Arizona
Ultimate Old West: The White Stallion Ranch Experience
Program No. 20193RJ
Discover your pioneer spirit on a working dude ranch as you enjoy scenic trail rides, ranching demonstrations, country western dance lessons and cowboy songs around an evening bonfire.
Enroll with Confidence
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more
Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
At a Glance
Experience a Wild West adventure at the renowned White Stallion Ranch, a working ranch at the foot of the ruggedly beautiful Tucson Mountains. Take easy trail rides, hear the history of the ranch from owner Russell True and lend a hand with grooming ranch animals. Cowboy songs around a bonfire complete this adventure to discover your inner cowboy or cowgirl.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Walking up to two miles; getting on and off of and riding a horse.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Enjoy scenic trail rides on gentle horses, a breakfast cookout, a desert nature walk and an assortment of hands-on classes.
- Learn how to care for and communicate with horses, watch horse-roping and penning demonstrations and see how a horse is “shod.”
- Spend evenings participating in country western dance lessons, listening to a performance by a cowboy singer and enjoying a "Wild West Show" presentation by a Western performer.
General Notes
Select dates can be taken back-to-back with a sister program, “Rancho de la Osa: Ranch Life on the Southern Border (#23771)”. Please check Dates and Prices of both programs for availability and then contact the Ranch directly to make arrangements.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Ute Vaughn
Ute Vaughan, originally hailing from Germany, is an artist and teacher who has studied art in Europe and the U.S. She is now based in Tucson, Arizona. Working primarily in watercolors and wall murals, her work is most often inspired by the colors, animals, and mysticism of the Southwest.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Ute Vaughn
View biography
Ute Vaughan, originally hailing from Germany, is an artist and teacher who has studied art in Europe and the U.S. She is now based in Tucson, Arizona. Working primarily in watercolors and wall murals, her work is most often inspired by the colors, animals, and mysticism of the Southwest.
Bill Ganz
View biography
Bill Ganz is a natural musician, and he’s been singing and playing western music for the last 25 years. Whether playing at campfires, guest ranches or major resorts, he always brings the authentic feel of Arizona to his music. He has performed for the last 20 years with his band, The Bill Ganz Western Band, which has appeared for a series of concerts with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing, Bill teaches private lessons and has been involved in many independent recording projects.
Carol Moore
View biography
Carol Moore has lived in Arizona since 1969. She discovered her true calling when she began working with Lazy K Bar Ranch as General Manager in 1975, in charge of operations. In 2000, she began working at White Stallion Ranch where she is group sales coordinator and reservations manager. Carol oversees front desk operations, books groups, acts as logistics coordinator, does marketing, creates special programs, leads hikes, and also does horse penning and roping activities. In addition to her other interests, she writes book reviews.
Loop Rawlins
View biography
Loop Rawlins has been fascinated by cowboys since he was a boy, and began learning trick roping at the age of eight. At 14, he started performing at a theme park, and at 16 shocked his competitors by winning five International Wild West Arts Awards in Las Vegas. He soon found himself working at rodeos, resorts, festivals, and special events. He has also appeared on ABC, AMC Television, History Channel, the BBC and ITV (UK). Loop was the first cowboy performer in Cirque Du Soleil.
Diego Dunn
View biography
Diego Dunn has extensive knowledge about the desert and edible plants, studying under Charles W. Kane and Peter Bigfoot. He is the owner of Desert Gatherings, which sells native desert seeds and makes products such as prickly pear syrup, hot sauce, and cactus jelly. Diego now uses his knowledge to teach others about the edible Southwestern desert.
Doris Evans
View biography
Doris Evans taught elementary grades in Tucson Unified School District and in a small school for park employees in Big Bend National Park, Texas. She also held environmental education positions at TUSD and as Curator of Education at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. She has published several natural history books and her photographs have appeared in numerous publications including Arizona Highways. Doris is now retired and volunteers with the Tucson Audubon Society and Pima County Parks Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation.
Suggested Reading List
(6 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Ultimate Old West: The White Stallion Ranch Experience
Program Number: 20193
Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City
Line in the Sand: A History of the Western U.S.-Mexico Border
Medicine in the Old West: A History, 1850-1900
Cowboys & the Trappings of the Old West
Early Tucson (Images of America)
True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West: From True West Magazine