Rancho Los Banos Mexico Horseback Riding Photo Journey
Journey through a 30,000 acre Mexican ranch with hundreds of miles of trails, where guests may feel they've traveled back in time 100 years.
by Darley Newman
I'm a sucker for a beautiful photo of horses and an even bigger one for riding around the world. Mix horseback riding and exploration and you've got a good combination. In Mexico at Rancho Los Banos, there's lots of room to roam. This large, family-owned ranch is off-the-grid at the foot of the Sierra Madre, the Mexican Rockies, 55 miles south of the Arizona town of Douglas.
Guests like the fact that they feel they are truly away from it all and have the chance to explore diverse terrain, mountains, valleys, cliffs and canyons, all on horseback. Check out the below photos from this Mexico adventure ranch.
Riding here, you'll pass through Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts landscapes. Features include boxed canyons, sheer, rugged mountains, and rolling foothills dressed in golden colored grass.
Hundreds of miles of trails wind through elevation ranges from 7,500 to 3,200 feet and include dirt roads, riverbeds and cattle trails crossing hills and down ravines.
Spend the whole day, up to five or six hours, in the saddle–– less if you wish. Rancho Los Banos is named after "the baths," the approximately 35 natural springs within the ranch's borders.
In addition to natural attractions, history is also on these trails. Ride to the remains of a 19th century bandit hiding camp, pre-Colombian dwellings to see pictographs or a 17th century abandoned Jesuit gold mine.
Wildlife is abundant at the ranch, including five species of cat, jackrabbits, coyotes, black bear, gray fox, badger, porcupine, javelina and more.
Back home at this working cattle ranch, home cooked meals next to a warm fire is in order. With acreage at least twice that of Manhattan, you can rest assured you'll have good stargazing.
Learn more about Rancho Los Banos and check out their December and January Rancho Specials. Check out great dude ranches, guest ranches, cattle drives and wilderness pack trips in the Equitrekking Vacation Guide and our top picks for ranches at Top20Ranches.com.
