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Bighorn Mountain Ranch Hideout
Wyoming
USA
Hidden Trails is proud to offer this wonderful authentic 100-year old working
cattle and horse ranch with generations of ranching experience just an hour
from the city of Cody. On the way in you will drive through true wild horse country to reach the
ranch. You will appreciate the vastness of the ranch's landscape, which spreads across
approximately 300,000 acres of private, Big Horn National Forest and BLM land. (see: PDF Brochure)
Guests here enjoy high-end pampering by the professional staff with excellent
daily menus created by Le Cordon Bleu Culinary schooled chefs. A great glass of
wine after a long days ride at 8200 feet altitude is something that makes for
great relaxation and memories, before turning in for the night and a good night sleep in a
most comfortable bed. They aim to offer our guests a great combination of traditional ranching culture with high quality hospitality every time they visit.
By limiting the number of guests to 25 maximum, they can ensure an authentic ranch boutique
experience with well maintained accommodations, highly professional
staff, excellent horses and trails while also keeping it personal and intimate. If horseback riding, herding cattle and enjoying the great outdoors in Wyoming is your
idea of a perfect vacation, then you’ll be pleased with many top quality horses and wranglers available for your riding
pleasure. These horses will be some of the best you have ever ridden on a guest
ranch. All the cattle work offered is real - not made up for "dudes" - and there
is plenty of it. It certainly is not a “Nose to Trail” dude ranch, they boast their own Quarter Horse breeding program and the carefully and personally train each of there horse with Natural Horsemanship. The cowboys are all highly skilled and have a
great diversity of insight about horses to share. Some have attended Pat Parelli schools and we
continue to invest in their skills for you to enjoy during your stay. Many
riders and photographers come here because of the diversity of scenery in a
relatively small (by Wyoming standards) area. A big draw are the remote Big Horn
Mountains, out of the way of mainstream tourists, with its formations and many
prehistoric sites, which are popular with paleontologists. During your stay you can
ride through semi desert, rocky and green canyons, alpine forest, mountain
pastures and lake country - at elevations that range from 4,200 feet to 13,100
feet in Cloud Peak Wilderness. You may ride with your own close friends, foreign travelers from around the world, and their well known repeat
guests who keep returning for more, always in a culture of friendship, warmth, genuineness, in
a personal, yet professional environment. You will have the opportunity to be a
cowboy and you will ride and work aside authentic ones. They are eager to share
and explain what they know keeping it light, having fun and being
able to be very personable. Here they offer the unique experience of living the lifestyle of the remote outdoors and yet being pampered, but doing it in a much more personal way than a typical resort with the same high
standards as they have the passion to excel. This ranch comes with a “western
ranching” flare, a special mix of 100 year-old Wyoming ranch culture
with the hospitality of European flare. This makes it a spiritual
experience and no
visit is the same as the last one... You will feel you are part of the place and
that feeling will stay with you long after you leave!
For non riders, this area allows for a variety of outdoor activities like
fly-fishing, trapshooting, hiking, biking, canoeing, dinosaur site visits, and
overnight high mountain stays - in the winter snowmobiling, cross-country
skiing, and snowshoeing. The ranch is within comfortable driving distance of the
East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons.
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Guest Ranch Working Ranch Cattle Drive, Round Up Riding with fishing options Suitable for riders over 210 lbs
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Meeting:
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Shell
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Airport:
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Cody
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Transfer:
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Riders:
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Min
4 riders
Max
8 riders
(per riding group)
Max Capacity
25
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Trip Brochure (PDF)
Trip Rating
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Rates and Dates for 2012
Rates include:
Accommodations, all meals with wine and beer, cocktal hour, daily guided horseback riding activities, cattle work, trap shooting, off-season horse clinics, some general fishing
| A | 2012 | 7 day Ranch, AP (Fall) | 7d / 6n | $2345 |
| Single supplement | $250 |
| Child under 12 yrs - 15% Off | $0 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH pp (dbl) | $1935 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH Single Supplement | $150 |
| Non Activity Discount - 25% (Accomm & Meals only) | $0 |
| B | 2012 | 7 day Ranch, AP (Summer) | 7d / 6n | $2745 |
| Single supplement | $250 |
| Child under 12 yrs - 15% Off | $0 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH pp (dbl) | $2025 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH Single Supplement | $150 |
| Non Activity Discount - 25% (Accomm & Meals only) | $0 |
| C | 2012 | 7 day Ranch, AP (Spring) | 7d / 6n | $2235 |
| Single supplement | $250 |
| Child under 12 yrs - 15% Off | $0 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH pp (dbl) | $1845 |
| 4 night Stay SU-TH Single Supplement | $150 |
| Non Activity Discount - 25% (Accomm & Meals only) | $0 |
Gratuity:
15
%
(to be paid locally)
Tax:
5
%
Transfer Option:
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2012
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Transfer from Cody per car (1-4) return
This is a "Group Rate" - to be paid locally
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$175
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2012
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Transfer from Billings per car (1-4) return
This is a "Group Rate" - to be paid locally
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$495
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Check in is on Sunday after 2 PM. Check out at 10 AM on departure day.
Tour Dates for 2012
Check here for details and availability
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| C |
2012
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04/01
- 04/07
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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04/08
- 04/14
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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04/15
- 04/21
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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04/22
- 04/28
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
|
Expired
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| C |
2012
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04/29
- 05/05
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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05/06
- 05/12
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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05/13
- 05/19
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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05/20
- 05/26
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Expired
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| C |
2012
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05/27
- 06/02
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Spring)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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06/03
- 06/09
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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06/10
- 06/16
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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06/17
- 06/23
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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06/24
- 06/30
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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07/01
- 07/07
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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07/08
- 07/14
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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07/15
- 07/21
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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07/22
- 07/28
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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07/29
- 08/04
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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08/05
- 08/11
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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08/12
- 08/18
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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08/19
- 08/25
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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08/26
- 09/01
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| B |
2012
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09/02
- 09/08
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Summer)
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25
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Reserve
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| A |
2012
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09/09
- 09/15
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Reserve
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| A |
2012
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09/16
- 09/22
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Reserve
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| A |
2012
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09/23
- 09/29
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Reserve
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| A |
2012
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09/30
- 10/06
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Sold Out
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| A |
2012
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10/07
- 10/13
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Reserve
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| A |
2012
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10/14
- 10/20
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7d / 6n
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7 day Ranch, AP (Fall)
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25
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Reserve
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Weekly from Sunday to Saturday for 6 nights.
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Rates do not include:
Alcoholic drinks from the bar, Massage services (1 hr = $70), 15% Gratuities. Guided fly-fishing, Sightseeing options.

This is is not a 'nose to tail' riding experience, but safety is their number one concern. They take pride in matching the right
horse with the right rider according to riding experience and ability. No ride is the same. Due to the vastness of terrain, there are always
new things to discover. On your vacation, rides are diverse and customized according to riding skills and riding activity of the group. Experience and skill are important when choosing a rewarding ride for our guests. Rides are subject to change depending on weather, location and difficulty of terrain. For riders looking for an exciting and challenging trail riding program we offer our Lodge to Lodge Trail Riding Package.
During the cattle drives you ride through diverse scenery. This makes a lovely ride that combines gorgeous views with real ranch work. They have approximately 80 horses usually during our busy season we have 25 guests per week so our horses have plenty of time to rest and are rotated on a constant basis.
Type of Terrain:
High desert and canyons with altitude of the rides ranging from 4,200 to 5,400 feet. Mountain pastures, high alpine meadows and extreme upper country. At 9,200 feet you will feel on top of the world! Green pastures of sage, lakes, streams and alpine forests. You will not believe this all exists so close to one another.

