RollingStones

Ever since I read Mary O'Hara's My Friend Flicka trilogy as a young horse-obsessed teenager I've wanted to visit Wyoming.
Since we're here in Philadelphia now seemed like the best opportunity. Our family is my husband, our daughter 14, son 12 and me.

Dude ranching seems like the perfect thing. Unfortunately, it's also very expensive.

So I'm wondering if anyone can give me information that will help me arrange something that is more affordable.

It'll be 2019 now.

Thanks in advance.

Former Lancastrian

Will you be driving or flying/renting a vehicle?

There are some very nice scenic drives in particular the Chief Joseph Scenic highway
https://www.travelwyoming.com/listin...h-scenic-byway

This also connects to the Beartooth Pass in Montana which is also a great drive.
An All-American Road in Wyoming & Montana | Beartooth Highway | Montana & Wyoming Scenic Drives

Both are very close to the east entrance of Yellowstone Park in the north west corner of the state. No mega cities to contend with and lots of smaller towns that have everything you need.

You also have the Grand Tetons at the south end of Yellowstone.

RollingStones

To be honest, thsi could all be part of the plan.

We have a Ford Explorer, so we had road trips in mind. But flying may be better. I'm imagining a two week break. We're open to ideas.
I'd really like to ride horses though. However, as me being the only 'horsey' person here it would probably be only me to do it.

dave2702

Try and go and see "Devils Tower" over in East Wyoming, having been a fan of Close Encounters it was amazing to actually see it close-up

Sheridan is a Great place to stay for the night, unless they're having the Rodeo in town, the downtown Best Western can be incredibly cheap

Don't go to Cody without getting accommodation sorted out, the cheap stuff sold out about 6 months prior. It annoyed me that the cost of one night there was practically equal to cost of all other nights put together, and this was out-of-season

I've heard Jackson Hole can be equally as expensive

RollingStones

Oooh thank you Dave. This is all really useful stuff.

Octang Frye

I looked into Dude Ranching a few years back. It was something like 6K per person. And you're "working."

Seconded on Devil's Tower. Just watched Close Encounters the other day.

NYer

I have a friend who does "horse volunteering" in Wyoming. Taking care of older horses, rescued horses, mustangs, etc. Would that be something you'd be interested in? I could get the info, if you want.

Rete

Maybe you want to start small with a dude ranch in the Catskill Mountains in New York, i.e. Pinegrove Dude Ranch, Rocking Horse Dude Ranch. (I've been to both with my adult kids when they were young and there is much for them to do while Mom hits the trail.) Or look into horseback riding in PA and the Poconos. It would get you on horseback for a few hours

kimilseung

Horseback riding in the Yellowstone National Park?

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/horseride.htm

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/stockbusn.htm

Had some time in Wyoming in 2017, one place that I didnt get to, but wish I had, was in the SE, ruts cut in to the rock by wagon trains at "Guernsey Ruts" (https://goo.gl/maps/cFRZNdiCYM82)

For two weeks, you might want to include the Black Hills just over the border in South Dakota too, you are almost there if you do the Devils Tower;

kimilseung

Found it!
I'd like someday to stay here, Willow Creek Ranch, on their land is the Hole in the Wall, famous for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they say accommodation "ranges from $1,100 to $1,700 per person per week"

Willow Creek Ranch at the Hole in the Wall, LLC

plasticbag_uk

Driven through Wyoming many times on I-80,so straight and boring that one time in a team truck the co-driver and myself had a twin screen DVD player in front of us, with one screen strapped on the steering wheel, which didn't turn a millimeter in a couple of hundred miles. Nice scenery but also very boring, if you can work that out. I stopped at a diner in the middle of the state, there were about half a dozen staff and not a house for miles, where the heck do they live ? I also went through a small settlement with a couple of farms, a few houses, 3 churches and a hardware store ???? Not a grocery store, a dam hardware store. You can't eat nails.

RollingStones

I would absolutely look into volunteering, but I'll have the kids with me. The kids will be fine, but I'm not sure someone else wouldn't be reluctant to take me on with them.
I even considered applying for a summer job on one of the ranches, just for the fabulous experience, but hubby pointed put noone would take me on with two children. Would be a great way to get them off their devices, that is no bad thing and I'm confident with animals around they'd both love it.

I have an idea that horse riding over this side of the country would be riding one of our saddles and I so wish for the novelty of riding in a Western saddle.

RollingStones

Maybe that's the kind of experience I need to get it out of my system.
We visited LA last summer, I was deeply disappointed.

RollingStones

Google tells me it's 28 hours driving from our home to Wyoming. Our only limiting factor really is my husband's time. If we drive we can take the two dogs with us.
What do you reckon?

I'm thinking the more economically I can do it, the longer we can stay out.

carcajou

If you are driving from Philadelphia, take three weeks. I would really fly (try Denver rather than one of the Wyoming towns) and hire a car there. How are your pre-teen kids and dogs going to cope with such a long car trip?

Visit the state tourism page and use their information to put together an itinerary, or one of the Moon Guidebooks, which are pretty good.

Wyoming is quite different end to end.

Don't go in Winter. I have some acquaintances who have driven Wyoming in winter and said it was the most dangerous thing they have ever done - white-out conditions - and that was on an Interstate.

I concur with the other poster who advised to get off the Interstate, not because of the above, but remember the Interstate system was built for national defence, not for scenic reasons. Use the state highways and roads.

Dude ranching, meh. The really successful ranchers are wealthy and hire staff to do all the nasty work, while they manage/supervise.