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

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

According to our reviewer, Alida Becker, this novel is filled with “movie-star look-alikes” who spend several weeks together on “a 1930s Nevada dude ranch teeming with about-to-be-divorced women.”

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2022

Having passed the dude ranch softball field, Jerry G. was just negotiating the curve around Ray Gusdorf s small spread when he noticed a freshly painted and inscribed wooden cross beside the road.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols