Learn more about the Ranch Preservation Holdings, LLC, properties, marketed as the True Ranch Collection:
Utica, Montana — Nestled along the Judith River, the Circle Bar Ranch is a historic guest ranch that dates back to the 1800s in central Montana, and is a magical place in the summer. The rivers are cool, the air is crisp, and the sun feels good on your face. At 5000’ in elevation, Circle Bar hosts the best of Montana’s weather. The 520 acres sit at the base of the Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest allowing guests to explore the mountains by horseback, fish for trout in cascading streams, hike to see the bountiful wildlife, or follow a mule train for overnight stays in a mountain cabin. There is enough time to do it all.
Wickenburg, Arizona — Well before Wickenburg, Arizona, became known as “The Dude Ranching Capital of the World,” Kay El Bar was welcoming guests, in fact it was the first. Homesteaded in 1909 by 18-year-old Romaine Lowdermilk, Kay El Bar has continued to treat guests to an authentic dude ranch experience for over 100 years, just 55 miles from Phoenix. The ranch is focused on horseback riding, and there are horses and trails for every level of horsemanship, team penning and cattle sorting. The ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits on the banks of the riparian Hassayampa River with over 40,000 acres of riding.
Sasabe, Arizona — Rancho de la Osa may very well be America’s most historic guest ranch. Located directly on the border of Mexico and Arizona, La Osa offers a taste of Spain on an authentic Western cattle ranch. La Osa has been the winter retreat for presidents, future presidents and presidential contenders from Franklin Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson. The ranch is bordered to the north and east by the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge offering spectacular scenery and riding. La Osa also offers horseback riding and cattle cutting, UTV and fat tire bike tours, and sport shooting. UTV’s can be taken to the border wall or into the town of Sasabe, where the only bar is open Saturdays from noon to six. Today Rancho de la Osa still welcomes guests from all over the world to share a bit of its magic.
Tombstone, Arizona — There is no more iconic town in the West than Tombstone, Arizona. In its brief history, it bottled together every image of the Wild West from striking it rich, then boom to bust, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The Tombstone Monument Ranch is where it all started and where the grave of the man who started it stands. The Monument is the burial site of Ed Schieffelin, the prospector who discovered one of the largest silver strikes in U.S. history. The ranch was built in 2009 on the site of the 1800s Trappman Family Homestead. It represents an Old West town complete with a Saloon, Marshall’s Office and even a Bordello or two. The authentic feel gets ranch guest in the spirit before the play Faro in the Saloon, shoot Henry rifles and Colt .45’s, or saddle up for a ride into the heart of Tombstone, just 20 minutes away on horseback, or to see Pre-Columbian petroglyphs and historic ghost towns.
Northern Arizona — Nestled among ponderosa pines and aspens just south of the Grand Canyon sits the property of Pine Creek Encampment, a development concept of Ranch Preservation Holdings, LLC. The Northern Arizona land is not the desert; it’s the mountains. Where Pine Creek flows into Cataract Creek lies a beautiful green valley with view of Bill Williams Mountain. The Encampment imagines canvas and log dwellings dotted along the valley—not your typical tents, nor quite cabins, with unique dwellings and the amenities of a five-star resort. They are shelters for living in the woods, but with style. The property is 6500’ elevation and offers over 10,000 acres of access on leased and deeded land.
Pine Creek is a development concept of Ranch Preservation Holdings, LLC. Only the land is currently owned.
Learn more about the True Ranch Collection of historic dude ranches at www.trueranchcollection.com.