Our Story

The venerable story of The Ranch dates back to 1947, when Dallas Gant, Sr., along with C.L. Maguire and Belford Howard, joined forces to lovingly build a dude ranch resort which would not only make them proud but would also stand the test of time. Their dream was finally realized a year later in 1948, when Rancho de los Caballeros (Ranch of the Gentlemen on Horseback) gallantly opened its doors to guests. As the reputation of The Ranch's outstanding service and accommodations grew through the years, so did its facilities; The Ranch currently features 79 guest rooms, a 200-seat dining room, a full-service saloon, a full-service spa, meeting spaces, 20,000 acres of land, tennis courts, trap & skeet range, a horse stable, and an 18-hole golf course consistently ranked in national lists as a top 75 resort course. Dallas' son, "Rusty" Gant operates The Ranch now, faithful to his father's philosophy of personal service above all else, carrying the torch of Rancho de los Caballeros' customer service, unique western activities and comfortable rooms with southwestern décor for the next generation.  

• 1863  - The town of Wickenburg, Arizona is founded by a group of gold prospectors, miners, ranchers and farmers who found the gold mines and fertile plains along the Hassayampa River to be irresistible.
• 1947 - The pearl-shaped swimming pool for The Ranch is dug by hand. It was the first non-rectangular pool in Arizona. Architects at the time were concerned that the shape was too daring, but the pool has remained to this day, undergoing its first resurfacing in 1990.
• 1948 - The Ranch is constructed with 40 main guests rooms, main living room, dining room, saloon and office, swimming pool, tennis court, barns, corrals, staff quarters and the Gant family home. The Ranch is also the first in Arizona to use under-floor radiant heating. Three miles of wrought iron pipe was laid in a bed of sand and covered with concrete floors. Warm water circulated through the pipes to provide heat. In 1987, the system was converted to heat pumps for heating and air-conditioning. The Caballeros Kids Program was also founded in 1948.
• 1951 - An airstrip is added to accommodate guests' private planes. Today, private planes land at nearby Wickenburg Airport, but you can still see part of the runway and an old hanger between the 17th and 18th fairways.
• 1953 - The Ranch begins cattle ranching with a steer operation, and later adds a cow-calf operation with the purchase of 100 cattle from the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. Today, the cattle operation is no longer a part of The Ranch, but the Sun C cattle brand has remained The Ranch's symbol of family heritage.
• 1979 - Los Caballeros Golf Club is built.
• 1987 - Telephones are added to guest rooms.
• 1991- TVs are added to guest rooms.
• 2004 - Credit cards are accepted.
• 2006 - A full-service spa is added as a new amenity to The Ranch.

In the days when Rancho de los Caballeros ran cattle, our cattle brand was the "Sun C"—a "C" with three rays of sunshine over it to represent The Ranch's three founding families. Of the original three, the Gant family still runs The Ranch to this day. Today, the brand is a symbol of how family is at the heart of what we do, and it's reflected in the way we treat you like one of our own, whether in greeting you with a handshake and a smile, or making sure you have everything you need for the perfect stay. We don't know the meaning of the word "no".

A desert home away from home, Rancho de los Caballeros offers modern comforts in a historic Arizona dude ranch setting. With whitewashed walls, hand-hewn beams and colorful Mexican tiles, The Ranch exudes the elegant ease of a traditional hacienda. And with the wide open sky over head and the stunning desert vistas all around, The Ranch offers a welcoming oasis where you can trade in your cell phone for some reins, and make life-long memories with the people you care about.