Our Heritage Guest Ranch — Attraction in Bowen Precinct

We stayed at the ranch in the summer of 2018. No one greeted us when we arrived. After calling Jean, we were told to let ourselves in. We had to ask her to come to the guest house late that evening to meet us and tell us about the ranch activities. Unfortunately, no activities were offered because she was too busy with ranch chores.

We expressed an interest in horseback riding. She said we would have to “become one with the horse” by grooming them and communicating with them. At that point she would decide if we established a bond of trust with her horses and would be allowed to ride. All of this would cost $75 per person without the guarantee of a ride which would be an additional fee.

We didn’t see one other staff member throughout our stay with the exception of her husband. He didn’t speak to us, wave to us, or acknowledge us in any manner.

We asked for a tour of the ranch but Jean never got back to us about showing us around. We didn’t see anything other than the guest house.

The full breakfast for four adults turned to be extremely inadequate as it consisted of 6 eggs, 3 strawberries, and toast. No juice or coffee was offered. It was not at all as advertised and was extremely disappointing.

The house was okay except for the strong sulfur smell in the water. (The smell of rotten eggs).

The only positive in this experience was the close proximity to Toadstool National Park, which we enjoyed immensely.

Overall, the experience was nothing like the website advertised. We’re writing this review so no one else spends their vacation on such a disappointing...

Jean is a wonderful host (and a lovely person all round!). We have used "Homestay" accommodations in several countries and the 2 nights at Our Heritage Guest Ranch were "right up our street" in terms of what we were hoping/looking for. Definitely not a "Dude Ranch!"

We went for the "Ranch activities & trail rides” and "Fossil Hunting" activities and were very satisfied. Loved the ATV drive, meeting Jean's horses (a very enriching and spiritual encounter for my wife Maria) and helping with feeding the cattle. I am now proficient at ranch gate operations...! :-)

A well-equipped kitchen with a stove, sink, microwave and refrigerator etc. is available for guests to self-cater as required.

Our dusky room with it's home-made furniture was very comfortable (my wife was so comfortable she slept through a meal on the first night! :-)) and the washwater characteristics only added to the uniqueness of the experience. A perfect escape for those who wish to be isolated from work concerns, social-media and the usual hectic aspects of daily life!

The ranch is a working one and things can change short-notice to suite the animal's needs (which are obviously, and rightly, a priority), so don't expect a rigid timetable! :-) This was perfect for us.

A fantastic...

My son has been learning to prep fossils and heard of Our Heritage Guest Ranch through like-minded people. We decided to take our family vacation there. We were given instructions on how to let ourselves in at the gate, so we went on in and unpacked then explored a little and made friends with the dogs. We have multiple food sensitivity and allergies, so we brought all our food. There was ample space for it. We had a fridge in the Loft and 2 in the kitchen since we happened to be the only guests there. The kitchen was supplied with utensils, pots and pans and such. In our loft area we had plenty of bedding. It was cute and cozy. We were able to go fossil hunting, go to a fossil museum nearby ( Trailside at Fort Robinson) we went and explored High Plans Homestead and drove to Hot Springs SD to Mammoth Site museum and stopped by Cascade Falls to cool off. We also went rock hunting a few roads down, Jean showed us where to go, and found some petrified wood as well. It was beautiful scenery, fun to be on a ranch. My kids especially enjoyed the peacocks. We were sad to leave. We enjoyed getting to know Jean and her husband, learning about the land...