Cattle Drives and Round Ups (Feb - October)
Although this region offers an unseen variety of scenery to please all levels of trail riding, cattle work is our signature activity. The ranch legitimately boasts more genuine and necessary cattle work than any other guest ranch available. There is no "make-believe" on our ranch - we offer real cattle work, branding and cattle drives. We house a couple thousand cows, their calves, and yearlings, which are spread over more than a quarter million acres. There is always some “cowboying” to do. The hands are not your typical dude ranch wranglers. They are personable and attentive with guests and they shoulder much of the responsibility with the care of the cattle. This means you ride with real cowboys and cowgirls and participate in day-to-day ranch activities. The horses you ride are the horses we ride. We take great care in matching horse and rider to assure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Historically, a cattle drive meant trailing cattle a great distance, say from Texas to Wyoming. Today cattle are still trailed from place to place in the American West, but no longer on quite so vast a scale. Cattle work hinges on range conditions and weather, and sometimes even government regulations. When a guest ranch is able to designate a date for a cattle drive far in advance, it may be made up or pretend for entertainment and/or guest participation. We are seldom able to say in advance exactly when we'll do a long distance drive.
On a ranch as large as this one, we move, doctor, or sort cattle almost on a daily basis. This is why we can tell you that you'll have to opportunity to do more real cattle work at the Hideout than you will on any other guest ranch. Cattle work is the most defining of all of the activities offered at the ranch. You may have heard that "cowboys are a dying breed." Not so here. Cowboys here are alive and as real as 100 years ago. If you sign up for cattle work, expect to step back in time and come away with a better understanding of what it means to be a cowboy. See below for more information on cattle work throughout the seasons.

Other Popular Trail Rides
a) Devils Leap: Take a look over the edge if you dare! Devils leap drops 800 feet beneath you as you ride over a breathtaking vista. Along the ride you will see undulating red clay hills capped by wild grasses, sage and cactus.
b) Mollycropsy: Calling all adventures! This ride boasts sharp turns, steep inclines and daring drops which challenge even the most advance rider. This breathtaking canyon includes abundant wildlife and is perfect for those seeking high adventure.
c) Black Mountain: An easier, scenic route that travels through the high desert flats of Trapper Creak, then winds through fields of salt sage and as a finale ends with a dramatic view over the entire Bighorn Basin and parts of Yellowstone Park.
d) Walnut Grove: Go back in time 100 years. You are carried though a picturesque tree canopied path, past old timber corrals, over a wooden bridge and out into a wide open lane perfect for a long gallop.
e) The Upper Hideout: Head out to a remote spot located 8,600 feet above sea level. Your ride will be 5 to 6 hours with an overnight stay at the Upper Hideout. The Upper hideout is located in a pristine and remote area overlooking the Big Horn Basin.
You will climb via horseback 4,200 feet on Black Mountain Road which is one of the oldest cattle trails in the area. You will also ride though the green and lush White Creek Canyon and over amazing vistas in the Trapper Canyon. During autumn you might see elk herds containing up to 700 elk.
Wild Horse rides
We share some of our grazing with the wild horses. During cattle work, you will frequently have the chance to see and enjoy wild horses. Your rides will be anywhere from 2 to 6 hours long and can be lengthened or decreased depending on your choosing. Your wrangler will be more than happy to accommodate your request.

Ranch work varies with the season. Our cattle work schedule is as follows:
Branding (April - May)
Ah, spring time in the mountains. The smell of sweet sage, snow capped mountains sparkling bright white against azure skies and baby calves romping through lush green pastures. It’s a cowboy’s favorite time of year and one we’re proud to invite our guests to share with us! Cattle, cowboys, horses, and branding have been the foundations of ranching since the frontier days of long ago. A rancher's brand is his mark and his identity. Branding is not only a Western tradition, but an indelible and legal form of identification, necessary to prevent livestock rustling in such big country.
Branding Time!
Imagine… a sea of cows, dust covered cowboys discernible only by their colorful neck silks blowing in the breeze, a well muscled horse wheeling and spinning helps his rider throw the perfect loop, thin veils of dust that seem to come alive beneath the hooves of bawling cows and calves. The smells of sweat and sage and the magical sounds of branding that make one proud to live a life on the range. If you long for a traditional, hands-on cowboy branding experience, then late April and early May is your season.
Cattle Drives into the Mountains (late May - June)
Late May and June (after the snow has melted), we herd yearlings and younger cows up into the mountains, so if you like cattle drives this is a good time for you to come to The Hideout. The mountains are covered with beautiful colors of spring flowers.
