Dude-Free Ranches
By Sara Corbett

All 'Round Ranch, Jensen, Utah. This 400-square-mile spread in the northeastern corner of Utah will put you on a horse and keep you there for four- to six-day pack trips through aspen-covered backcountry. Capacity: 12 guests. Open April 1 to October 31. A six-day stay runs $1,095 per person. Call 800-603-8069.

Bar H Ranch, Soda Springs, Idaho. A former Mormon homestead, this working ranch with 2,000 head of cattle in Idaho's Wasatch Mountains is for those who want a true-blue cowboy experience. Capacity: four guests. Open May 1 through September 30. Expect to pay $650 per person for a five-day visit. Call 800-743-9505.

Cheyenne River Ranch, Douglas, Wyoming. An 8,000-acre working cattle and sheep ranch in eastern Wyoming's open prairie, it features six cattle drives per season, plus sheep-shearing, lambing, and branding. A family-owned, down-to-earth ranch deep in the heart of tumbleweed country. Capacity: 12 guests. Open May to October. A week costs $675. Call 307-358-2380.

Homestead Ranch, Matfield Green, Kansas. This ranch, for women only, maintains 200 head of beef cattle on 5,000 acres in the grasslands of central Kansas. Guests are invited to participate in all ranch activities, from mending fences to castrating bulls. Those who simply wish to relax can mountain bike, fish, or ride horses. Capacity: 16 guests. Open year-round. Weekends start at $275; five-day visits, at $475. Call 316-753-3465.

Sweet Grass Ranch, Big Timber, Montana. This 20,000-acre property in the Crazy Mountains of Montana is for guests who want a hard day's work--be it feeding pigs or driving the 200-head herd of Angus--followed by a dip in the snowmelt-fed Sweet Grass Creek. Capacity: 20 guests. Open June 10 through September 5. Prices for a weeklong stay start at $600. Call 406-537-4477.