The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is a phenomenon of the romanticization of the American West after the official closing of the United States frontier in the late 19th century. The Western adventures of hardy aristocrats like Theodore Roosevelt were made available to paying guests from cities or the East, called "tenderfeet," "greenhorns," or "dudes" in the West. After World War I, the transcontinental railroad network brought these paying visitors to the local depot, where a wagon would be waiting for them. Some guest ranch visitors expected a somewhat edited version of the "cowboy life," while others were more tolerant of the odors and timetable of a working ranch. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ranching. ... č “Tourist” redirects here. ... The Western United States, also referred to as the American West or simply The West, traditionally refers to the region constituting the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... The current version of the article or section is written like a magazine article instead of the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... A transcontinental railroad is a railway that crosses a continent, typically from sea to sea. Terminals are at or connected to different oceans. ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ...

Guest ranches have also become a feature of the Australian Outback. A tourism sign post Yalgoo, Western Australia The Dingo Fence near Coober Pedy Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia Outback refers to remote and arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can cover any lands outside of the main urban areas. ...

In the United States, guest ranches are a long-established tradition and continue to be a popular vacation destination. Depending on the climate, some guest ranches are open only in the summer or winter, others offer "year-round" service in all four seasons. College students are often recruited to work at guest ranches during the summer months. Common jobs offered to college students include: housekeeping, wrangler, dining staff, and office staff or babysitters.

Hunting ranches

Some guest ranches cater to hunters. Some feature native wildlife such as whitetail deer, mule deer, bison or elk. Others feature exotic species imported from other nations such as Africa and India. Both types of ranches are highly controversial. While many traditional ranches allow hunters and outfitters on their land to hunt native game, the act of confining game to guarantee a kill is considered unsporting by some people. Hunters was a commissioned soundtrack for the Discovery Channel series Hunters: The World of Predators and Prey. ... ... Binomial name Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817) The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of North America. ... Species †B. antiquus B. bison B. bonasus †B. latifrons † †B. priscus Herd of bison grazing in Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada. ... This article is about red deer. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ranching. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

The introduction of non-native species on ranches is even more controversial because of concerns that these "exotics" may escape and contaminate the gene pool of native species or spread previously unknown disease. The advocates of hunting ranches argue in turn that they help protect native herds from over-hunting and the stocking of exotic species actually increases their numbers and may help save them from extinction. The gene pool of a species or a population is the complete set of unique alleles that would be found by inspecting the genetic material of every living member of that species or population. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ...

Dude ranches in popular culture and media

• Hey Dude, a Nickelodeon TV series set on a dude ranch
• City Slickers, a movie starring Jack Palance and Billy Crystal
• Aja, the title track on the 1977 album by Steely Dan, contains the lyrics "Here at the dude ranch above the sea" in the first verse.
• Dude, Where's My Ranch? is an episode of The Simpsons

Hey Dude was a television program that was aired in the United States from 1989 to 1991. ... City Slickers is a 1991 movie comedy starring Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Daniel Stern, Helen Slater, and Jack Palance. ... Jack Palance, (born Volodymyr Palanyuk (Ukr: Володимир Паланюк))on February 18, 1919, in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, USA), is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... For the American political commentator, see William Kristol. ... Aja may refer to An Orisha in Yoruba mythology. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... Dude, Wheres My Ranch? is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ...

See also

• Agritourism

Agritourism is a style of vacation in which hospitality is offered on farms. ...

External links

• The Dude Ranchers' Association Group of about 100 ranch owners mostly in the Western United States.
• A Websiteoffering authentic holidays to Guest Ranches.