Lowdown

  • Established

    1989. Guest ranch since 1992

  • Owner

    Jeff & April, Tyler & Jenna, Jesse Beckley

  • Manager

    Tyler Beckley

  • Tel

    250-426-5230; 877-426 5230

  • Open

    May-Oct

  • Nightly Rates (per adult)*

    $275 - $380

  • Nightly Rates (per child)*

    $275 - $250

  • Minimum Stay

    2 days

  • Maximum Guests

    45

  • Works with travel agents?

    Yes

  • Great For

    Romance, Action & adventure, Peace & quiet, Pampering, Diverse scenery

  • Memberships

    Dude Ranchers Association, British Columbia Dude Ranchers Association, Spur Alliance
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

The adventure ranch of the Canadian Rockies

We specialize in families, beginner riding opportunities, and multi-sport activities. Three Bars Guest and Cattle Ranch invites you to experience the ultimate horseback riding vacation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.

We offer the most diverse activities program available. Including a complete range of horseback riding programs, hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, fly fishing, tennis, indoor heated pool, hot tub, and fitness facility. Enjoy your vacation experience with true western hospitality, Three Bars Ranch style. If this is your first Dude Ranch vacation, you will surely be impressed.

With the diversity of our activities program, singles, families and couples, horseback riders and non-riders all enjoy an experience of a lifetime here. Our high season for families runs mainly in July and August with couples concentrating more in spring and fall.

Good time to go

Before or after the Calgary Stampede(July 8th –17th 2011), or the 3rd week in August when the Cranbrook Pro Rodeo is in town.

Children at the Ranch

Great for children aged 6 and over

We offer a supervised children's program for 6 and over. Kids of all ages will feel at home here at the ranch, where they have wide open spaces to just be kids. Catch frogs, go horseback riding, cook a marshmallow over an open fire. Our program is designed to keep kids of all ages busy all day long and well into the night.

Our programs are designed so you can go on family rides, hike together and river raft together. Or the kids are welcome to join in the children's riding program while the adults choose another activity program, or an adult-only ride. We are small so that we can allow for custom vacation experiences.

While our riding program is designed for kids of 6 years and older, younger kids are welcome here at the ranch. We don't have a formal program for the younger kids, but we do have an outside play area & petting zoo. We will lead them around the arena on a horse with a parent beside to help make them comfortable on the horse.

Activities

hiking, picnics, outdoor play area, whitewater rafting, supervised swimming

Riding based activities

arena riding, trail riding

Ranch History

While the Three Bar Ranch and cattle brand was one of the first registered in B.C., it was not until 1992 that it became a world call guest ranch.

After building several other guest ranches in Idaho and Canada, Jeff and April Beckley decided that Three Bars was the perfect location for their operation. Three Bars Ranch was custom built all at once to be a guest ranch. The ranch sits on 1200 acres of private land with 35,000 acres of lease surrounding the property.

Three Bars Ranch is the year-round home of the Beckley family. Jeff and April Beckley, Tyler and Jenna, and Jesse share the western lifestyle of wide open spaces, good friends and the cowboy way of life with guests from around the world. The Beckley family are all involved in the day to day operations of the ranch, we are in the dining room at meal time and around the ranch all day.

Lowdown

  • Enjoy

    Ranch-style

  • Meals served

    family style, buffet style, scheduled meals

  • Enjoy dining in

    nature settings, dining room (casual attire)

  • Dietary restrictions catered for

    vegetarians, other

Three Bars offers traditional menus with our signature upscale flair.

Dining at Three Bars is an opportunity for everyone to come together. Tasty meals are served as a buffet with comfortable family-style and private table seating. To satisfy anyone's palate, meals run the full range - from BBQ steak cookouts to traditional Mexican cuisine. Ester, our in-house chef, specializes in fresh breads and home made desserts.

The day begins with your choice of a light and fresh breakfast, or a meal that can fill you up for the day. When you arrive back from your morning ride, our lunches will satisfy your craving. We have hot and cold entrees, fresh salads, BBQ cook outs and some of the best cookies and squares for dessert. Feel free to drop a few in your pocket for your afternoon activities! Dinner is a very social time at Three Bars - a time to sit back and relax and enjoy another fantastic meal. Freshly baked breads, salads, a selection of vegetables and meat will impress even the toughest critics.

Guest Favourites

  • Blueberry Pancakes cooked over an open fire on our breakfast ride
  • BBQ Steak
  • BBQ Sweet Beans

Lowdown

  • Address

    9500 Wycliffe Perry Cr. Rd
    Cranbrook
    British Columbia
    V1C 7C7
    Canada

  • Remote Location

    Yes

  • Elevation

    2997 ft

  • Private Land

    1000-5000 hectares

  • Public Land

    more than 50k hectares

Nearest Airports

Canadian Rockies International Airport - YXC, Cranbrook, British Columbia

Distance

10 miles / 15 mins

Ranch shuttle

free!

