The Williams Family Ranch is a little Working Cattle Ranch in Arizona. It's situated nearby the western town Wickenburg, northwest of Phoenix.

The ranch is in the mountains, you need a car with high clearance and 4x4 to go there. Most of the road isn't paved, so a rental car won't be insured. That's why Roy and Carrol meet their guests at Wickenburg anf bring them to the ranch with the ranch trucks.

If you arrive at Wickenburg in the evening it's better to stay a night in town. There are a lot of things to see. And if you go to the ranch in the dark you would miss an incredible landscape.

At the ranch you live in a rustic bunkhouse, you are welcome to help the ranch people to take care of the cattle and horses, the rides are great, you bring salt to the cattle, you check fences and gates, drive cattle. If there isn't anything to do (to ride) Roy and Carrol take you on trailrides. There are many old mines in the area.

With only a few guests at the ranch it's a really special vacation.

This could be your schedule:


day 1:   You arrive in Arizona

You fly to Phoenix, Arizona. If you want to go right to the ranch you arrive at Phoenix before 2:00 p.m.. Otherwise you would need a hotel at Wickenburg. If you come from overseas or haven't been in Arizona before, I would suggest to book the hotel anyway. You have time to relax and do some sight seeing and shopping.

The Shuttle Service will meet you at the airport and bring you to your hotel at Wickenburg or to the Double D Western Store, if you want to go straight to the ranch. The shuttle has to be ordered with the ranch reservation and has to be paid in $-traveller checks or cash.

If you stay at a hotel you still can do some shopping or you go to Denny's (right across the road od Super 8 Motel) for dinner. There are many small restaurants in town.

day 2:   You go to the ranch!

You can have a typical american breakfast at Denny's or have some coffee and cake at the hotel. You still have time for some sight seeing and shopping, there is also the Desert Caballeros Western Museum...

High noon! Now you should be back at the hotel. Carrol will meet you (look for big pickup!) and drive you to Ben's Saddlery, to the Double D western store and to Bashas, for some more shopping.

All meals and all non-alcohol beverages are included in the ranch vacation rate. Please remember, all the extras you will need (cigarettes, wine, beer, sweets,...) you have to buy before you go to the ranch.

Bet you find a lot over there, at these stores... then you go to the ranch. You will move in the bunk house, if you stay for a week everything is set for you over there. If go on trailrides less than a week you should bring a sleeping bag.

You will have dinner with the ranch family and the other guests. Don't forget your flashlight for the walk back to the bunk house!

You can spend the evening with the others at the main house, Carrol has an interesting book and video collection. Or you can relax at the bunk house.

The bunk house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with showers and a room, which the guests can share.

day3 and the other days:   ranch vacation

The guests may help the ranch family with feeding the horses ond cows in the corrals. They meet early in the morning in the kitchen, have a cup of coffee. Then they go to the corrals. There they feed the stallion, the other horses and some cows.

After they finished feeding the animals they go back to the ranch house, where Carrol already prepared breakfast for all.

If you prefer to sleep in, no problem. Then you start your day with the breakfast.
After breakfast they talk about what they have to do during the day. The "jobs" for the guests are: riding, riding, riding.

They go back to the corrals, brush and saddle the horses. If the guests like their horses they can ride them for several days. They change horses after a few days, because of the trails are rocky and sometimes also very steep. So it would be too hard for a horse to go all week.

Then you will ride out... checking cattle, fences and gates. You will bring salt out for the cattle, there are a lot of different things to do. Sometimes you even push cattle...

Early in the afternoon they are back and go to the ranch house, where Carrols has a snack ready for the guests.

Sometimes it's really hot, then they have a siesta in the afternoon. You can relax in the guest house, you can go down to the river. Unfortunately the water is low, so you can't swim in the river. But usually there are some water holes.

Late in the afternoon they go out for another ride. If there are no jobs to do and you want to ride, no problem... they have great trails to explore, with old mines to visit.

After the ride you help to feed the horses and the cattle. Then you have some time to relax and get rid of all the dust. In the evening they all meet in the kitchen for dinner.

Roy says: "Here is a list of things to bring, 'cause this ain't no disco, just a little ol' cow ranch!"

bedroll (just for the trailriders, which stay for only one night), flashlight, long sleeve shirts (cotton), thin and thick socks, boots for riding, hiking boots or walking shoes, comfortable clothing, bluejeans or khaki type, shorts, bathing suits, jacket (durable, hard shell), chaps (if you have them), rain slicker (no poncho), leather or warm gloves (no mittens), bandanna, western hat and/or baseball cap, pocket knife, towel and washcloth, personal toiletries and medication, sunscreen and insect repellent, any alcoholic beverages for personal consumption

last day:   you go back to Wickenburg, then Phoenix
In the morning Carrol will bring you to the Double D Store. You can do some more shopping, then the shuttle sefvice will bring you to the airport and you will fly back home. Please note, you arrive the next day at home.



If you want to make a tour with a rental car thru Arizona, you can contact us for our rental car offers.
Please write us your tour information!