Press

Here’s a look at high-end, short-term rental offerings in three American deserts.

A handful of private ranches from West Texas to Northern California, many focused on sustainability and regenerative farming, have opened their doors to guests in the hopes of sharing their lifestyle—and sweeping wild lands—with a wider audience.

Add home rentals to the list of things that are bigger in Texas

Stepping out onto the timber-framed patio at West Texas’s Withers Ranch, coffee in hand, it’s hard not to be struck by the sheer starkness of the Davis Mountains, rising hundreds of feet above. The bottom of Madera Canyon curves down past the adobe house, with rock outcroppings pockmarking the slopes. The juniper and pinyon pines that dot the hillsides are almost assuredly hiding bedded mule deer and coyotes, maybe even a lone cougar. But the animals are invisible from the back porch in all but the twilight hours. Even driving up to the ranch itself, down eleven miles of unpaved roads, is an adventure, like driving across an African savanna, with montane grasslands stretching out to the horizon.

Private lands comprise the majority of Texas. Explore Ranches offers the chance to get in touch with natural beauty previously inaccessible to the public.

Started by three Texans in late 2018, the rental company puts a lot of thought into the properties that they list and even provides an entire proposed itinerary along with each accommodation – including everything from private dining experiences to guided outdoor excursions. It’s really more like an all-inclusive vacation.

Have a stay on one of their 16 luxury ranches across the United States, complete with private chefs, guided tours, and site specific lesson.

Explore Ranches provides one-of-a-kind outdoor experiences by opening the gates to some of America’s wildest and most scenic ranches with the goal of creating connections.

This week on the podcast we’re with Allison Ryan of Explore Ranches — a web platform of ranch rentals that Allison and her friends Jay and Jesse created that features incredible private properties and experiences and helps people connect to the outdoors. As someone who has always had a passion for the outdoors, Allison is sharing how Explore Ranches is providing a service to both land owners and visitors, and how they are creating interest in conserving and protecting some incredible wild places. You’ll love how Allison, Jay, and Jesse thought outside of the box to create Explore Ranches, and how they are opening up a new avenue to landowners through hospitality that allows people to exclusively experience these beautiful places.