Gathering and Sorting Cattle (July)
Early July is the time of year we move our older cows and their calves from the high desert in the basin to our high mountain pastures.
Keep in mind that our cows share over 100,000 acres with wild horses. We gather and sort cow/calf pairs by the truckload. Sorting cattle on open range is an art form. Then the cattle make the 40-mile trip up the mountain via Flitner Ranch semi-trucks. Upon arrival, the cows and calves need to be paired back up and herded in bunches by horseback to various alpine meadows. There are plenty of these cattle drives to do for our guests.
High Mountain and National Forest Cattle Work (July– mid September)
During the summer there’s always cattle work to be done. Early July is the time of year when we move cows and calves from the basin to our high mountain pastures. Our Angus herd shares over 100,000 acres with wild horses and free-range livestock. You’ll help us as we gather and sort cow/calf pairs at the stockyards and prepare them to make the 40-mile trip up the mountain via Flitner Ranch semi-trucks. Upon arrival, the cows and calves need to be paired back up and herded from horseback to their summer grazing meadows. This is one of the prettiest times to visit. Your travels will take you from high desert prairies surrounded by the beauty of the painted hills, up jagged trails cached between pinon pine and shale slides, through wide open mountain meadows and nestle you amid bowers of high pine forests. It’s quite common to view an amazing variety of wildlife including elk, deer and moose. Spontaneous fishing breaks have been known to occur on the mountain.
Autumn Roundup & Indian Summer (mid September - October)
Mid September through October is round-up time in the high country. You’ll awake to the smell of bacon and fresh coffee, enjoy the crisp fall mornings, marvel at the brilliant rainbow of colors as the aspen trees change from green to gold and of course prepare to bring cattle down the mountain. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to capture your nearest neighbors, the elk and wildlife on film as they come down from the high country. It’s a brilliant and unforgettable day.
Winter Season (November to March)
We don’t usually get much snow in the high desert of Shell Valley, Wyoming, but there’s still plenty of cattle work to be done. Wintertime finds our cowboys hard at work as they tend the herd, check and mend fences and prepare for the next season. When the sun comes out, tending to the cows can be pleasant work on horseback. If the weather is inclement, you’ll still find plenty to do either at the Hideout barn working with young colts or by exploring some of our winter activities at the Snowshoe Lodge. Snowshoe Lodge is located near snowshoe pass and boasts over 400 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, but it’s the miles of fresh powder and un-groomed trails that really thrill the snowmobile enthusiasts.
Other Activities:
- Fly Fishing (April - October) The area offers some of the best trout fly fishing in Wyoming. You can cast for native cutthroat, rainbow, brook, and brown trout. When it comes to fly-fishing and fishing opportunities, the diversity of experiences in this area matches the diversity of the scenery.
- Canoeing
- Trap Shooting
- Hiking - Mountain Biking
- Wagon Rides
- Dinosaur Track and Site Visits
- Cody Nite Rodeo
- Trips into Yellowstone
Meeting:
Shell
Airport:
Cody
Distance:
50 miles
Check in is on Sunday after 2 PM. Check out at 10 AM on departure day.
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Tack:
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Western
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Horses:
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Quarter Horses and cross, Mustangs, Arab Cross, Paints
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Pace:
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All paces - from easy to very challenging - according to riding level. Terrain: Prairies, mountains, canyons, alpine forests. Elevations from 4,200 to 11,000 ft
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Walk |
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Level:
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(1
to
4
out of 5) All riding levels
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Age:
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Min
7
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Weight:
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Max
230 lbs
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Riders:
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Min
4 riders
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Max
8 riders
(per riding group)
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Max Capacity
25
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Riding Guides
The wranglers know the terrain well and offer a unique perspective about the trails and the landscape that you ride on. To make the most of your experience, we rotate wranglers to enhance your time spent in the saddle. Our year-round staff are cowboys with emotional intelligence who are eager to help you understand what we do, teach you and to make sure you are safe. We have riding staff from different walks of life to assure that all of our guests have a great time!
