Western Experience

Prude Ranch, Fort Davis

Texas can’t help but brag when it comes to ranches and rodeos. It’s true–everything is bigger and better in Texas. The state offers nearly one hundred working ranches, and the whole town of Bandera has been designated the Cowboy Capital of the World. Here you can take your turn in a cattle roundup or watch a championship bull-riding contest.

Other Old West Excursions

• A working cutting horse and guest ranch near Mount Vernon offers a pampered Western experience in the lush Piney Woods area of the state. Double S Ranch, which runs a prestigious paint horse and quarter horse breeding program, has stocked fishponds, luxury cabin accommodations, and a golf package.
• There’s a reason Fort Worth has hung on to its nickname of Cowtown. An annual rodeo and stock show, well over a century old, is still going strong at Will Rogers Coliseum. And newer additions like the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame put talented women ropers and riders in the spotlight. Don’t miss the Stockyards National Historic District, where the Old West comes alive each day with a real, honest-to-gosh cattle drive.
• Lightning Ranch, nestled among the oaks outside Bandera in the heart of the Hill Country, treats its guests just like family. Whether you drop in for a day of horseback riding or stay overnight for some rest and relaxation, you’ll feel like you’ve found your country home. Get a true taste of Western life by learning the finer points of roping, how best to groom a horse, and what a blacksmith shop is really like.
• In Water Valley, near San Angelo, Walnut Creek Ranch offers visitors a chance to soothe their souls. Spend a pleasant evening pitching horseshoes, enjoying regional entertainment by cowboy songwriters and poets, stargazing, spotting deer, or just visiting with your fellow ranching guests.
• There’s something impossibly romantic about a horseback ride on the beach. Island Equestrian Center on South Padre Island makes it a reality, with gentle horses for less-experienced riders and spirited steeds for seasoned wranglers.
• If you’re looking for a unique hunting experience, look no further. For more than 40 years the 777 Ranch has hosted sportsmen from all over the world. The ranch features legendary Texas beauty, along with an abundance of native and exotic wildlife. White-tailed deer and largemouth bass thrive here, as well as more than 50 species of exotic plains game from five of the world’s continents.