Private Air Travel

Nearest location(s)

Cranbrook, British Columbia

Travel by

Airplane

Distance

10 miles

Ranch shuttle

free!

Lowdown

  • Type of Riding

    Western Riding

  • Riding opportunities for

    Beginner, Intermediate

  • Most riders are

    Intermediate

  • Rides are grouped by

    Age, Ability, Pace of Ride, Rides tailored to guest requests, Families ride together

  • Max riders per ride

    6

  • Wranglers per ride

    1

  • Pace of ride

    Walk, Trot, Lope

  • Guest Horses

    100

  • Horse Types

    Quarterhorse, Geldings

  • Hours in the saddle

    Morning - 2 hours
    Afternoon - 2 hours

The Setting

Private Land (1000-5000 hectares)

Our ranch sits on 1200 acres of majestic British Columbian beauty surrounded by mountains, valleys, and clear rivers. Our setting boasts a gorgeous and rugged landscape with few open meadows. Allowing trail riding through the ranch and up into the Crown wilderness that surrounds us.

Public Land (more than 50k hectares)

Our ranch is surrounded by 80,000 hectares of Crown wilderness offering some truly awe-inspiring trail rides. We back into a big valley, sitting at the foothills of the Percels. We are bordered to the north by St. Mary's River and to the south by Perry's Creek.

Our Riding

Scheduled rides

Our morning rides leave between 9 and 10 and the afternoon rides between 1 and 2.

Guided rides

Our fully guided rides cover both casual and extreme country, therefore, we encourage guests to come with the same physical ability as needed to ride a bike.

Program rides

Each Wednesday, guests enjoy our breakfast ride; On Friday, we offer an all-day ride up too the summit with lunch on the trail arriving back at the ranch around 4.

Good to know

Guests ride with us for a full day before going on our faster rides. Wranglers then can asses abilities.

Riding considerations

no riding experience needed, We recommend a good level of physical fitness

Hours in the saddle

We do offer all day rides, but with the plethora of activities, guests generally ride 1/2 day in morning and enjoy other activities in the afternoon.

Why our riding stands out

  • Our riding program is over-seen by pro-trainer Jeff Beckley and the Beckley family
  • A horse to guest ration of over 2:1, we are certain to find your perfect match
  • Lush, green scenery with meandering trails to the tip tops of the Crown wilderness

Sample Riding Itinerary

8:00 AM Every day starts with a hardy ranch meal in the lodge. Where the day’s activities are planned.

9:00 – 11:30 Morning Rides or alternative activity

12:00 Lunch

1:30 – 4:00 Afternoon Rides, or one of the afternoon activities. Rafting, guided hiking, skeet shooting, and more


4:30 Happy hour in the bar

6:30 Dinner

8:00 Evening program starts. Casino night, reining demo, fire engine games, ext

Riding Lessons

We offer a beginner group lesson or a private or semi-private riding lesson. The private/semi-private riding lesson can be scheduled at any time throughout your stay at an additional charge. Our wranglers are capable of teaching at any level - from entry level to advanced horsemanship. Wranglers are also happy to instruct on the trail for all levels addressing various questions you may have.

Details

lessons come with package, lessons are additional, basic riding lessons, advanced horsemanship lessons

Given by

wrangler

Location

in the arena

Natural Horsemanship Clinic

Clinician

Jesse Beckley, Jeff Beckley

Details

Included in package, Clinics occur in the arena

Focuses on

Guests can watch Jesse and Jeff Beckley as they train reining performance horses throughout the week. Our reining facilities are right here at the ranch barns where guests are welcome to watch as Jeff and Jesse prepare for the international show circuit. You will find training occurring daily in our arenas. Guests are welcome to watch and learn their philosophies and training styles and what makes a championship reining horse. In addition to daily training rituals, Jeff and Jesse also offer an evening demonstration of Reining once a week. Jesse has trained with the top trainers in the industry; to learn more about their training visit www.beckleyreining.com

Lowdown

  • Nightly Rates (per adult)*

    $275 - $380

  • Nightly Rates (per child)*

    $275 - $250

  • Nightly Rates (non-rider)

    $240 - $300

  • Minimum Stay

    2 days

  • Preferred Arrival Day

    Sun, Any day is fine

  • Preferred Departure Day

    Sat, Any day is fine
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

Three Bars Ranch can cater for up to 45 guests. See below for details and indicative rates.

Cabin | Three Bars Accommodations

Rates ()*

Summer: $277 - $330
Winter: $210 - $295
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

Description

Our spacious cabins emphasize comfort, relaxation and never skimping on amenities like hand built log furniture, cozy quilts, full baths, fridge, a seating area and of course, a front porch. Whichever cabin works best for your family you are sure to find your private log cabin welcoming! Your home while visiting three bars ranch will be one, two or three bedroom log cabins - each room has a unique bed configurations from one queen to two queen beds. The two bedroom family cabins for are ideal for families with young children.