Horse culture
What do we mean by "horse culture?" It's the way we select and train that special animal you'll ride here. It's also about our trusted wranglers, the people we have carefully chosen to take good care of you while you're horseback on the trail or in the arena.
And that job starts before you ever get in the saddle. We're proud of every single horse we have in our string. But not every horse is a good fit for every rider. That depends on a number of things, like your riding experience, your size and other factors. Our wranglers are experts at matching you with the right animal to ensure your safety, build your confidence, and make sure you have a great time every time you head out on one of our scenic Wyoming trails.
That process actually begins long before you get to the Ranch. Horses, like deer, are known as "prey animals." Their instinct when they sense danger is to run first, and ask questions later. A large part of training a horse is training that fear out of them. The horse needs to learn we won't hurt them, the saddle won't hurt them, and a plastic bag blowing on the ground won't hurt them. It's called desensitizing the animal. A good example are police horses in a big city. Those horses have learned not to fear crowds, noise, and even gunshots. And the animals can stand like a statue in the middle of all that other urban stuff that was once so scary to them.
The ranch horses get a similar education. They don't graduate to our guest string until we're confident they'll be unfazed by whatever they might run into. And of course these equines must also have the athletic ability required to work cattle and handle the challenging terrain we ride on.
Low Stress Stockmanship and Natural Horsemanship
Our key staff is trained in the Bud Williams Low Stress Stockmanship concept of handling livestock. During your orientation on Monday morning you will learn the basic concepts. We can also organize a 1 day session during your stay given there are enough participants.
During the off-season we organize 3 day clinics as part of your stay for those who are interested to learn more about this technique. Stockmanship teaches you to “read” the animal so that you can change your position and have the animal want to go where you want it to go. It is aimed at using the energy of the animal in a low stress manner to handle the animals in a more efficient manner.
One of the reasons why our pricing is somewhat higher than other guest ranches is because we are a real working cattle ranch, which involves a certain degree of logistics – all that are necessary to offer an authentic taste of the West to our guests.
Many of our wranglers are year round employees because it takes several years to learn the terrain and the skills to wrangle both guests and cattle and make it a worthwhile, safe and exciting experience. The ranch takes pride in the high number of repeat guests for whom part of the experience is to see familiar faces they trust year after year.
Passport and Visa Requirements:
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the. more
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Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Annual |
| Average Max. Temperature (F)
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32.5
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40.3
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50.9
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61.0
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70.1
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80.5
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89.3
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87.6
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75.4
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62.4
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44.8
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34.6
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60.8 |
| Average Min. Temperature (F)
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6.1
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12.5
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21.5
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29.7
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37.3
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47.1
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53.6
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50.2
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39.6
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29.4
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17.3
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7.5
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29.3 |
| Average Total Precipitation (in.)
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0.54
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0.46
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0.52
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1.02
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1.44
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1.63
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0.74
|
0.59
|
1.11
|
0.85
|
0.56
|
0.49
|
9.94 |
| Average Total SnowFall (in.)
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6.0
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3.3
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2.2
|
0.4
|
0.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.2
|
0.6
|
1.7
|
5.2
|
20.1 |
| Average Snow Depth (in.)
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1 |
With your comfort, safety, and enjoyment during your Western adventure in mind ...
Just three simple rules related to apparel when horseback riding:
* No sneakers
* No spurs
* Stampede string or chin strap for wide-brimmed hats.
We rent chaps and chinks and they are available for sale here as well.
The ranch is a year-round operation. Seasonal weather in Wyoming can be unpredictable. Best to be prepared. As they say, better to bring it along and not need it, than need it and not have it. Items flagged with an asterisk (*) indicates more information noted below.
It can get quite hot during the summer in Wyoming. And spring and fall temperatures can get rather cool, sometimes even cold. Winter? Cold and snowy, but that's snowmobilers' paradise up here. In general, bring clothing that can be layered. Suggested To Bring lists for horseback-riding season or snowmobiling season appear below.
