located in a rural or Western-style setting, that provides guests with experiences and activities characteristic of a working cattle ranch, such as horseback riding, camping, and other outdoor pursuits, primarily for recreational purposes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The family spent their summer vacation at a dude ranch in Montana.
  • Many dude ranches offer guided trail rides and cookouts.

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a place where guests, often from urban areas ("dudes"), can experience a stylized version of ranch life without the responsibilities of actual ranch work.
  • The appeal of the dude ranch was its promise of an authentic Western experience with all the comforts of a hotel.

Variants and Related Words

• Guest ranch: A synonym for dude ranch, sometimes used interchangeably.
  • They booked a stay at a guest ranch in Arizona.
• Ranch resort: A broader term that may encompass dude ranches and other vacation properties centered on ranch-style amenities.

Synonyms

• Guest ranch
• Western resort
• Ranch vacation spot

Related Phrases

• Dude wrangler: A staff member at a dude ranch who leads and assists guests with activities, especially horseback riding.
  • The dude wrangler helped the children mount their horses safely.

Noun

1. a holiday resort offering ranch activities (riding and camping)