Inside A Week on The Ranch

Welcome to the Silver Spur Ranch

Silver Spur Ranch sits deep in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, where the Horse Drive offers a very different kind of horseback vacation. This is not a traditional dude ranch experience. Over six days and five nights, guests take part in a working horse drive, helping move and start more than 40 young horses across rugged mountain terrain.

These horses are part of the ranch’s training program and have never been ridden before arriving on the drive. Throughout the week, they learn to cross creeks, handle steep trails, navigate obstacles, and build confidence in real country, long before a saddle is ever placed on their backs.

The pace is active, the days are full, and the experience is entirely hands-on. Guests divide their time between the main ranch and remote trail camps, spending three nights in simple, solar-powered cabins and two nights camping along the trail.

Trail camps feature premium canvas tents, comfortable 4 inch foam bedrolls, and negative degree rated sleeping bags to ensure a warm and restful night. Each campsite is equipped with outhouses, and every detail is thoughtfully planned and taken care of for you, allowing guests to focus fully on the experience.

While the setting is rustic, comforts include charging power at the ranch, an outdoor shower with endless hot water, and a full indoor shower house. The ranch remains completely off-grid, offering a rare chance to step away from noise, screens, and routine.

Guided by experienced cowboys and cowgirls, riders sharpen their horsemanship, have the opportunity to learn to rope, and settle into the rhythm of life on the trail. The Horse Drive is not about checking boxes or following an itinerary. It is about doing real work, riding real country, and experiencing the West the way it was meant to be lived.

Monday: Welcome Day

Today is the day you've been waiting for! It's finally time! Your vacation begins at 4:00 PM with pick-ups from the airport or hotel for guests using ranch transfers. The drive to the ranch takes approximately one hour and forty five minutes, with a brief stop along the way to allow guests to purchase any alcohol they would like for the week. By 6:00 PM, everyone arrives at the ranch and gets settled in.

The evening begins with a relaxed Meet & Greet, where riders get to know one another, are assigned to cabins, and talk through riding experience and horse preferences. With more than 40 guest horses available, each rider is carefully matched with a mount that fits their ability, comfort level, and riding style.

Afterward, we gather for a hearty Welcome Dinner. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy, whether that means time spent roping, playing cornhole, heading out for a short hike, or simply unwinding next to the campfire and taking in the quiet of the ranch.

Tuesday: Saddle Up and Meet Your Mount

Your first full day at the ranch begins with a traditional home-cooked breakfast. Afterward, we head to the barn where riders are paired with their horse for the week and given a short riding orientation to get everyone comfortable and ready for the trail.

From there, you will set out on a scenic mountain ride through some of the most beautiful country the West has to offer. Designed to build confidence ahead of the Horse Drive, the day covers a variety of terrain and riding paces, allowing both horse and rider to settle in.

After returning to the ranch, the evening includes a hearty dinner, homemade treats, and time to relax. Guests can enjoy ranch activities, swap stories from the day, or simply unwind and enjoy the quiet.

Wednesday: The Drive Begins

It’s go time. Today marks the start of the Horse Drive. The morning begins with a hearty cowboy breakfast, followed by packing your gear for two nights on the trail. Once loaded up, we make a short drive to the herd where the real work begins.

From there, you will help move the horses from Middle Creek to the Warm Springs campsite. The pace is active, the country is big, and the day quickly settles into the natural rhythm of the herd and the land.

When you arrive at camp, it will already be set up and your gear will be waiting, giving you time to settle in before dinner is served. The evening is spent soaking in the natural warm springs, gathering around the campfire for games and songs, and taking in Idaho’s wide-open night sky.

As the day winds down, you will turn in for the night in your tent, falling asleep to the quiet sounds of grazing horses and the stillness of the mountains.

Thursday: The Horse Drive Cont.

As the morning sun rises over camp, it’s time to prepare for the next leg of the drive. After breakfast, we gather your belongings, catch the horses, and saddle up for another day on the trail.

Today’s ride feels different from the first. The pace settles into a steady rhythm, offering a balance of movement and quiet moments that deepen your connection with both your horse and the country around you. Along the way, the views open up in every direction, with stretches overlooking the Snake River Plain in Idaho, the Grand Tetons rising in Wyoming, and even glimpses of the Continental Divide in Montana.

By the time you arrive at Weber Creek, camp will already be set up and your gear waiting, making the transition easy and unhurried.

The evening brings a hearty campfire-cooked dinner and time to relax. Whether it’s games, stories, or simply sitting back and taking in the stillness of the wilderness, it’s the kind of night that stays with you long after the fire burns down.

Friday: The Final Push

With the final stretch ahead, the day begins with a traditional breakfast cooked over the open fire. After packing your gear, it’s time to saddle up and leave Weber Creek for the ride back to the ranch.

Today you will guide the herd home, a meaningful final stretch that brings the week full circle. As the familiar landmarks of the ranch come back into view, the pace slows and the culmination of the journey begins to settle in. When you arrive, your gear will already be waiting, making the transition back easy.

That evening, everyone gathers for a special Farewell Dinner to celebrate the week, the work, and the friendships built along the way. The night wraps up with a recap movie highlighting moments from the drive, a chance to relive the ride and reflect on everything shared out on the trail.

Saturday: Departure Day

The final morning begins with a warm continental breakfast, offering one last chance to share stories and a few laughs with your fellow riders.

Afterward, it’s time to pack up and prepare for departure, taking a moment to reflect on the miles ridden and memories made throughout the week. Before leaving the ranch around 9:30 AM, there will be time for group photos and goodbyes.

While the drive may be over, it rarely feels like the end. Most guests leave already talking about the next time they will return.

By the time you pull out of the ranch, something has shifted. The days on the trail move differently than life back home. Mornings start with purpose, evenings end around a fire, and somewhere in between, strangers become riding partners and then friends.

The Horse Drive is not about luxury or checking off activities. It is about doing something real. Moving horses through wild country. Learning to trust your mount. Feeling tired in the best way. Laughing more than expected. Disconnecting from noise and reconnecting with something simpler and older.

Long after the dust settles and the boots are unpacked, the memories linger. The sound of hooves on the trail. The quiet of camp at night. The feeling of riding into the ranch at the end of the week knowing you earned every mile.

That is what guests take home with them. And it is why so many start planning their return before they ever leave.

If this is the kind of experience you have been searching for, we invite you to take the next step. View available dates, ask questions, or apply for an upcoming Horse Drive and see for yourself what makes this week on the trail so unforgettable.

View Available Horse Drive Dates