High Country Guest Ranch

Lana Scott

2024-05

We just checked out of Western Star cabin 3. We arrived on May 12 of 2024. When we got there we had no hot water and no tv reception. There were rat droppings on kitchen counter and in sink. The kitchen towels were chewed up. I found a rat nest in the utensil drawer,with a rat in it.The maintenance men came and worked on the breaker for the hot water. We never had “hot “ water during our stay. Very dissatisfied with our cabin. I would never stay there again.Rooms: AlrightNearby activities: Nice town and beautiful views.Safety: Always felt safe.Walkability: Easy to walk around.Food & drinks: Good restaurants.Noteworthy details: Everyone was friendly.

Julianne Graham

2023-10

A beautiful venue for a perfect wedding! Our wedding was the last weekend in August. Jenn was truly great to work with throughout our planning process, and the staff was so helpful throughout our entire wedding weekend. Someone was always available to help if necessary! Having our friends and family stay in the many, beautiful cabins at the ranch made things so easy (and so fun, too). We received many compliments about how beautiful the ceremony location and reception hall were, and that’s all thanks to High Country Guest Ranch! I can’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else.

Katie Meyer

2023-11

Amazing place and amazing value!!!!! I'll break down this review into a few categories because there is a lot to say - our family of six - myself, my husband, and our four "kids' ages 6-24 years old stayed in the McGinnis cabin for 3 nights - and will definitely come back next year!(If you are not going to read the rest, that the stairs are very smooth/slippery and if you have people sleeping in the loft keeping the light on over the stairs may disturb them - I HIGHLY advise bringing a nightlight for the bottom of the stairs (there is an outlet there) for this reason, and make a rule NO SOCKS ON THE STAIRS. We told the kids that, then my husband nearly slipped, and the kids were quick to remind him of the rule, lol. With bare feet and holding the hand rail you are fine - they have rails on both sides even to make it safer.)All bathrooms had plenty of towels (lots) and a hair dryer and plenty of toilet paper, hotel style small bars of soap, and make up remover cloths.All bedrooms had extra blankets if need be, and plenty of pillows. Pillows and linens were very comfortable and plenty warm on their own for our October stay.The cabin itself is VERY VERY well insulated and heated! We are from Florida and I was really really worried about being cold since we were there the end of October, but I pleasantly surprised to realize we barely ran the heat at all!! The gas fireplace REALLY heats up almost the whole building very quickly, to the point that we had to turn it off because we got hot! With just the fireplace the thermostat read 74 degrees - And this was with it being 30 -40 degrees outside! There was central heat that were barely used, and there were extra radiator type heaters in some bathrooms and two of the downstairs bedrooms as well.There are a washer and dryer in the hallway, which was amazing. If staying in a different cabin there are laundry facilities in a separate building near the office as well.The kitchen is well stocked with basic cooking implements, a crock pot, blender, grilling utensils for the gas grill outside, microwave, and a drip coffee pot. There are some spices/salt/pepper/etc but no coffee (did have coffee filters) so bring ground coffee of your choice. Krull Market is less than 10 minutes away and stocks a variety of locally roasted coffees! There are also marshmallow roasting sticks (on top of fridge) and a fire pit outside.I think the only things we would call "cons" are the stairs could use a nightlight, and we saw a lot of flies. Several flyswatters were provided and honestly, we had the same problem at our hotel in Deadwood earlier in the week, so I think that is just a normal issue for the area. Also, The cabins do NOT have WIFI, and cell signal is almost non existent, but there is wifi by the office if you need to connect.Beyond that, we loved the views, loved feeding carrots to the horses and the donkeys and the goats, and loved having a "home" to go back to - all for LESS than the cost of two basic rooms at the Day's Inn nearby!Rooms: The layout: there were 6 queen sized beds, plus a set of bunkbeds. (although fair warning - that top bunk is REALLY high and the climb up is a bit precarious - I would NOT put a small child in that top bunk. A teen would be fine though.Downstairs front bedroom - queen bed with door to the outside. We put our 24 yr old adult son in that room.Downstairs back bedroom - queen bed with the bunkbed mentioned above (very high, top bunk not for small child!)Downstairs main bedroom - has queen bed, and connects to the downstairs main bathroom.Downstairs Main Bathroom - connects to hall/kitchen area and to main bedroom, has BIG set of bamboo shelves to store lots of stuff. This was really helpful for me to store the family's medications, sunscreen, vitamins, bug spray, etc.Downstairs extra bathroom - this is at the end of the hall near the two other downstairs bedrooms. Less space for storage but perfectly adequate. I had my son's use that one.Upstairs bedroom - queen bed. mattress did have a bit of a soft spot/dip where you can tell everyone sits to get up/down, but was fine for sleeping on for one person. Might be a little less comfy for two since that side sagged just a bit. I slept here as I was worried my youngest would try to use the stairs at night in the dark and wanted to be closer to her if she needed me.Upstairs Loft - this is open to the living room with sturdy railing. Has two comfortable queen beds and a small balcony/sliding door. Lots of room, two chairs as well. I had my two daughters sleep there - they loved it!Upstairs bathroom - nice size, I used this shower myself and it was great - good water pressure.Safety: Stairs were slippery and with the lights turned off at night a bit hazardous - I'd bring a nightlight to plug in at the bottom and make a rule of NO SOCKS on the stairs.Noteworthy details: Great location, great price!No WIFI except by the office, no real cell signal.There are Laundry Facilities by the office area, and some cabins have washer/dryer.

