Kay El Bar Guest Ranch
An intimate, historic Arizona dude ranch
Kay El Bar Guest Ranch
An intimate, historic Arizona dude ranch
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Kay El Bar is an authentic, intimate western dude ranch just over an hour northwest of Phoenix in Wickenburg, Arizona. Discover abandoned gold mines along the rocky mountain trails or ride through the sandy Hassayampa Riverbed. Create memories that will warm your soul and last a lifetime. Become a part of the Kay El Bar family.
Activities
Life at the Kay El Bar centers around our horses and riding program, which offers a well-trained string of horses for every experience level. Test your aim during sport shooting and archery, or explore the desert by off-road UTV. Enjoy a hike through the nearby desert terrain where there is a variety of vegetation, including the incredible giant saguaro, prickly pear and barrel cactus. Or choose to take it easy by the pool, in the hot tub or in the hammocks under our majestic 100-year-old trees.
- Horseback Riding
- Cattle Work/Team Penning
- Shooting
- Archery
- Hiking
- UTV Guided Tours
Amenities
Whether you are ready for downtime after a day on the trail or spent adventuring, or planning to stay on the ranch with the whole day ahead of you, you can find plenty of relaxation at the Kay El Bar. Enjoy board games or a cold drink in the Main Lodge, some time in our heated pool or hot tub; or gather around the fire pit in the evenings for conversation with other ranch guests. We also have cowboy hats and cowboy boots available to borrow.
- Swimming Pool
- Hot Tub
- Lodge with games and puzzles
- Indoor and outdoor puzzles and games
- Honor bar
Lodging
Established in 1926, the Kay El Bar’s original large adobe brick buildings and Spanish architecture are a picture postcard and offer inviting quarters for approximately 25 guests. Comfortable and charming, each guest room has a private modern bath, hand-painted Monterey furniture, and a collection of western artwork. Larger group or family quarters are also available.
Dining
Delicious home-cooked meals await at the Kay El Bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner include plenty of choices and are served plated, buffet or family-style in the dining room, on the patio, or on the trail. Three meals daily tempt every cowpoke’s appetite, and we never skip dessert. Fresh-baked cookies are available all day.
History
Kay El Bar Guest Ranch has been offering western hospitality since 1918, when the first paying guests arrived at the cattle ranch. Well before Wickenburg, Arizona, became known as “The Dude Ranching Capital of the World,” Kay El Bar was welcoming guests — in fact, it was the first. The ranch was homesteaded in 1909 by 18-year-old Romaine Lowdermilk and has continued to treat guests to an authentic dude ranch experience for over 100 years. The original adobe buildings on the ranch are listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
