The Nature Conservancy, for example, has owned Pine Butte Guest Ranch in Choteau, Montana, since 1979 and has operated the 1,000-acre property as a guest ranch since 1987. Still, operating a guest ranch was very much seen as an experiment, and a controversial one at that. Many members were not enthusiastic or supportive of the decision. Opinions, however, have changed considerably since 1987. Some ranches have accommodations for 10 guests, others for 30 and still others for as many as 120.
Activities generally center around the horse, fishing and hiking.
And more and more ranches are actively working to conserve the fragile western landscape. Honoring the environment The Sierra Club has not taken a formal position on the guest ranch industry. Some guest ranches, for example, cater to heavy recreational use by ATVs and snowmobilers, which is tough on the local wildlife. Others focus on low impact activities, like cross-country skiing on groomed trails, which is fine. Guest ranches, or dude ranches, are popular with everyone from middle-class families to Fortune 500 CEOs.