Andrew Habeck

2023-08

Took my family here for first time horse back riding... COULD NOT RECOMMEND HIGHER... My youngest daughter was scared to death of the horses and by the end was asking us to get one.The personal attention she received was unexpected to say the least and I would have never expected anyone to take that much time to make her feel comfortable... Awesome experience for me and my kids.Well trained horses, three to four staff members along to monitor the trail ride front to back. Very personal and felt like we were visiting friends.Afterwards, kids got a private meeting with Penny the Pig...If you're considering a trail ride THIS is absolutely the place!Thank you all, that made our vacation!!

Brooklyn Price

2023-07

I camped here. The location is very beautiful, with lots of horses. When we showed arrived they said we could put our tent anywhere with grass. This was a little disappointing as we believed that when we booked a campsite we would be getting a true campsite (specific spot/fire pit). The public bathrooms were really nice, the shower wasn't very clean but the toilets were. Additionally when we booked our campsite it was $15 a night, we decided to extend our stay by one night and they tried to charge us $30, when we asked about it they dropped it to $15, but just strange.

Misti Valleroy

2023-05

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Dan Jackson

2023-08

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T L

2022-05

We stayed in the cabins with our 2 kids ages 4 and 2. We had such an awesome experience. Check in was super quick and the staff were super friendly. There's a little convenience store and gift shop that sells souvenirs, jewelry, trinkets, odds and ends, beer and ice cream. The cabins more than exceeded our expectations. Very spacious and clean. Lawn chairs, grills and picnic tables in front of every cabin and a few local fire pits. My kids really enjoyed the bounce house, playground, pony rides, and feeding the horses, mules and zebra! My wife and I enjoyed the horse rides as well. The ranch is close to everything the Black Hills has to offer. We stayed 3 nights but could have easily stayed a month. We are already planning our trip back to the High Country Guest Ranch.

Lucas Hansen

2023-05

The ranch is comfy and is very well designed. However, we happen to have made a mistake and we left our fishing tackle box there. We called a bunch of times, but they kept denying that they saw the tackle box. Being that we were the furthest cabin away on the ranch, we know that people don’t walk past very often. It is more than likely that one of the workers or cleaners has it because they cleaned the cabins shortly after we left. We are still in search of answers and we hope they are being honest with us.

Joseph D

2022-05

My brother and I enjoyed our stay at the High Country Guest ranch. We stayed in cabin(#32) which was one of the smaller cabins available. The cabin was clean and the beds were comfortable. The bathroom was clean as well. We enjoyed walking around the ranch and feeding and petting the animals, especially the donkeys. The ranch is very close to Hill City, which is a nice small mountain town. If you are looking for a good hiking trail, the George Michelson trail runs right past the ranch. This is a gravel trail that is cleared and it is easy to walk on. The trail follows the route of the former railway that was in the area in the early 20th Century.

Kyle Bryant

2023-07

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Amanda Schulz

2023-05

Rustic accommodations. Very friendly, helpful staff. Family owned & run - Craig, Jen, Amanda, &Kyle are just the best kind of people! 💕Everyone went over and above to make my daughter's wedding extra special & memorable.Expectations FAR EXCEEDED!!!

Kenton Connor

2023-11

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Lonnie Perry

2020-05

A wonderful place to stay in a beautiful area. The "Ranch House" we stayed in was spacious, clean, and perfect for our large family along with a few friends (total of 11 people). We had everything we needed. The amenities of the home exceeded our expectations. The owners/caretakers were kind, very helpful and quick to respond.Our stay was in the middle of October. We used the ranch as our "Base" to go out and see the historical sites and attractions in the Black Hills. Everyone looked forward to going back to the Ranch House each evening for dinner, and spend time together in a very relaxing environment. I enjoyed watching the sunrise out of the window while setting on the couch with my wife drinking coffee while a fire helped keep us warm . . . before the kids woke up.It has been many years since we stayed at the Ranch. I did not post reviews in the past when we stayed at the ranch. Our experience at the High County Guest Ranch was memorable and I wanted to make sure to communicate our experience. I look forward to returning to the area and know where I will be staying.

