Tennessee Ranch Vacations
French Broad Dude Ranch
Location: Del Rio, TN
Minimum Stay: 2-5 nights
Season: March — November
If you’d love to feel like one of the extended farming family, French Broad Dude Ranch promises an experience akin to spending time at Grandma’s. It’s all about reconnecting with your family at this child-friendly ranch, where pitching in and doing things together is what it’s all about.
When the stresses and strains of modern life get too much, French Broad Dude Ranch offers the ideal solution. Get back to basics by driving cattle, grooming your horse before saddling up for a ride, guiding a whitewater raft down the river, gathering around the campfire, or polishing your cowboy boots for the square dance. More activities to enjoy include nature hikes, climbing, swimming, fishing, and tubing.
French Broad Dude Ranch is only a four hour’s drive from Nashville, so it’s easy to combine with a visit to the country music capital of the world. It’s all about winding down without the distractions of modern technology, all among a stunning Smoky Mountains setting. You can also learn all about the life of real-life Tennessee cowboys and girls first-hand at this all-inclusive dude ranch.
Accommodation is provided in super cozy, rustic lodge rooms for an authentic local feel with complete comfort. Good farm fresh food is included in your daily meals. There are three meals a day to fill your belly while giving you the chance to socialize with other guests and staff.
A Tennessee Dude & Guest Ranch
Location: Dunlap, TN
Minimum Stay: None
Season: Year-round
A Tennessee Dude & Guest Ranch dates back to 2000. This is when the owners first entered the Sequatchie Valley on horseback and committed to bringing up their family in a traditional, agricultural setting.
Chris and Tammy Young’s love of the Lord and all things equine defines Tennessee Dude & Guest Ranch. Now their kids are grown up, it’s all about offering their grandchildren and other kids the chance to meet farm animals, ride horses, savor spending time in the fields, and stay in rustic wooden cabins with a traditional feel.
Perhaps best of all is the fact that every guest gets a working ranch horse to partner with throughout their stay. The longer you remain, the more rewarding your experience will be. Stay four days plus and you’ll be taught how to rope, while on day five you can take a ride out to a restaurant located at a century-old dairy farm.
It all kicks off with a guided tour of the farm and facilities, followed by a farm-to-fork dinner. Simple pleasures to enjoy include chuck wagon breakfasts, following the trails on horseback, taking a dip in the outdoor pool, toasting marshmallows at the campfire, and optional horse-themed Bible study sessions.
Big Rock Dude Ranch
Location: Pigeon Forge, TN
Minimum Stay: None
Season: Year-round
If the idea of riding among the Smoky Mountains on horseback appeals, maybe you need to book into Big Rock Dude Ranch in Ponderosa. The ranch is only a short distance from Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge and allows guests to experience the area just as it was a couple of centuries ago.
It’s not only about the horses, though admittedly they are the star of the show. Kids and adults alike can also make the most of a picnic area, a gem mine, a petting zoo, and a fishing pond. When you take to horseback, you can follow a breathtaking 3.5 mile trail offering the Great Smoky Mountains as a backdrop.
Complementing the other facilities at Big Rock is a general store selling snacks and souvenirs and a heritage museum dedicated to the Arbor Day Foundation. This is filled with both local and civil war relics.
As Big Rock Dude Ranch in Ponderosa specializes in offering dude ranch vacations by day, it’s not somewhere you can stay over. Instead, turn up whenever you like between 9 am and 5 pm, seven days per week. It’s the ultimate escape when you need a quick fix, all conveniently close to some of the top attractions in Tennessee.
Twin Oaks Guest Ranch
Location: Lebanon, TN
Minimum Stay: 2 nights
Season: Year-round
Twin Oaks Guest Ranch in Tennessee is perfect for those visiting Nashville, as it’s only a half hour by car from downtown. The 45-acre ranch is set among ancient oaks and rolling green fields. It’s the ideal setting when you feel in need of a total recharge.
The ranch was carefully selected by the owners, a businesswoman from California and a Rodeo Cowboy from Canada who fell in love with Wilson County, Tennessee. A warm climate, proximity to a major city, and lots of space including creeks, forest, and ponds, meant that Twin Oaks made the grade.
Activities at Twin Oaks center on horseback riding, country cooking, and a range of other sporting and relaxing pursuits. Rookie riders are welcome, so it’s no problem if you’ve never saddled up before.
Communal, family-style dining is another of the ranch’s greatest pleasures, with signature dishes including cowboy beans, St. Louis ribs, and steaks served cowboy-style. Further pastimes to try include mountain biking, indoor and outdoor games, swimming, or simply whiling away the hours in a hammock or rocking chair.
Guests can stay in cabins, houses, and suites with a Western theme. Each is self-contained and sleeps between one and eight people. It’s perfect when you crave more space and privacy. There’s a BBQ grill, a large furnished porch, and a hot tub at the main guest house.