Discover Your Inner Cowgirl at a dude ranch!

The smell of horses, the sound of hooves pounding a steady tattoo on a backcountry trail and eating food cooked on an open fire. No stilettos and no makeup - just your jeans, a 10-gallon hat and a bucket of sunscreen. It's physical, exciting and a stratosphere away from your everyday life.

Can you think of a better way to connect with yourself, the environment and your girlfriends?

We didn't think so.

Dude Ranching for GirlsDude ranches are feeling the surge of girlfriend getaways and anteing up with plenty of diverse options, so you can get exactly the type of getaway you're looking for.

• Resort dude ranches feature spas, tennis courts, a pool and even golf courses. Everything here is soft-core; no horseback riding experience necessary.  
• Traditional dude ranches are for middle of the road rancher-girls. They focus less on amenities and more on connecting with nature through hiking, fishing, horseback riding and outdoor yoga classes.
• Working dude ranches give guests an opportunity to do hands-on ranch stuff like herding cattle, feeding livestock and grooming horses.
• Seriously wild dude ranches pull out all the stops and take guests on multi-day horseback riding treks with nightly camp-outs. You'll need to be an experienced rider to avoid saddle sores at this type of ranch.

The best news is that there's no right time to visit a dude ranch - they're year-round. If you're traveling in winter, consider Arizona. But if you're a summer traveler, Montana and Wyoming will give you the best experience - with a jaw-dropping backdrop.

Dude ranches range from high-end resorts that will accommodate as many as 150 people a week, while others cap guests to less than 10 at any given time. Want to go to a testosterone-free ranch so you can adventure without intimidation? No problem, depending on the resort you choose.

Ready to strap on your spurs and explore your inner cowgirl? The Dude Ranchers Association of America is a great place to start your research.

Have you been to a dude ranch?

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