Top Places in the Southwest for a Real Wild West Experience

Be a Cowboy for a Week, Sleep Where the Western Movie Stars Slept

Tanque Verde Ranch - Tucson, Arizona

The Tanque Verde Ranch is located at the foothills of the Rincon Mountains between Saguaro National Park and the Coronado National Forest just east of Tucson, Arizona. The rooms and casitas and dotted throughout the guest ranch property, making each short walk from room to activities and dining, an opportunity to explore the beauty of the desert. The hills surrounding the ranch are dotted with the majestic Saguaro cacti, native only to the Sonoran desert area. You may happen upon deer, javelina, coyotes, rabbits and a wide range of bird species on your visit.

El Rancho Motel in Gallup, New Mexico - Sleep Where the Western Stars Slept

The El Rancho Hotel was built 1937 and is located on old Route 66. From the 1930's to 1950's, the hotel became a temporary home for many Hollywood stars. The El Rancho Hotel has been designated a National Historic Site and retains the charm of Old West Gallup. Autographed photos of the movie stars who have visited and Navajo Rugs surround the two story rustic lobby. Rooms are named after movie stars who stayed there.

Rancho de los Caballeros, Wickenburg, Arizona - For the Upscale Cowboy

Rancho de los Caballeros is a well respected guest ranch in Wickenburg, Arizona. Families have been coming to the ranch for over 50 years to golf, ride, enjoy fine dining and soak up the desert sunshine. The ranch recently added a spa. You'll have the opportunity to ride the desert like a Western star, top the day off with a prickly pear margarita, and then bed down in your own "casita" during your Rancho de los Caballeros stay.

Stop at John Ford's Point at Monument Valley

John Ford's Point, place where many Westerns were filmed, offers an excellent view of the Three Sisters group and, when we were there, a dapper Navajo man in a red shirt astride a well-groomed black horse rode out onto the point. I hear he does this daily, but I haven’t seen mention of him in most of the Monument Valley articles. So let me tell you that seeing him out on the point alone, with the majesty of the valley behind him was a thrill for me.

Spend a Few Days in Wild West Williams, Arizona

Williams is known as a Route 66 town and the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. With the magic touch of two talented men, one an eclectic artist and the other a refugee from Hollywood, the Wild West image of Williams has been greatly enhanced. Enter Michael J. DuCharme, principal of the new Wild West Junction, and Jay Redfeather who has drawn the artist’s conceptions for all the Junction’s current and future buildings. Together, they are building a mini Wild West Theme area with fascinating museum, restaurant with western entertainment and a hotel where you can stay in a Western Film Room or, even, a Wild West Bordello themed room.

Hidden Meadow Guest Ranch - Greer, Arizona

Find a luxurious retreat deep in the White Mountains of Arizona that will give you the opportunity to experience a ranch atmosphere and the wilds of White Mountain elk country while dining on gourmet food and relaxing in your private log cabin.