The first dude ranch in Wyoming, the Eaton Ranch near Sheridan, was established 135 years ago, and the Eaton family is credited with coining the term dude. Today, many dude ranches are scattered throughout Wyoming and other Western states, offering a range of activities such as horseback riding, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, mountain biking, rock climbing, and the optional cattle roundup. Dinner around a campfire with local Stetson-wearing, guitar-playing wranglers and rooms decorated in rustic luxury help even the most urban city slickers find their inner cowboy.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to be a dude at the Turpin Meadow Ranch in Moran, Wyoming, near Jackson Hole. A big draw was the ranch’s location just south of Grand Teton National Park. The Tetons dominate the view from the ranch, which is nestled on the banks of the Buffalo Fork of the Snake River and surrounded by open meadows, as its name suggests. Check out the photos from that trip in the gallery above.

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Story and photos by Lisa Densmore Ballard