Emily Sanger

2023-05

Gorgeous, gorgeous location! We rented a cabin for a wedding that was at the same venue. Everyone we came in contact with that worked there was friendly. The cabin was cute and there was a shared hot tub outside. The hot tub had easy access in and out with an easy to remove/replace cover.Only reason it isn’t 5 stars is because the information notebooks weren’t up to date with the new owners/management. Also, there is lot Wifi which is not an issue, but there should be a landline phone in each cabin in case of an emergency.

Kylie Van Donkelaar

2022-05

I LOVED this experience! The cabin we stayed in was well maintained, cozy, and perfect for my group! They have a wide range of cabins and EXCELLENT staff! At one point, my friends and I got stuck in the mountains and the staff were great with referring people to help and letting us use their landlines! Highly, highly reccomend

Jill Swanson

2021-05

Loved staying at this beautiful ranch! We had a cute little one room cabin and it was perfect! It was clean, cozy, and had a grill, shower, mini-fridge, and microwave. What else could you need? We also had a hot tub and a fire pit which was shared with a few other cabins. They also had bigger cabins on the other side of the ranch which had their own fire pits and hot tubs. The best part was waking up every morning and stepping on the deck to see the donkeys and horses in the pasture. They do trail rides with horses, and we also took advantage of their ATV rentals! What a blast that was!Unfortunately, I was there during COVID so the bar was closed, and they usually have live music too. Can’t wait to go back and experience the rest of it. It’s already so perfect! So much to do in a quiet, peaceful place!

Misty Fish

2023-05

We had our daughters wedding, reception and rehearsal here along with friends and family renting every cabin they had. We had no complaints everything was wonderful. Jen the event planner was awesome to work with. I would recommend this facility to anyone. Wonderful experience!

Katherine Ames

2022-05

Guests beware. Read other reviews. "Dishonest Deb" required we pay additional fees upon arrival, despite the airbnb site receipt saying our original payment fulfilled the obligation to host. The cabin was not cleaned. Pet hair covered carpets. Dead flies covered window sills and on floors. Live flies in sinks. Even in December, flies still a problem. Light switches and outlets did not work. Artificial lighting might not be a problem in the summer when days are longer, but in December, the sun sets at 4:30 pm, making artificial lighting critical. Cleaning/maintenance staff not available d/t holiday and weekend. Had to unplug and empty out the vacuum cleaner before able to clean cabin ourselves. (I wish I could post photos!) And still we were charged a $100 cleaning fee. Because of shady host behavior, asked for a walk thru inspection of the cabin at check out to ensure getting our full deposit back. Dishonest Deb assured us she would credit it back with a max of 4 days. 9 days and repeated calls later, it was finally credited back. The only time she was honest was when she openly admitted she had no idea when the cabin had last been in. With a little maintenance, this cabin could have been a great stay. Sadly, it was far from it. Recommend staying elsewhere.

Carmen Anfuso

2018-05

Had a great time here with the family on our kids’ spring break all the way from Chicago. It surpassed our expectations. Super clean and cute, cozy cabin in the hills. Always very friendly staff and were more than accommodating to our family during our stay. We stayed in the Western Star #3 cabin which was perfect for our family of four and couple probably be comfortable for a family of 6.Good location to reach Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Also a cute local grocery store a few miles away in Hill City that we bought some groceries for the few days were there. Reasonable prices, clean and friendly staff.Met owner John on our last day and gave some good insight on the area and directions to the Badlands. We would recommend this place to anyone visiting this part of SD.

Jennifer Harvey

2022-05

Great choice for experiencing the area! You are pretty close to three other cabins which share a firepit and hot tub but we didn't mind meeting the other guests who just happened to be from nearby and had the fun North dakota/Minnesota accents. They had other cabins that were more private, as an option. Seriously beautiful location with lots of animals, and activities available. Great location as it was a hour south of Deadwood and 30ish minutes north of Custer so we had a nice middle ground to head out from. I highly recommend for a true South Dakota experience in a nice cozy cabin!

Marie Czarnek

2023-07

Was there for a wedding and would not recommend for a venue. Bathrooms not conveniently located for accommodation to all. Open space, so when in climate weather comes you have to crowd into tiny spot.Walkability: You have to walk everywhere.

Becky Walker

2022-05

Awesome place to stay! Great rates and very friendly staff! Our cabin was perfect for our family of four. The ranch is beautiful and spacious! There is a zebra, donkeys and lots of horses on the ranch. You can take a trail ride on one of their horses or bring your own horse. Very family friendly place. There is a little shop in the clubhouse that is beautiful. There is a fire pit located in the center of the Rodeo cabins (which is what we rented) and firewood for sale on the ranch. We had a fire every night. We rented a rodeo cabin and it had two bunks and two queen beds that were very comfortable. It had a kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and toaster. Nice sized full bathroom and a tv with Direct tv and dvd player. You can rent movies at the office. The Mickelson trail runs through the property. Nice and peaceful place! The staff was great! I could go on and on about this place! We are planning to visit again! If you are looking for a great place to stay in The Black Hills, this is the place!