To Bring (Year-Round):
Camera (extra film if 35mm, or extra memory card if digital)
Long distance calling card to use with landline phones (cell phones don't work so well up here in back country)
Bathing suit
Lip balm and sunscreen
Sunglasses
Spring, Summer, Fall (horseback-riding seasons):
Headgear
Wide-brimmed Hat (stampede string or chin strap mandatory) and/or Riding Helmet
Riding boots
Comfortable jeans -- we recommend Wranglers due to less bulky inseam on legs
Chaps
Hosiery to prevent chafing wouldn't hurt (for both women & men)
Windbreaker or rain slicker
Leather gloves (more than one pair)
Long-sleeved shirts for protection against high-altitude sun
Lip balm and sunscreen
Sunglasses
Warm sweater or jacket
Long underwear or tights for warmth on cool days
Bathing suit (for hot tub and/or landscaped swimming pond)
For your convenience, we supply:
Hair dryers, bathrobes, and complimentary toiletry items in guest rooms at The Hideout
Small saddle bag that goes over the saddle horn for your use (to carry water bottle, camera etc.),
Complimentary water bottle
We have laundry facilities for the exclusive use of our guests
An iron and an ironing board are also available in each guest room
For your convenience, we have available for purchase:
We sell long distance calling cards you can use with landline phones in your cabin. Except for jeans, The Store & Gift Shop stocks many necessary items of Western wear. There are other local Western stores with reasonable prices where it is possible to buy jeans.
Helmets and/or hats … Due to the inherent risks of riding horses, we recommend that our guests wear a riding helmet. However, riding helmets need to be professionally fitted; therefore, the ranch cannot provide them. Guests who choose to wear a riding helmet must bring their own. Wide-brimmed hats need to have a stampede string or chin strap so you don't have to dismount to retrieve your hat several times a day.
Proper riding footwear … For your safety, we cannot allow guests to ride in sneakers or otherwise unsuitable footwear. To minimize the risk of having one of your feet caught in a stirrup, we recommend that you ride in cowboy or riding boots. Leather boots with a shaft also provide more protection and comfort from the hard stirrup against your ankles.
If you do not have cowboy boots, your boots should pull off easily (therefore, lace-up boots are NOT recommended).
Footwear for riding should at least have: Smooth leather soles, Heels
Leave the spurs at home. Our horses are well trained and willing, so you don't need spurs. Guests will not be allowed to wear spurs when riding.
Winter season:
Thermal socks
Cowboy boots – thermal cowboy boots would be preferable.
Winter boots
Thermal jeans
Clothing that can be layered
Warm sweaters (fleece or wool).
Winter jacket
Snow pants
Thermal gloves
Hat
Scarf
Snowmobiling attire – for your convenience you may rent snowmobiling attire for an additional charge
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*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
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The Main Lodge is the heart of
the ranch operation. When you arrive you are welcomed by the staff
where we cater to your every comfort. You are treated like a guest of
the family and dedicated staff and not just a client or a customer.
Many of our repeat guests call it a Guest Ranch Boutique Experience on
a real working cattle ranch. Each year, guests from around the world
return to partake of our authentic Western experience and warm Wyoming
hospitality, worthy of our century long heritage. They recreate,
rejuvenate and renew friendships at their home away from home.
The Lodge
The Main Lodge building is a large, Western-style log structure built in 1992. This building contains the Gift Shop, the office, a spacious dining room with nearby pantry and kitchen, and loft bar. The Main Lodge has large windows and porches overlooking lush green lawns and ponds and offer ever-changing vistas. The view from the dining room of Shell Canyon and the Big Horn Mountains is simply spectacular, sure to enhance your dining experience.

The Bar
Guests typically gather every evening for cocktail hour in the loft bar. Complimentary appetizers are served while enjoying your beverage of choice and reviewing the photos of the day shown on a large screen. Guests are then served a gourmet dinner in the dining room, at large tables so you can mingle with fellow guests. One evening a week, there is after-dinner entertainment with cowboy singers.
Entertainment area
On the lower level of the Main Lodge are additional guest facilities including comfy armchairs, books, tables for games, a rec room, and a pool table. There's an entertainment area with a big-screen TV accompanied by a selection of Western movies on DVD and a guest computer with high-speed internet access. There are also laundry facilities for the convenience of the guests.
