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Welcome to the only Dude Ranch in the
Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee!

All Inclusive American Plan Packages - All the meals, activities and entertainment are included in your package price. The only extra charges are if you choose to drink at the saloon, fishing license, horseback lessons, store and pictures, and Gratuity. Gratuity is optional but the ranch expects you to reward our great staff that is serving you. Figure grautity on a 12-15% average of your pre-tax total.

During the high season, you can expect to enjoy everything a Dude Ranch has to offer. Our ranch offers not only the main ranch activity, horseback riding, but white water rafting, tubing, fishing, and working with cattle on horseback all included in the price. You will find yourself looking for nap time! You don't have to do all of the actitivies, since everything is available for you to choose.

Here is a sample itinerary for the High Season which can change due to circumstances and other uncontrollable events like weather.

• 8am for breakfast
• 12:30 for lunch
• 6pm for supper

Summer Itinerary 2008   June, July, August listed below

Low season itinerary will be somewhat similar with some activities being less frequent. April and May are the closest to the summer itinerary. Water activities start to diminish from September to October as the temperatures lower.

(Itinerary subject to change and modificaton without notice due to unforseen or uncontrollable circumstances)

Sunday
Our guest arrive from 3pm to 6pm (supper is at 6 so don't be late because it's not served later-also if you arrive late and miss orientation you have to take a one hour lesson-cost $20)
We will be presenting the round pen part of the orientation from 7pm to 8:30pm. You will hopefully learn how a horse thinks and reacts, how you think and react, and how to make yourself one with the horse.

From 8:30pm we will be doing interviews to determine which of the ranch horses you will be assigned for the week, which includes a weigh in.(check FAQ's for details) This is the horse that you will groom, saddle, ride, cooldown walk, and give a bunch of carrots to during the week.

Monday
Breakfast is at the corral. After breakfast, kids and adults are split up for the morning for corral orientation and rides. Kids will come to the hitching post first by assigned groups, and adults will start after the kids which is usually around 10am. While the kids wait on the adults to get back, they get to do a scavenger hunt. After lunch adults and kids will go out together on the 2nd ride. The first ride today is called the blue trail, and is on flat ground lasting about an 45 minutes. After lunch the green trail is up, which is one hour and climbs up the mountain about 200 feet higher in elevation. Supper comes at 6pm. After supper everyone can particpate in pioneer games, and afterwards the kids will paint horses.

Tuesday
After breakfast most guests will go on the red trail which climbs about 400 feet in elevation from the lodge and lasts about 1.5 hours, while up to 10 guests help us move the cattle to the other end of the ranch. After lunch, everyone gets to go on the beginning whitewater raft trip, which has rapids from class I to III and is considered a family trip. The raft trip lasts from 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on water levels at the time of the trip. After a pasture side meal we do team penning. Team penning is a rodeo game in which three guests try to pen 3 cows into the box. Team penning is our #1 guest favorite activity!

Wednesday
This day we have departures and arrivals like Sunday. If you're leaving, check out time is 10am but there isn't any activites for half weekers. If you're checking in, 3 pm is check in time and likewise there isn't any activities planned.
For guests staying the whole week, the white trail is up, and that means up about 1000 feet higher than the lodge elevation. You can also do the blue trail if going up high isn't your cup of tea. After lunch, there is tubing available or another horseback ride. Also new in 2008, is the Sunset Supper Ride. You will ride to a mountain summit, watch as the sun starts to go down, eat a open fire cooked meal, and then ride back to the ranch in the dusk of the day. This ride is limited to the first 20 all week guests that sign up as you make your reservations, and excludes the lunch ride unless there is space available.

(please note: for returning guests the supper ride replaces the overnight ride)

Thursday
New arrivals will meet at the round pen after breakfast for orientation (read Sunday night and Monday morning for details)
For our week long guests, there will be rides in the morning and in the afternoon rides plus a cattle drive for another 10 guests. We have team penning in front of the lodge after supper.

Friday
We have horseback rides or our only lunch ride (10am-2pm) today, limited to 20 riders that didn't take the supper ride on Wednesday, which you should sign up for either when you make your reservations. In the afternoon we have horseback rides, cattle drive and then a kids rodeo ages 5-12 at 3:30 pm.

After supper, we have the square dance with live musicians. Also new this year, optional formal Western attire night. We will be taking professional photographs of your family, hopefully in your best old west attire. You'll be able to view these photos for purchase.

Saturday
After breakfast, we have the advanced whitewater raft trip or horseback rides. After lunch, we have the last cattle drive or a horseback ride. Also for those advanced riders, we have the galloping ride. After supper, the bluegrass band starts at 7pm for two hours of great Smoky Mountain music.

Sunday
After breakfast, we say our goodbyes until your next trip to the ranch. Check out time is 10 am.

Notes:
There are times and rides which are occur at the same time, which means you can't do both. You will be able to sign up for either the Sunset Supper ride or the Lunch ride, but not both so that everyone has a chance to experience a meal out on the trail. Please sign up for one of these 2 rides when you make your reservation, and they may fill up and you might not get your choice.

*blue trail=1 hour flat ground ride with hardly any elevation change-recommended for anyone with fear of heights
*green trail=1 hour ride that goes up in elevation 200 feet above the river level
*red trail=1.5 hour ride that goes up 400 feet above the river level with good views of the mtns around us: also the sunset supper ride location.
*white trail=2 hour ride that rises up 1000 feet above the river level with fantastic views
*gold trail = 1 hour long when added to the white trail and goes past the new lunch ride location and gives you a gorgeous view of the river and a 50 mile view of the Appalachian divide
*lunch ride=combining the white and gold trail gives guests over a 3 hour ride for those of you that like long rides in the saddle (broken in two by lunch site stop) and would be part of the lunch ride

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1-800-995-POST

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461 Old River Road - Del Rio, Tennessee 37727