7 Day July Cattle Drive Ranch Vacation in Sheridan County, Wyoming

During this trip, trail the mother cows and their calves high to their summer range. In addition to a family crew of 10 to 12, Double Rafter generally has 20 to 25 guests on this drive. In keeping with their ancestor’s tradition, the lodging will be 1800s style canvas wall tents and tepee tents. All meals are prepared using cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens, or at a pit barbeque.

Double Rafter knows all outfitters think their cook crew is the best, but that is a lie. The cook crew is truly the best. In addition to being phenomenal chefs, the chuckwagon crew is a bit on the lively side and has been known to play a prank or two. You’ve been warned.

At day three, they push the herd south up the rough and rugged Little Horn Canyon. The trail from this point is too rough and narrow for wagons, pickups, or four-wheelers. This is another twist that separates from all the other “plastic banana cattle drives.” Many people find the massive canyon walls and boulder-strewn river bottom too impressive for words. It is magnificent!

Depending on range conditions and grazing plans established by the USDA Forest Service, the herd may be dropped at the midpoint of the canyon, or trailed higher up to the 9,000-foot level. Keep in mind that the three permits cover well over 120,000 acres so it is difficult to predict exactly where the endpoint will be.

Once on the National Forest, you will be moved by the beauty of the lush, green, flower-filled open parks which are characteristic of the Big Horn Mountains. In the Rock Cabin Park camp, you will find there is a perfect spot to sit with a cup of boiled coffee and soak in all the surrounding beauty. Off to the west is the ever-present roar of the plunging falls of Leaky Mountain.

Ponder this: you are 12 miles from the nearest road, any soul in this canyon is part of your group, there are no phones or electricity, the first sign of civilization is a 4-6 hour horseback ride in any direction and in two days, you have to fly home to people, pollution, and the stresses back at work. It’s amazing people leave.

The last morning, you'll either back-track 12 miles out the mouth of the canyon or ride to the Lake Creek camp on top. At either place, you will say goodbye to your horse. From there, go to Sheridan, Wyoming or the Bear Lodge Resort for a good hot shower and the closing ceremonies. After six days in the saddle, you will have a new appreciation for the cowboys of the old west.

The last night, you'll generally end up at the historic Mint Bar on Main Street in downtown Sheridan. The cowboy memorabilia which adorns the walls, coupled with the rustic knotty pine booths and tables adds the frosting to your authentic western adventure. No doubt, you have experienced a dying piece of America.

Schedule

You will arrive a day before. You will stay at a motel and have a delicious banquet in the evening. At 08:00, you will be picked up and transferred to cow camp. There will be many miles in the saddle. Double Rafter does think you will find this trip quite unique because you will experience things few people will ever see. With the cook’s phenomenal Dutch oven cooking, incredible horses to ride, and the camaraderie around the campfire, you will make new friends forever. You will return to civilization the last day, and the following morning at 09:00, you return to the airport.

Horse

At Double Rafter, 98% of the horses are Quarter Horses or Quarter Horse Cross. Double Rafter will determine a horse for you based on your profile. How you perform during the cattle handling seminar and the horsemanship clinic will determine if you stay on that horse or get moved to another one. They want you on a horse that fits your skill level!

This horse riding holiday will take place in Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, USA.

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Meals are prepared using cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens, or at a pit barbeque. The cook crew is truly the best. In addition to being phenomenal chefs, your chuck wagon crew is a bit on the lively side and has been known to play a prank or two.

• Cattle drive and horse riding sessions
• Horsemanship clinic
• Saddle, tack, and horse lease
• 6 nights accommodation
• Guide service
• Ground transportation to and from Sheridan
• Food
• Soft drinks

• Single occupancy at the motel the night of the banquet
• The night before the trip is not included, you should all stay at the same hotel and you can start the trip all together early next morning. The Double Rafter has special prices arranged per night for their guests. Please contact the Double Rafter for more information.

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.