The lodge is surrounded by well-groomed lawns, shade trees, and refreshing ponds. Paved walkways that are lit after dark, lead you to the casitas, cabins and other amenities such as the outdoor hot tub and shower facilities. Shell Creek winds through the property, which along with the fishing ponds, provide catch-and-release fishing right on the grounds.

Guest Cabins
Western-style log cabins, built in 1992, are decorated with excellent furnishings in warm colors that are kept sparkling and well maintained. Emerald green lawns surround these five duplex cabins, which connect to the main lodge, other cabins, hot-tub, and swimming pond by well lit asphalt pathways.
All cabins complete with:
• Modern bathroom with shower
• Choice of Queen size bed and pullout sofa, or two twin beds. All cabins come complete with a loft.
• Air-conditioning & heat
• Wireless internet, satellite television and phone
• Guest handbook & complimentary snack basket
• Mini-fridge – complementary beer and soda. Wine and liquor may be purchased in the gift shop.
• An outside porch with rocking chairs
• Ever-changing vistas of Shell Canyon. Guest cabins are cleaned daily and sheets are changed mid-week. The Hideout at Flitner Ranch caters to your every comfort. In addition to complementary toiletries, we also provide bathrobes among the personal amenities for your use during your stay.

Guest Casitas
The Casitas are one-bedroom, modern western apartments. They are located in a two-story, four-unit log building with back porches overlooking the orchard and Shell Creek. Your view guides your eye toward Shell Canyon and the spectacular Big Horn Mountains beyond. The Casitas are within short walking distance from the Main Lodge.
The Casitas are complete with:
• Individual living room and kitchen
• Modern bathroom with shower
• King-size bed and pull-out sofa
• Air-Conditioning & heat
• Wireless internet, satellite television and phone
• Washer & dryer
• Guest handbook & complimentary snack basket
• Mini-fridge – complementary beer and soda. Wine and liquor may be purchased in the gift shop.
• Outside porch with rocking chairs
• Ever-changing vistas of Shell Canyon
The Casitas are cleaned daily and sheets are changed again mid-week. The ranch caters to your every comfort. We also provide bathrobes among the personal amenities for your use during your stay, and complimentary toiletries.

Fine Dining Fare – Featuring First Rate Chefs
Our hearty Western fare and gourmet dinners are one of the main reasons our repeat guests return every year. The view from the dining room of the main lodge where meals are served is simply spectacular. We can assure you that excellent dining is taken very seriously. Each item is prepared with only the best and freshest ingredients.
Our chef Chris Dalin is a Le Cordon Bleu culinary schooled chef. Our other chef Robb who runs the restaurant is a graduate of the Colorado Institute of Art. We continuously invest in our chef’s continuing education at places like The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA. Both Chris and Robb are longtime friends and challenge each other to delight our guests with their culinary skills and ideas.
Our breakfasts are hearty to assure you make it through a vigorous day of “cowboying”. Each morning our chef’s create homemade dishes such as eggs prepared any way you want them. In addition we also offer a breakfast selection at the buffet.
For the all-day rides, hearty sandwiches are freshly prepared in the morning to ensure The Hideout’s standards for quality. Otherwise, a scrumptious lunch is served in the dining room of the Main Lodge. In the evening, we serve our guests western-style gourmet food, elegantly presented, with either wine or beverage of your choice. Once a week (weather permitting) there is an outdoor cook-out where we serve juicy, marbled Certified Angus Beef amongst other tantalizing food.
The fresh high-country air and invigorating outdoor activities will stimulate your appetite, and at the Hideout, your taste buds will always be richly rewarded.
Culinary events
On a regular basis you can find culinary talent from around the world hosting initiatives in this remote valley. In October, the ranch is home for one of the top Belgian artisan chocolate makers for 2 weeks. He will train our staff, organize chocolate clinics and chocolate tasting events for you to enjoy as part of your experience out West. We believe in combining the best of both worlds.
Dinner Reservations at The Trapper Creek Restaurant
At the ranch we dine together. If you would like to dine privately for one night and choose from a menu, we can arrange for you to dine at The Trapper Restaurant based on availability. This is billed separately but when you let us know in advance, we offer a special Guest Discount.