Booking Policy

25% deposit is due at time of booking. Balance is due at time of check-out.

Included in your stay

meals, activities, ranch shuttle, lodging, Riding, rafting

Extras

Tax

6%

Gratuity

Optional

Other

Beverages from the bar

Lowdown

  • You can borrow

    Riding helmets, Saddle bags

  • You can rent

    Cowboy boots

  • Communications

    Wireless Internet/Wifi, telephone.

  • Cell Networks

    alltel, AT&T, verizon. good cell coverage.

  • Business Services

    Conference center, computer and fax hookups, printers, common computer.

Onsite

Shopping

We offer on-ranch shopping for hats, boots, western wear, logo wear, jewelry, and ranch memorabilia.

Outdoor Activities

mountain biking, tennis, Golf - 9 hole course, Golf - 18 hole course, sporting clays, ATV Rentals - guided, ATV Rentals - non-inclusive

Water based Activities

indoor pool, hot tub, whitewater rafting-adventure

Spa

relaxation massage, massage therapist comes out by appointment

Fishing & Wildlife

Three Bars Ranch is located a short walk from the St. Mary's River. The St. Mary's River is considered to be one of the finest dry-fly fisheries in North America. You will enjoy Wild West Slope Cut Throats from 14 to 20 inches, and catch rates of 10 to 50 fish per day. As an added bonus, there is a good chance you will not see another angler during your float. The lack of angling pressure is due to the absence of roads along the length of the river. Fortunately, Three Bars Ranch controls over 7 miles of river, giving you exclusive access. Fly fishing equipment is available from the lodge at no charge. Fishing licenses are required and are available for sale at the ranch. You can take advantage of fully guided or unguided fishing as well as enjoy a fully-guided full day boat fishing trip down the river with a professional guide.

Fishing on offer

fly, river, guided inclusive, guided non-inclusive, unguided, instruction available

Wildlife

Elk, Deer, Black Bear, Mouse, Coyote, and an abundance of birds

Additional Services

Corporate Retreats

For groups of 50-75. For up to 70, we offer custom corporate retreats year round

Weddings

We can cater for groups of 50-75. A beautiful setting, weddings at the ranch generally occur July and August. Our dining room maxes at 70

Local Attractions

Banff National Park, Glacier National Park

Three Bars is located in the Canadian Rockies, between Banff National Park and Glacier National Park. This gives our guest the option of visiting one of the parks either before or after visiting the ranch. A lot of our guest elect to fly into Calgary AB and drive down to the ranch via Banff and Lake Louise. There is also an alternative route back to Calgary via the Cowboy Trail. Kalispell MT is also a great option for guest interested in visiting Glacier.

Rental car

Required

Fort Steel

Fort Steel is a turn of the century heritage town that has been re-built and preserved as a heritage site. Complete with street actors, theatre, general store, etc. The fort is 30 min from the ranch and a great ½ day adventure.

Distance

30 miles / 30 mins

Rental car

Required

5 of the Top 25 Golf Courses

The region is also home to some of the finest golf in Canada. 5 of the top 25 golf courses in Canada are located within 15 min of the ranch. It is a true golfers dream.

Distance

15 miles / 15 mins

Rental car

Required

Highs

  • A diverse activities program makes Three Bars an ideal location for those with differing vacation requirements – enjoy ATV, golf, sporting clays, fishing, indoor pool and more!
  • Family-run, the ranch is expertly managed by the whole Beckley family and the activities in which they specialize are among the finest in the industry
  • Varied scenic riding opportunities for beginner to intermediate riders, including river riding
  • To ensure a quality experience for all, the Beckleys keep the percentage of on-ranch children at 30% under the age of 14

Lows

  • Although directed more towards families, with the amount of activities offered and with plenty of land to roam, couples/singles will never feel overwhelmed with children

Visitor Reviews

Dont just take our word for it, see what visitors like you say...

Hands down, best Dude Ranch Ever!

Three Bars Ranch in Cranbrook British Columbia is by far the best dude ranch experience we ever had. The Beckley family really has got this right, scenery is breathtaking, the family and staff are so welcoming and friendly, the food was terrific, lots of it and lots of choices, the cabins are clean and spacious and done with that charm and whimsy you see in the advertising. The horses, wow, let me tell you, I have been around all kinds of stables and farms, these are happy, we'll loved, properly trained horses, the trails are awesome for all levels of riders, just got home on Friday and am planning my next visit already, met a lady who has gone there 14 times! There is all kinds of other activities for a non-rider as well, If you want a true dude ranch holiday or just love riding this is a MUST DO for your list of places to go.

5 stars

You can find more reviews for Three Bars Ranch on TripAdvisor