Ross E. Reitsma

2021-05

High Country Guest Ranch was everything and more than we expected. It was absolutely awesome. We stayed in Cabin #2 the first full week of June, it was outstanding. If you are looking for an awesome, relaxing, beautiful and calming place to get away, take in the sounds & amazing views every morning and night, have space, while being a short drive away from Hill City, Keystone, and other great attractions, but yet have access to awesome trail riding by horseback, atv all through the Ranch, this place is awesome. The stream flowing in the open field behind the house as the horses came up the valley each morning was just a beautiful sight to see. We enjoyed every night listening to the stream flow as the fire crackled and we enjoyed the amazing weather. The Cabin was clean, the Staff at the Ranch were very kind, helpful, and hospitable. Our kids enjoyed going up to the stables everyday to talk to the wranglers, pet the horses, and bike around the property. Everything was well maintained, the ATV's were brand new and ran great, the horse ride through the national forest was awesome. The Grill was nearly brand new, we cooked dinner everynight at the Cabin, we just loved spending time there. I have stayed in 5 Star Hotels all over the US, I would pick this amazing relaxing place anytime, the setting is just so peaceful. The kids loved the loft with two beds up top, while we enjoyed privacy of our own bedroom. We had a covered back deck to enjoy breakfast on each morning. I highly recommend this place!!

Doug Wood

2021-05

First of all the cabin was great. 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Very clean.big kitchen and living room. My wife and son loved the trail ride. Close to town and Grocery shopping. Beautiful setting. We stayed at the Gold Mine Cabin and would definitely come back. We were there from 6/22/20 to 6/26/20. Close to all attractions we went to. Mt Rushmore, Hill City, Custer, Crazy Horse, Custer Stare Park Wildlife loop, Deadwood and Keystone.We grilled out on the deck. Fun. Only drawback no cell service.

Scott Thomas

2019-05

While I did not stay at the Guest Ranch, I did go on their trail ride with one of their ranchers. It was a 50 minute horseback ride through the Black Hills and the scenery could not have been more beautiful. I had a horse named Dakota, who was extremely responsive to commands. Beforehand you are allowed to feed the horses hay and get to know them. The entire experience was well worth the money.After the horseback ride, My girlfriend and I ordered a cheese platter and wine from their store. We were not expecting much, but it was a great time. The owner offered us a variety of cheeses ranging from aged cheddar to wine infused cheeses. He then helped us pair our selected cheeses with a wine. We were blown away by how personal and well selected the experience was. This is definitely a diamond in the rough and should be experienced by more.If you are staying at the guest ranch or in the area, I could encourage any more to visit this gem.

Leslie M

2019-05

We loved this place. Our cabin/house was well supplied, clean, and very cute. The location was Central and perfect for everything there is to do in the Black hills.alk this is in a beautiful and peaceful setting. The houses are not on top of each other so there is a sense of privacy. All this for the best value in the Black Hills. We will go here again. Note: We were a party of 8 staying in one of the houses. Many other options are available.

Robert Rains

2019-05

Great property and location. The houses we rented were very well appointed, plenty of room and well maintained.We grilled out on the deck several times and at night watch the stars.Short drive to Hill City and to several national parks. Highly recommend people to stay here when traveling in the area.

Myer VanEssen

2019-05

Had my brothers bachelor party and stayed in the Indian cabins. The cabins were way nicer then we ever expected!!! Tv, shower, ac, there’s a pool, and trails and land to wander on. My only complaint was they would do yard work such as mowing or weed whipping on the weekend... also the breakfast at the grill and pub is mediocre at best.. but huge shoutout to the horseback ride!!!!! So much fun and worth every dollar! I would go back just for the horseback ride! Overall a beautiful place. Manager was slightly rude to us. But that didn’t bother us from enjoying this ranch! I would recommend!

Walt Campbell

2021-05

Pulled in With our 32 ft fifth wheel making a noise. One of the maintenance people thought it might be a bearing and recommended we have it looked at. Another maintenance guy, Marv, said he could look at it off duty and fix it if needed. Next morning, sure enough Marv showed up with a jack and pulled the wheel off. While doing so, he told me that I could get parts while he was working, and then we would put it back together that evening.Turns out it was just a noisy brake that could wait until we returned home. But every day after work, Marv stopped by and said hello.The test of the staff were equally friendly and helpful. And the wranglers were fantastic. Everything was fabulous, except the pool and chuck wagon was closed due to corona, but it was a great vacation.Planning a reunion. There next summer.