Traveling With Lola

“No place exists like this on earth”

Studies show that spending time outside results in a myriad of wellness benefits and reduces feelings of stress and anger while benefiting our physical health and self-esteem. After my weeklong trip to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Jasper, Arkansas, I can confirm all of these results, and more. The American South’s only dude ranch left me with an all-encompassing sense of calm, happiness, joy, and excitement to explore.  I also found motivation to push myself, try new things, and talk to new people. 

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch is over 600 acres in the picturesque, rolling hills of the Ozarks. Their all-inclusive dude ranch experience included the following: 

• Three square meals daily of “stick to your ribs” food
• Activities like horseback riding on trails throughout the property and beyond 
• Rock climbing excursions with world-class climbing guides 
• Access to the HCR ziplines and Via Ferratas
• Target practice with axes, guns, and arrows
• Campfires, cookouts, and a playful adventure barn
• Rustic, homey log cabins to retreat to (though after a day of activities, I could’ve snoozed hard on a boulder outside)

I was by myself on this dude ranch adventure, drawn to HCR by a desire to ride horses, looking for the ranch experience I craved from my misguided Workaway adventure in Bulgaria (if you know, you know, and if you don’t, read about that nightmare HERE). 

During the three-hour drive to Jasper from Little Rock, I stopped to think that it may be a little strange to be at this ranch by myself… I mean, would it be awkward to eat at a table by myself each day? I imagined groups of families and friends would be participating but doing their own thing. I wasn’t sure, but a calm, reassuring voice in my head told me it would be fine. What I did not expect was to befriend some of the most friendly and welcoming people I’ve ever met while traveling. 

On the drive into the ranch, I rounded the bumpy, gravel road and laughed out loud at what I saw: an expansive, tree-studded valley dotted with livestock and rustic cabins, softly illuminated by the receding sunshine.

The sight sent flutters in my stomach. Any photos hardly do justice to the huge area. A climbing guide at HCR for over two decades told me later in the week, “No place exists like this on earth.” I think he must be right. 

After a brief check-in at the mercantile, I made my way to my solo cabin, a large two-story loft with a kitchenette, couch and dining area, front porch with chairs, and room enough for six people easily, to unpack. The employee who completed my check-in told me the goats that roamed the property should not be touched, but the horses were okay to pet and would graze throughout the valley freely each evening. 

After unpacking, I walked downhill from my cabin past the main lodge and towards the valley, where horses grazed peacefully as the sun set behind the trees behind the trees. The wind was nippy but didn’t stop me from breathing in the fresh air of this beautiful place, which filled my lungs and soul. 

Dinner was served daily at 6:30 p.m.. Almost immediately, the extensive Griffin family took me under their wing. I joined the family’s great-grandparents for dinner, who informed me that their party had at least a dozen (maybe more?) people along for the adventure: parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and two six-year-old twins. Originally from Greenwood, Arkansas, but now from across the U.S. from Connecticut to Florida, the family entertained me with stories of their days as polo players, their past adventures at HCR, and why I should marry rich (“you can marry more money in five minutes than you can make in a lifetime,” said Jim). The family also introduced me to one of my new favorite cocktails: their take on an espresso martini.

Every day at the ranch was something new and equally fun. Each morning started with a hearty breakfast and the announcement of the day’s activities. Day one, I was assigned a spunky quarter horse to ride named Black Bean, who I affectionately called Black Mean. Black Bean loved to nip the butts of whatever horse was in front of him on the trail ride. Besides this little quirk, Mr. Bean was lovely and full of personality. He kindly carried me through trails twice daily across the property. The trees had a hint of color to indicate the changing fall season, and I’m not sure there is a more relaxing activity on earth than trail riding on horseback through the backcountry. 

Early on in the week, I tried my hand (plus my forearms, legs, and fingers) at rock climbing, which became one of my favorite activities at the ranch. HCR is a known rock climbing destination, with over 500 climbing routes for all levels, from beginners to crazy people not afraid to fall. The adrenaline and fear while rock climbing immediately hooked me. Every time I found myself in a spot 30 feet up a sheer cliffside with seemingly no place to go, the adrenaline would shoot through me, to be quickly replaced by a euphoric relief and pride in myself once I inevitably reached the top. It’s a workout, a mental challenge, and a fun activity all in one.

Our group also had the opportunity to try out the Via Ferratas on the property. “Via Ferrata” translates to “Iron Path” in English. A Via Ferrata is a protected climbing route with iron footholds, cables, and other human elements that allow climbers to scale natural formations. HCR has an East Side and a West Side via Ferrata with varying difficulties. We were clipped into the courses with a harness and two safety cables, which we were responsible for transferring between each obstacle course.

While not as challenging as rock climbing, the Via Ferratas were heart-pounding adventures. We scaled through high ropes and narrow caves, and I found myself squeezing through the “Devil’s Taco,” a natural formation requiring me to belly crawl through two tight rocks 80 feet in the air. (I felt somewhat prepared for this after doing a cave simulator in the barn on the property). The cave simulator from hell was a dark contraption requiring sacrifices participants to crawl through on their bellies through tight squeezes and throughout levels in a stuffy, cave-like obstacle course.

Towards the end of the week, it hit me. The neverending activities, mouth-watering Southern cooking, hanging out with my fellow attendees, log cabins, fire pit, horseback riding, and outdoor adventures made the whole thing feel like an upscale summer camp for adults. For the first time in a while, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch gave me the freedom to play, explore, and wander like a child. Everything on the ranch felt new and exciting. A childlike sense of awe and curiosity overtook me during this trip, and I hadn’t even realized it.

There is something amazing in the way that children view the world. They’re excited, curious, and most of all: happy. Travel often puts us in a childlike state of exploration and information absorption, and Horseshoe Canyon taught me to act like a kid again and enjoy the novelty and adventure of every new day. After traveling across the world, I wasn’t expecting that an adventure so close to home would deliver such joy and awe.

 There is a scene in Yellowstone Season 1, Episode 1 where John Dutton says “Leverage is knowing that if someone had all the money in the world, this is what they’d buy.” Dutton is right. What they would buy is Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.