A rider rounds up some cattle. Source: Long Valley Cattle Drive

Unlike a typical dude ranch vacation, participants in the annual Long Valley Cattle Drive work alongside real cowhands as they herd hundreds of cattle from their winter range on the north rim of the Grand Canyon across the Arizona-Utah border to summer pastures high on the Bryce Canyon Plateau. The pace is slow and advanced equestrian skills are not required, yet the experience gives recreational riders an authentic taste of the Old West, spending full days in the saddle and camping out in the wilderness each night as members of the host family have done for generations.

On local ranch-bred horses with Western tack, participants can expect to ride about six or seven hour each day of the drive, with extra time available for scenic trail rides. Tent accommodations and camp meals come with each package, with support vehicles transporting gear to each night’s new campsite.

The drive to summer pastures takes place each June, with a choice of two week-long packages priced for 2008 at $1,380 per person. The cattle are driven back to their winter range in late October and early November during a single two-week excursion priced at $2,340 per person. Information: Horseback Riding in Arizona/Utah, toll-free 800-545-0019.

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