This trip includes
some wine with dinner
and can accommodate special dietary requests.
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Tack:
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Western
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Horses:
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Quarter Horses and cross, Mustangs, Arab Cross, Paints
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Pace:
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All paces - from easy to very challenging - according to riding level. Terrain: Prairies, mountains, canyons, alpine forests. Elevations from 4,200 to 11,000 ft
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Walk |
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Level:
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(1
to
4
out of 5) All riding levels
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Age:
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Min
7
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Weight:
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Max
230 lbs
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Riders:
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Min
4 riders
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Max
8 riders
(per riding group)
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Max Capacity
25
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Riding Guides
The wranglers know the terrain well and offer a unique perspective about the trails and the landscape that you ride on. To make the most of your experience, we rotate wranglers to enhance your time spent in the saddle. Our year-round staff are cowboys with emotional intelligence who are eager to help you understand what we do, teach you and to make sure you are safe. We have riding staff from different walks of life to assure that all of our guests have a great time!
Horse culture
What do we mean by "horse culture?" It's the way we select and train that special animal you'll ride here. It's also about our trusted wranglers, the people we have carefully chosen to take good care of you while you're horseback on the trail or in the arena.
And that job starts before you ever get in the saddle. We're proud of every single horse we have in our string. But not every horse is a good fit for every rider. That depends on a number of things, like your riding experience, your size and other factors. Our wranglers are experts at matching you with the right animal to ensure your safety, build your confidence, and make sure you have a great time every time you head out on one of our scenic Wyoming trails.
That process actually begins long before you get to the Ranch. Horses, like deer, are known as "prey animals." Their instinct when they sense danger is to run first, and ask questions later. A large part of training a horse is training that fear out of them. The horse needs to learn we won't hurt them, the saddle won't hurt them, and a plastic bag blowing on the ground won't hurt them. It's called desensitizing the animal. A good example are police horses in a big city. Those horses have learned not to fear crowds, noise, and even gunshots. And the animals can stand like a statue in the middle of all that other urban stuff that was once so scary to them.
The ranch horses get a similar education. They don't graduate to our guest string until we're confident they'll be unfazed by whatever they might run into. And of course these equines must also have the athletic ability required to work cattle and handle the challenging terrain we ride on.
Low Stress Stockmanship and Natural Horsemanship
Our key staff is trained in the Bud Williams Low Stress Stockmanship concept of handling livestock. During your orientation on Monday morning you will learn the basic concepts. We can also organize a 1 day session during your stay given there are enough participants.
During the off-season we organize 3 day clinics as part of your stay for those who are interested to learn more about this technique. Stockmanship teaches you to “read” the animal so that you can change your position and have the animal want to go where you want it to go. It is aimed at using the energy of the animal in a low stress manner to handle the animals in a more efficient manner.
One of the reasons why our pricing is somewhat higher than other guest ranches is because we are a real working cattle ranch, which involves a certain degree of logistics – all that are necessary to offer an authentic taste of the West to our guests.
Many of our wranglers are year round employees because it takes several years to learn the terrain and the skills to wrangle both guests and cattle and make it a worthwhile, safe and exciting experience. The ranch takes pride in the high number of repeat guests for whom part of the experience is to see familiar faces they trust year after year.
Passports
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).
Passport Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.
(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).
The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.
New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.
For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).
Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.
Validity
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.
Applications to:
Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).
Working Days Required
Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
Yes |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No/2 |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
1 |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
Yes |
This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not
take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult
the embassy or consulate for updated info.
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Bighorn Mountain Ranch Hideout
Tour Code:
GRWY01
7 days /
6 nights
~$2,345.00
Dates :
Available all Year
Difficulty :

Lodging:
Introduction
Day to Day Itinerary
Rates | Dates
Accomodation
Tack:
Western
Horses:
Quarter Horses and cross, Mustangs, Ar...
Pace:
All paces - from easy to very challeng...
Walk,
Airport:
Cody
Location on Google Map
Image Gallery
Image Slide Show
Customer Trip Rating
Climate
What To Bring
Download tour PDF
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