Rancho de la Osa Arizona Guest Ranch

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Rancho de la Osa Arizona Guest Ranch, situated next to the Mexico border, is the state’s most historic ranch. A vacation here feels like you’re walking into a western movie scene. Stroll into the main hacienda building, and you’ll see the pages of history leap out to you in the bookshelf lined with Zane Grey novels. Gather in the cantina, built in 1722, and learn of the U.S. Presidents and movie celebrities who came here before you. 

Located in the Altar Valley of southern Pima County, Rancho de la Osa guest ranch is tucked in the borderlands of southern Arizona. One of the attractions of this 19-room dude ranch is the fact that hotel guests may ride on horseback or take a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) to the Smart Border Wall, when accompanied by a staff member. Less than a 1.5-hour drive from Tucson, Arizona, Rancho de la Osa feels like an “off-grid” experience, yet with creature comforts. 

Rancho de la Osa hacienda is painted adobe red. The one-story building has a wood-arched, double-paned glass door. Three yucca plants in large terracotta vases line either side of the entrance. A grass lawn flanks either side of the terracotta brick walkway leading to the one-story building. Two turquoise blue painted Adirondack chairs are to the right of the front of the building.

Rancho de la Osa Arizona guest ranch rooms

With hotel rooms named for Pancho Villa, Franklin Roosevelt, Joan Crawford, and John Wayne, you’ll want to dress like a cowboy or cowgirl during your Arizona holiday. Room layouts range from king and queen beds to two twin beds, perfect for girlfriend getaways or multi-generational travel at this 3-star hotel. 

My husband and I stayed in the Lyndon B. Johnson chamber, considered a premium guest room with a wood-burning fireplace and king bed. We enjoyed a nightly fire during our four-night Arizona dude ranch vacation. The room has a private bathroom and includes bath amenities and a hair dryer. We were grateful for the extra blanket in the closet as the front and back door could benefit from additional weather stripping. 

Partially shown is the king bed with dark wood head and base board. A black comforter covers the bed with 3 small rectangular pillows with western-themed decorative throw pillows on the bed. Two white cloth and wrought-iron chairs are positioned in front of the wood-burning fireplace. A red, white, black and beige Navajo area rug is under the 2 heavy chairs by the river rock fireplace. A taxidermy antelope head is mounted above the fireplace. Beige wall color on all walls. Back door is left of heavy wood dresser on the back wall in the bedroom.

Activities at Rancho de la Osa Arizona guest ranch 

As is often the case with me, I came to Rancho de la Osa for a horseback riding vacation. My husband is not an equestrian. He takes a self-guided hiking tour of the La Osa Loop Trail and reads the ancient tombstones in the Arizona cemetery. I am fascinated with the UTV ride that takes us to the U.S./Mexico border wall. While this hotel review is not political in nature, I do recommend the Memoir Distance Between Us by US author Reyna Grande who chronicles her childhood between Mexico and the US. 

On our guest ranch vacation, a multi-generational family is celebrating an 80th birthday. The young children enjoy line dancing, horseback riding, puzzles, UTV tours, eating with their parents and grandparents, as well as preparing s’mores by the outdoor fire pit. 

Equestrian Travel Expert Nancy D. Brown is sitting on a black horse with a white star on his face, while standing in the southern Arizona desert. She is wearing an olive green vest, Pendleton wool jacket, pink shirt and a beige felt cowboy hat, while sitting in a Western saddle.

 

Rancho de la Osa Arizona all-inclusive dining options

Southwestern cuisine is the focus of fresh and healthy ranch dining at La Osa. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style, while the 3-course evening dinner is served by the staff, and sometimes even your wrangler. Appetizers are served nightly in the cantina, before dinner. Listen for the evening dinner bell. 

Three Western saddles serve as bar stools, perched on wood bases in the historic cantina. Two silver-plated, circular ice buckets sit on the wood bar with a metal ice scoop in a small glass container between the buckets. Numerous bottles of spirits and cocktail glasses line the shelves in the ranch bar.

We enjoy pork chops, chicken alfredo, homemade soups, fresh baked rolls, salad and sandwiches. Prickly pear pink lemonade and fresh baked cookies are gobbled up at lunch by the kids, and yours truly. Let staff know in advance if you are vegetarian or celebrating a special occasion. The chef has been there many years and loves to make hotel guests happy. 

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Red painted walls and bright blue painted door and 2 rectangular windows frame the room. A blue painted, built-in buffet holds glasses in a cupboard with 3 drawers below the countertop. A Mexican sombrero hat hangs on the wall to the left of the cupboard and right of the blue painted kitchen door. A cow skull is mounted on the wall, below the rectangular 2 windows. A built-in alcove, above the wood burning fireplace, holds a cross, 2 small ceramic water jugs and small artifacts from the 1800's. A long wood table, with white linen table cloth, holds 18 wood chairs, 9 on either side of the long rectangular table. The table is set with blue napkins, silverware and water glasses for dinner service.

 

The ranch is open from January to April and October to December. Check the ranch website for specific dates and all-inclusive prices. There is a 2-night minimum with rates starting at $159 per person based on double occupancy, including taxes and ranch service fee. 

Check rates for Rancho de la Osa Arizona Guest Ranch online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.

Rancho de la Osa Arizona Guest Ranch review in Sasabe, and all photos by Oregon-based travel writer and equestrian Nancy D. Brown.  She was a guest of True Ranch Collection while working on an assignment for a magazine article. As always, all thoughts and opinions are her own.

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A world traveler, Nancy Brown has combined her professional writing career with her thirst for adventure. As a hotel reviewer specializing in luxury properties, Nancy understands the importance of a great bed, fine food and stellar views. Nancy writes from her own experiences - not press releases. Catch up with her adventures on What a Trip, her Writing Horseback Facebook page, or Twitter. Come find me on Instagram.

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