Nestled in Sonoita Valley along the banks of Sonoita Creek, just 15 miles north of Mexico, Circle Z Guest Ranch welcomes vacationers to experience a taste of the Old West, with the comfortable pleasures of a traditional family-style ranch but without the risks. Horseback riding, relaxation, and cowboy cookouts have been the ranch's main attractions for the past 90 years, earning Circle Z the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating guest ranch in Arizona. It evolved from a four-room adobe homestead to a working cattle ranch before becoming a highly profitable sheepherding operation. In 1924, brothers Carl and Lee Zinsmeister arrived in Patagonia with a vision of developing a dude ranch with a resort feel. They purchased 5,000 acres of the San José de Sonoita land grant, which included the Sanford estate. Circle Z opened in 1926 and quickly became one of the finest guest ranches in the state. Today, the Nash family operates this memorable ranch famous for its well-trained horses and miles of scenic trails.
The Empire Ranch sits in the heart of the rolling grasslands and oak-studded foothills of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in southeastern Arizona. Its remarkable history and the ranching way of life are told through the stories of the men, women, and children of the Empire, most notably the Vail, Boice, and Donaldson families. Walter L. Vail and Herbert R. Hislop purchased the Empire Ranch homestead for $2,000 in 1876. The Vail family operated the ranch until 1928, turning it into a cattle ranching empire. From 1928 to 1975, the well-respected Boice family ran a vibrant Hereford operation on the Empire. The Donaldson family used innovative range management methods to continue the ranching legacy from 1975 to 2009. Today, the ranch, under the management of the Bureau of Land Management, remains one of the oldest continuously working cattle ranches in the region.
Nestled in Sonoita Valley along the banks of Sonoita Creek, just 15 miles north of Mexico, Circle Z Guest Ranch welcomes vacationers to experience a taste of the Old West, with the comfortable pleasures of a traditional family-style ranch but without the risks. Horseback riding, relaxation, and cowboy cookouts have been the ranch's main attractions for the past 90 years, earning Circle Z the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating guest ranch in Arizona. It evolved from a four-room adobe homestead to a working cattle ranch before becoming a highly profitable sheepherding operation. In 1924, brothers Carl and Lee Zinsmeister arrived in Patagonia with a vision of developing a dude ranch with a resort feel. They purchased 5,000 acres of the San José de Sonoita land grant, which included the Sanford estate. Circle Z opened in 1926 and quickly became one of the finest guest ranches in the state. Today, the Nash family operates this memorable ranch famous for its well-trained horses and miles of scenic trails.
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