dude ranch

American  

noun

1. a ranch operated primarily as a vacation resort.

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dude ranch British  

noun

1. a ranch used as a holiday resort offering activities such as riding and camping

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Etymology

Origin of dude ranch

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dude ranch

Then he moved back to California to open a dude ranch that he called Hidden Valley—and he brought the recipe with him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

A few years later, Henson and his wife, Gayle, opened a dude ranch in Santa Barbara County called, in a stroke of eventual marketing serendipity, Hidden Valley Ranch.

From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2025

At the all-inclusive dude ranch, summer outdoor activities include fly fishing and paddle boarding.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

Located just 7.5 kilometers south of Rome, the elaborate site was equal parts theatrical stage and winery—as well as the ancient Roman version of a dude ranch.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 16, 2023

Jerry G. carried the cross downstairs, heaved it back into the station wagon, and drove a half-mile south through sagebrush land to the dude ranch incinerator.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols