Alright everyone, gather round! I want to share with you what it’s like to arrive and spend a day at one of the best guest ranches in Wyoming, The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch.
As a very well-travelled woman in her 40s, let me tell you, a dude ranch vacation is the kind of unique escape every travel-loving female needs to experience at least once in her life! (And no, you don’t have to be an aspiring cowgirl, or even be able to ride horses!).
Now, you could be thinking: “Wyoming? Isn’t that a bit ‘out there’? A bit rustic? When will I have time to relax and luxuriate?”
At Wyoming’s The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch, there’s classic Western spirit in abundance, but trust me, this small-scale boutique luxury ranch is also a modern oasis for anyone craving a bit of adventure and a whole lot of relaxation, too.
Here I share with you what arrival to and a typical day in the life of a guest at The Hideout entails – how you spend your day is totally up to you (no crazy itineraries here!) and I think you’ll find it to be a blissful mix of activity and tranquility… Read on to find out more!
Day 1: Sunday – arriving at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
The feeling of pulling up to the main lodge at The Hideout after a long journey is like coming home. Swinging into the driveway, you quickly see the (amazing!) pictures on the website and socials don’t do this boutique luxury guest ranch justice!
The neat wooden railings line the drive, the shining trucks and trailers are all perfectly lined up, the green irrigated lawns glisten in the sun, and happy horses graze quietly in the pastures. Everything is spotless and serene.
This is when you’ll feel a deep breath escape from your lungs as you land in your beautiful, green ranch oasis – your luxury ranch hideout for the week.
A smiling Melanie is there to greet you and because you’ve had so much contact with her organizing your dream Wyoming ranch vacation, meeting her for the first time feels like greeting an old friend!
As soon as you arrive, Melanie will take you on a short tour of the absolutely immaculate main lodge and surroundings before showing you to your long-awaited ranch cabin, casita or Hideout Home.
Your accommodation at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
Settling into your new home on the range is a welcome respite from the travels and your luxury ranch accommodations will not disappoint! No matter which you’ve chosen, you’ll be welcomed by luxury ranch living to help you decompress from your busy life.
Time to freshen up! Shower in the modern, luxury ranch bathroom, then shake off the travels and relax on plumptious sofas to take in the pristine, cozy log cabin aesthetics with a glass of their complimentary room wine. There is even a Nespresso machine for the coffee lovers.
The views of the mountains are to die for, too – it’s the perfect chance for some downtime before cocktail hour.
However, if you’re feeling energized and ready to explore, why not stroll to the barn and tack shop, have a chat with the horses or go relax at the pool?
You may even bump into another arrival, a repeat guest, who is sure to be happy to share their Hideout stories with you.
Cocktail hour at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
At 6:30pm, after a bit of post-travel R&R and settling in, it’s meet ‘n’ greet time. Head over to the main lodge to meet all ranch staff and the other guests at your first cocktail hour gathering of the week.
Evenings at The Hideout are pure magic and kick off with cocktail hour starting at 6:30pm every evening before dinner.
While obviously being great fun and a lovely start to your dude ranch vacation, this social gathering is actually a super important time of day at the ranch.
Not only is it a great time to meet and bond with fellow guests and staff from all walks of life (it’s the perfect time for all solo travelers to make new friends, too!), it’s also the owners’ (Peter and Marijn De Cabooter) and wranglers’ chance to speak with each guest, to make recommendations and find out what they’d like from their ride(s) the following day.
Marijn and Peter will also give a little welcome speech, and together with Melanie and the kitchen and serving staff, they’ll also share some practical information for your stay.
Top tip: After the initial Sunday cocktail hour gathering at 6:30 on day one (Sunday), I recommend that you get there early each evening to check out the photos the wranglers have taken of everyone’s adventures throughout the day. It’s a really fun way to connect with the others and have a laugh at some of the more ‘candid’ shots!
Evening meals at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
Cocktail hour is followed by dinner and dessert, and the weather in early summer through early Fall is usually warm enough to dine outside. I absolutely love alfresco dining in the balmy evening air and you’ll be particularly delighted to see deer casually strolling by as you munch!
Delicious Western-style food with beer, wine or a beverage of your choice is served, keeping the good vibes from cocktail hour flowing.
The ranch’s kitchen team is diverse, talented and creative, and offers many inspired and delicious dishes, including variations on beef, chicken, fish, seafood, pasta, pork and seasonal veg.
Anyone with a food allergy like myself, is assured of being in safe hands; The Hideout’s skilled chef accommodates a wide variety of food allergies and tastes, and you can tell the food is created and served by people who care.
Some evenings, after dinner, Peter will light a bonfire in the Cowboy Cauldron. This is your chance to experience a real cowboy campfire, an absolute must-do while you’re visiting!
I can almost guarantee that after each evening’s socializing and dining at The Hideout, you’ll probably find yourself full, sleepy and ready to head back to your cozy cabin or casita for a seriously good night’s sleep, before you embark on your ranch vacation adventures the next day.
Day 2: Adventures commence!
Waking up at The Hideout
No matter how early you start your first full day at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch, waking up to the stillness of nature surrounding your accommodation is food for the soul.
