Top Destinations for Wild West Vacations
Interest in traveling to “cowboy towns” has grown thanks to popularity of TV shows Yellowstone and Beyonce’s award-winning album Cowboy Carter, with vacationers looking to add some Western flair to their travel plans. The appeal of this ‘cowboy core’ trend sees travelers looking to visit destinations where they can explore the great outdoors on horseback, with incredible natural vistas amongst the tranquillity of the prairie.
Where is the Wild West?
The “Wild West” refers to a region of the U.S. during the end of the 19th century that laid west of the Mississippi River, spanning states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
InsureMyTrip conducted a study across a list of 50 western towns, measuring the availability of horseback riding within hotel amenities, the cost and rating of ranch-style accommodations, and the number of local wildlife parks, to name a few, to create a list of the best old western towns to visit.
Best Destinations for Wild West Enthusiasts
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
In first place, located in Yampa Valley in north Colorado, Steamboat Springs boasts nearly 20 nature and wildlife parks in its small town. Known for its ski spots as well as hot springs, it hosts 142 hotels that offer horseback riding, with a high rating of 9.2 out of 10 for its ranch-style accommodation. This accommodation on average costs $579 for a week in high season and has an average summer temperature of 63.9 °F, which is within a healthy range for horses.
Durango, Colorado
Southwest Colorado’s Durango is in second place with one of the longest journeys from an international airport at 218 miles, but it will be worth the trip to see the wilderness areas amongst scenic lakes and mountains, along with three wildlife parks. The ranch-style accommodation available is highly rated at 9.4 out of 10, along with an average cost of $227 for a stay. There are also 101 hotels with horseback riding to explore the numerous trails.
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is in third, also located in Colorado, at the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park and this town has the highest rating out of the top three for its ranch-style accommodation with a rating of 9.5 out of 10. These accommodation options have an average cost of $298, and the town has the one of the cooler average temperatures in the at 63 °F. For those looking to enjoy horseback riding, there are 58 hotels with this activity available. Estes Park is also the closest in the top three to an international airport with 81 miles.
Top Five Best Destinations for Wild West Enthusiasts
Here is the list of the Best Destinations for Wild West Enthusiasts:
- Steamboat Springs, Colorado – 7.2 overall
- Durango, Colorado – 7.1 overall
- Estes Park, Colorado – 6.3 overall
- Colorado Springs, Colorado – 6.1 overall
- West Yellowstone, Montana – 6.1 overall
Colorado Springs in fourth position joins the top three Colorado towns. West Yellowstone in Montana comes in fifth position and acts as a gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Both towns have an overall score of 6.1. Colorado Springs boasts one of the highest ratings for its ranch-style accommodation in the whole list with 9.7 out of 10 and West Yellowstone has an ideal summer temperature for horseback activities at 58.8 °F.
Methodology
For the list of cities/towns used in the study, they were selected according to popular ranches from Dude Ranchers Association. Each data point consists of the latest research available from reputable sources. All sources are city/town-specific level data points unless noted. The data was standardized using minmax normalization. The minmax normalization value is multiplied by 10 to create a score (between 0-10). A score of 10 is always the best result, while a score of 0 is the worst. Each destination is then ranked on their overall rating across all metrics to find which destination is the best for Wild West enthusiasts.
Sources
Original Seed List – https://duderanch.org/find-a-ranch/
Western Films – https://www.imdb.com
Number of Hotels with Horseback Riding – https://www.skyscanner.net/hotels
Average Cost/Review of Ranch-Style Accommodation – https://www.expedia.com
Distance from International Airport – https://duderanch.org/find-a-ranch/
Average Temperature – https://www.accuweather.com/
Number of Scenic Nature and Wildlife Parks – https://www.tripadvisor.com
