Come experience the traditions of a truly unplugged vacation. The intensely blue skies, fresh breezes, comfortable cabins, sumptuous meals, and variety of outdoor recreation combine to make your vacation one to remember for a lifetime. These things have helped us build traditions, both for our guests and our family and staff. Many who vacation with us return for generations, sharing this extraordinary experience with their children and grandchildren. Well over half of our guests have vacationed with us before.
From our side, the Gill family has been welcoming guests and
bringing people and horses together for almost 70 years.
Our family tradition is
revered at Rock Springs, and as a dude ranch handed down from
one generation to the next, we continue this tradition of
hospitality.
As you might expect, a wide variety of leisure activities are available. A primary focus is our excellent riding program. You will be paired with a mount for the week, matching your riding level and expectations to a horse with the right personality and expectations. You will ride with a small number of other guests who are looking for a similar experience and a wrangler. There is a very cool video recently produced about Heather as Head Wrangler on brightcove.com.
Your dining experience at
Rock Springs Guest Ranch will be a highlight of your vacation
with us. Our chef, Steven
Hazell, will prepare meals you will want to
remember, and serve them indoors, on the patio, or on the
trail. We use the freshest ingredients, bake our own breads,
and take great pride in our food. For those who would like to
explore the region's best products, we are introducing our
own Bend
Bounty special culinary weeks, to experience the
crafts of local growers, breweries, and wine and cheese makers.
All of the beef we serve is hormone-free and all natural.
We also have an amazing youth program, which will keep your children entertained, active, and involved. The counselors’ only focus is the vacations of our younger guests. When your children are not riding, they lead them in games, crafts, nature walks; the activities available are limitless, and based on the interest of the children.
Your days will also be full of other
options, including things rugged and pampering. A
game of tennis,
an afternoon by the pool, watching various riding and horse
training demonstrations, a relaxing massage or face treatment,
morning yoga, and learning to cast a fly are just a sampling of
the activities available on property.
If you would like to venture farther, the Bend area is known as the playground of the Northwest. You can find world class golf and fly fishing, rafting, canoeing, excellent shopping (no sales tax,) and much, much more.
Our commitment to your vacation is reflected in our
membership in the Dude Ranchers' Association. Adherence to
strict standards for dude ranches is required for membership.
We are proud to be a part of this organization, and of John Gill (Rock Springs'
managing partner) who just finished his last term as its
president.
Getting here
is simple. Our local airport (RDM) is only a quick 20
minutes away, and currently has regular flights from
Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and Portland on
Horizon (Alaska Air,) United Express, and Delta Connections. We
also have three weekly flights to and from Las Vegas on
Allegiant. 
Availability for 2008 is good, and we even have several weeks which could accommodate a large group.
If you are interested in getting an inside perspective, we have launched a new staff blog site. Please stop by for a visit! We also have a downloadable overview sheet, if you would like an electronic brochure.
We are very excited about recent awards and accolades. Several of our past guests have written in to Yahoo! Travel and TripAdvisor travel review websites to tell you about their stay at Rock Springs Ranch, and both have now rated us as the #1 place to stay in Bend. We have also been awarded #35 in Oregon Business Magazine's 2007 100 Best Places to Work - small business category.
Our new downloadable
calendar for your computer is now available. This
little calendar has images from Rock Springs Guest Ranch for
every month, rotating through twelve of our favorite
pictures.
.
.
.
.
"Never seen an atmosphere like this! Something in the air that brings out the best in everyone- because the staff is the best it can be. Whatever magic is here should be preserved and cherished."
-Ruby Wax
(See Ruby's recent article including Rock Springs Ranch in the UK's Mail on Sunday.)