The gentle birdsong, the occasional neigh of a horse and the smells of sagebrush remind you you’ve landed in a ranch vacation paradise, and stepping out of your sumptuous sheets and onto your porch to take in the astonishing vista is the perfect way to encourage your sleepy eyes into the day.
Breakfast calls and happily all meals are included in your package – every day begins with a hearty and delicious breakfast in the main lodge at 8am.
Time to saddle up!
After a fabulously fuelling breakfast, it’s time to saddle up. Repeat guests can head out onto their first trail ride of the ranch vacation and those choosing all-day rides meet at the main lodge at 8:50am. Guests new to the ranch head to the barn for orientation and riding evaluation with Marjin.
I was delighted to know that The Hideout takes excellent care of their horses, embracing natural horsemanship techniques and considering their horses as employees.
The initial orientation is key to the safety and wellbeing of horse and rider, and although thorough, you won’t feel judged at all.
While being an assessment for Marijn to match you with your perfect horses for the week, Peter and Marijn also recognize that it’s challenging for the horses to frequently have different riders on their back, so to keep the horses comfortable, they want to make sure the guests can ride in a way that’s consistent with their training.
During your vacation, the ranch will switch out your horses for a variety of reasons, so you’ll meet new mounts throughout your stay.
The Hideout team really does an exceptional job at matching you with horses that will give you confidence and fun.
They’re all lovely Quarter Horses and Mustangs straight from the wilds, gentled and well-trained using respectful natural horsemanship methods according to The Hideout’s AH Horsemanship program.
Horse riding at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch
You can choose how often and for how long you ride at The Hideout, there’s always something to suit everyone.
Ride out all day with a gourmet packed lunch, or choose a half-day ride and have the morning or afternoon off to relax or explore other non-riding adventures at the ranch. (That swimming pool is just asking to be dipped into!).
Or why not go on two half-day rides and enjoy lunch at the main lodge in between? You can have it all!
Either way, I was delighted to learn that trail riding at The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch is definitely NOT a nose-to-tail trail riding experience!
Full-day and half-day morning rides meet at the barn at 8:30am or 8:50am, and then the afternoon half-day riders meet at 1:50pm after lunch at the main lodge.
Also, every week during the season, this natural horsemanship ranch offers a half-day natural horsemanship & liberty demonstration clinic, the perfect opportunity to see the experts ‘at play’!
And if you’re keen to turn your hoof to a bit of play, you’re more than welcome to have a go, too.
Depending on the trail rides and rider ability, afternoon and full-day rides usually return between four and five pm, just in time for you to thank your trusty steed and head off to your cabin for a much-needed shower, and some downtime before cocktail hour.
Non-riding activities at The Hideout
If you only have a half-day ride, then you have the chance to try out some of the other ranch activities:
- Swimming at the ranch: The Hideout is a guest ranch with a swimming pool – the perfect way to refresh after riding. Or why not take a soak in the heavenly hot-tub!
- Fly fishing in Wyoming: Seasoned anglers can go out on their own, or if you’d like to go out with a professional guide, just let the ranch know well before your ranch vacation so they can connect you with a guide.
- Trapshooting and archery: Another popular half-day, non-riding activity.
- See the rodeo: Not to be missed, Cody Wyoming is the rodeo capital of the world and from June through August, 90 rodeos are held during the summer! The daily rodeo starts at 8pm, so why not drive in early and explore the shops and museums?
- Visit The Shell Store or Shell Bar: Whet your whistle at this real locals’ haunt, cafe, taphouse and bistro, and fill up on their pastries and excellent hamburgers. Stop a while and listen to locals’ real stories of wild adventures on the range – there’s a gift shop,too.
- Mountain biking: Dubbed as “The best hidden mountain bike paradise” by many enthusiasts, book ahead of arrival to the ranch so they can arrange your bikes.
- Create content: Influencers eat your heart out! Spend an afternoon simply exploring the ranch – there’s an abundance of Insta-dreamy spots all over for you to curate that perfect Reel.
A relaxed Western ranch vacation
After your first full day at the ranch, your days will follow this easygoing format, depending on what you decide to do each day:
- 8am – breakfast at the main lodge
- 8:50am – meet at the barn for full-day and half-day morning rides
- 12.30pm – lunch at the main lodge
- 1:50pm – meet at the barn for afternoon rides
- 2pm – afternoon rides and non-riding activities commence
- 4-5pm – full-day and half-day afternoon riders return
- 6.15pm – meet at the main lodge to see the day’s photos
- 6.30pm – cocktail hour
- 7.30pm – dinner
So that’s it! A day in the life of a guest on a ranch vacation to The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch!
I love that it’s a six-night program, so all guests arrive Sunday afternoon and leave Saturday morning, meaning you adventure together and really get to know your group.
This is a wonderfully flexible dude ranch vacation and you can do as much or as little as you like, as the feeling takes you – the beauty is that there’s no pressure and you’ll come away from this Wyoming ranch feeling relaxed, refreshed and most of all, happy and fulfilled!
If you’re looking for a ranch vacation with a flexible itinerary that includes horseback riding, non-horse riding activities and time off for yourself, The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch is the luxury dude ranch for you! Get in touch with them today, and they’ll meticulously help you plan and book your dream Wyoming ranch vacation.
For more news and updates straight from the ranch, check out Peter’s Hideout blog,too!
Written by Kate Hammaren Writing & Editing
