A Stay at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch
A family cattle ranch in the Gold Creek Valley near Sandpoint, with log cabins, horses at the corral and sleigh rides in winter.
Tucked in the Gold Creek Valley about 16 miles northeast of Sandpoint, Western Pleasure Guest Ranch is a working cattle ranch where you can trade the city for horses at the corral, a log cabin with a fireplace and sunsets over the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains. We spent a night here on our North Idaho farm trip, and between the horses, the family-style ranch dinner and the view from our cabin porch, it quickly became one of our favorite stays.
Our stay was part of a trip hosted by the North Idaho Tourism Alliance with the Post Falls and Sandpoint Chambers of Commerce. As always, every opinion here is my own.
Our night on the ranch
We pulled into the ranch at the end of a full day of farm visits around Sandpoint and Clark Fork, just in time to catch the sun setting over the valley from our cabin porch. Before dinner we walked down to the corral to say hi to the horses, and our daughter could not get enough of them.
Dinner was a family-style ranch meal in the lodge, the perfect end to a day spent on farms. I'm already planning our next trip back, we might have horses in our future with how much Kalona loved them!
The next morning we woke up with the horses and had a hearty ranch breakfast by the fire before heading north to Bonners Ferry. There is so much to do on the ranch that I would recommend staying for at least two nights.
A family ranch since 1939
Western Pleasure’s story starts in 1939, when Riley Wood made a handshake deal for 160 acres in the Gold Creek Valley. His son Jim bought the cattle operation in 1957, and today the family’s land covers about 1,300 acres, with a herd of Red Angus cattle and a conservation easement that protects the ranch from future development.
In 1991 the family opened the ranch to guests. Jim’s daughter Janice Schoonover now runs the guest ranch day to day with her husband, and the centerpiece is a 10,000-square-foot log lodge that Jim designed himself. Around 70 horses live on the ranch, including the draft horses that pull the sleighs in winter.
Lodge rooms and log cabins
You can stay in one of the guest rooms inside the log lodge or book a private log cabin for a little more space and privacy. The cabins are a great fit for families: each one sleeps up to six and has its own full bathroom, kitchen area and fireplace.
- Lodge roomsSix western-themed rooms in the log lodge
- Log cabinsFour cabins that sleep up to six
- FireplacesA cozy fire in every cabin
- Kitchen areaIn each cabin for easy family meals
- Wrap-around porchValley and mountain views from the lodge
- Indoor arenaHorses to see in any weather
Things to do through the seasons
The ranch is open year-round, and what your stay looks like depends on when you go.
- Summer: All-inclusive guest ranch packages with lodging, three meals a day, daily horseback rides and evening activities like campfires and square dancing. You can also try cattle herding lessons, hiking, mountain biking and guided e-bike tours.
- Fall and spring: Bed-and-breakfast stays in the lodge or cabin rentals, with two-hour guided horseback rides.
- Winter: Old-fashioned horse-drawn sleigh rides when there’s snow, plus cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on miles of ranch trails.
Good to know before you book
- Plan for at least two nights so you have time for a ride and to slow down on the ranch.
- The ranch is about 16 miles northeast of Sandpoint off the Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway, a little over an hour’s drive from Coeur d’Alene.
- Rides and seasonal activities depend on the weather, so call ahead to confirm what’s running during your stay.
- Pack layers and boots for the corral, and warm gear for winter sleigh rides.
- The ranch also hosts retreats, family reunions and weddings if you’re planning a group trip.
Book your stay
Whether you want a summer week in the saddle or a cozy winter weekend with a sleigh ride, Western Pleasure is the kind of place you’ll want to come back to every season. Book directly with the ranch through their website, or give them a call to plan your stay.
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