In the beautiful setting beside Saguaro National Park, lies a wild west dude ranch called Tanque Verde surrounded and immersed with gorgeous grounds of corrals, cacti, mature trees, and lawns. You can hear the gentle breaths and greetings of the horses in the morning as they feed and become saddled up awaiting for the first batch of riders. The Tucson, Arizona sky comes alive in brilliant, warm colors as the sun slowly rises over the peaks and valleys of the mountain ridge in the distance. The slow, paced western life begins another day as the animals and insects of the desert scurry about searching for a tasty treat.
This rustic, all-inclusive resort is a quintessential place to stay when looking for a secluded experience full of outdoor adventure, an active schedule, and intimate atmosphere.
My husband and I are from Michigan and we decided for our first year wedding anniversary to do something outside of our comfort zone and adventurous. We decided to pack our bags and fly over to Arizona to experience the desert life while in the middle of a pandemic. This was the end of June 2020 and we realize there was some risk involved. However, the entire cleaning process and mask adherence from guests and staff ensured proper infection control and we felt very safe and healthy during our time there.
In honor of our wonderful experience there, I wanted to share our insight and top recommendations for the all inclusive dude ranch in hopes that any traveler deciding to stay will follow suit and enjoy as much as we did.
Pros:
- Beautiful views of the Saguaro National Park with gorgeous kept grounds
- Horseback trail rides in the open desert during multiple time slots in the day
- Active schedule list provided for every day that guests will sign up for the night prior, You can make your schedule as packed or light as you desire depending on if you want more of a relaxing experience with only one excursion a day or book back to back activity appointments.
- Outdoor barbecue cookout dinner called Cottonwood Grove Ranch Barbecue located on the grounds set up with a bar, live country music, outdoor lawn games, fixings of steak, beans, other barbecue food varieties underneath the desert sky
-Breakfast camp option where you mount the horses and trail ride to a remote camp in the morning. Staff are awaiting to serve you a hot meal as you enjoy the sunrise view of the Sonoran desert
-Three meals served a day, all meals are included in pricing during your stay
-Free Wifi and free self parking
-Heated pools and Jacuzzi (both indoor and outdoor)
- All food and restaurant options on site with a bar overlooking backside of the property
-Other activities besides horseback riding include guided hikes, fishing, mountain biking, tennis, nature center, archery
- Kids activities available for families
-Excellent ranch hands that accommodate teaching you basics of horseback trail riding. This was great for my husband since he did not have any prior experience and he was able to catch on quickly.
-La Sonora Spa on site offers an array of treatments for those looking to relax and unwind after a day on the trails.
-Five outdoor tennis and basketball courts with night time lighting available
-Small fitness center on site with treadmills and weight racks
Cons:
-No television in rooms (encouragement to stay out of rooms onto the property)
-Must schedule a riding test for loping to ensure safety and to pass before signing up for lope trail rides. These are scheduled very early in the morning before any activities so you will need to rise early for it.
- Insects. I know I was supposed to expect this for being out in the desert and being in a rustic setting. For anyone that knows me, I have a hard time with insects. As much as staff tries to keep the rooms clean, there are always going to be a few in the room due to the nature of the location of the ranch.
- Not for the faint of heart. I had a morning where I was feeling very unwell up in the mountain side while horseback riding. I want to warn other visitors if you are feeling unwell in the middle of the desert, you must stay hydrated in the heat more than you ever thought possible to reduce side effects of dehydration. It would also be a good idea to pack a miniature emergency kit with you when leaving the immediate grounds. I was having gastrointestinal issues and my husband and I actually did not have anything on us. I had to really tough it out until we arrived back to the ranch to obtain the medicine I needed. Just being over prepared for anything to occur or happen. Lots of water and first aid kit for safety first.
I also do have to rave about our private, personalized experience that was made possible by the manager of the ranch and so many hands of the staff. My husband had truly wanted to make our first year anniversary special and do something out of the ordinary. He privately called weeks before our arrival to the ranch and collaborated with the manager and other staff members to create a memorable experience of a private, outdoor dinner underneath the starry sky of the desert following a private sunset horseback ride. The beauty of the sunset colors amazed me as we rode along the trails just the two of us and one guide. As we were rounding to the stables to end our ride, I saw a man dressed in a suit with a balloon of the number 1. We followed him to a golf cart, where he drove us to a remote location of a beautiful table set up with string lights, roses and wine on the table, and romantic music playing from a speaker. I was astounded at the whole experience. It took so much coordination to bring the food in multiple courses during our dinner and we truly want to thank the Tanque Verde staff from the bottom of our hearts for making it happen.
Overall, this all inclusive resort made us feel that we stepped back into the old west with welcoming winnies of 100-200 horses depending on the season. The ranch was established in 1863 and many of the various artifacts along the grounds including wagons and carts date back to the 19th century. If you are craving to experience the old Wild West from the back of a well trained steed, we highly recommend staying at this guest ranch in a fascinating desert-ecosystem. The ranch holiday provides all the comforts of resort life coupled with outdoor, fresh air activities during your stay.
*Please note that this review is truly and authentically from us and not a paid sponsorship. We want to be honest with our readers and share our own experiences from our heart.
Happy Riding Friends!