Our Texas Ranch Experience that Gave Yellowstone Vibes

For our Spring Break 2026 trip, we traveled from Indiana to Texas stopping in Kansas and Oklahoma. For the Texas portion, we wanted to spend our time doing things that felt authentic to Texas.

We chose to spend part of our trip at Wildcatter Ranch and it was the best decision. Our family definitely made unforgettable memories while at the ranch.

Wildcatter Ranch is located about an hour and half from Fort Worth, Texas. The ranch is located about 15 minutes away from a small Texas town called Graham. Graham is very quaint town and is famous for having the largest town square in the United States. The square measures over a mile in circumference. Graham is a great option in case you need last minute supplies or want to grab a quick lunch.

Arriving at Wildcatter Ranch feels like driving on to a movie set. From the time that you pull in, the beautiful Texas scenery is visible. When we arrived, the longhorn cattle were grazing by the fence which was amazing to see. Upon arrival, we checked in at the hotel. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The hotel has a wonderful interior with a fireplace and furniture that feels like you are in a cozy Western retreat. There are 16 rooms available in the hotel portion. The lobby offers game tables and a place to congregate. Other accomodations that are available include a homestead stay (2 bedroom, one bath home) , OT's cabin (2 bedroom, 2 bath cabin) and cabin suites. They also offer an amazing option of a 14, 000 square foot Ranch House for group stays. It is my dream to come back with friends and stay in the Ranch House!

We opted to stay in a cabin suite and were very happy with our accommodations. Each cabin suite is named after a historical event or theme and decorated in accordance. We stayed in "The Buffalo" which, of course, had a buffalo head in it. The cabins consist of four cabins attached in one building rather than stand-alone cabins. Our cabin had two queen beds. The bathroom is a split bathroom with a separate toilet/ vanity and vanity/ shower areas which made getting ready a little easier. We also had a mini fridge and a microwave. Robes were available which felt like a fun bonus. We greatly enjoyed staying in the cabins because they have a central location, easy parking (right in front of the cabin) and have a back porch area with rocking chairs to take in the beautiful scenery. The pool was nearby and there were rope hammocks available near the cabins as well.

Upon arriving, we explored the grounds a bit. There are some areas that are walkable, but plan on driving to most locations on the ranch as the the property is vast. We went down to the horse barn. There were staff members there that let us know that we could pet the horses. We also met the sweet donkey and a barn cat. After exploring, we came back to the cabin area and spent some time relaxing in the hammocks. The views were amazing!

Next, we got ready for dinner.For dinner, we had made reservations at the Steakhouse. (Plan on making reservations in advance.) Luckily, my girls were all in for dressing the part. They loved getting cowgirl glam with the hats and boots we had brought from home. The tripod that I brought from home allowed us to get some great family pictures agains the beautiful backdrop. You can find the tripod that I purchased here. And, my oldest daughter loved this cowboy hat.

We arrived at the Steakhouse and were seated in the back of the building which offered additional patio views. The restaurant has a lighted patio area, but this was not available on this praticular night. The food was great. My youngest had steak fingers, my older daughter had a steak salad which looked amazing. My husband had the ribeye and I had the Picanha steak. Everyone was pleased with their choices. However, the biscuits were the show stopper.

After dinner, my girls were eager to try out the hot tub and pool. The pool at Wildcutter is amazing and has an infinity edge which gives it a luxury vibe. My girls were very impressed. We had a lovely, relaxing evening in the hot tub and pool.

On the following morning, we got up early with the plan to feed the longhorn and prepare for our trail ride. The resort does offer a breakfast buffet option at the Steakhouse. Since we had a busy morning, we opted to have breakfast in the cabin with some things we had on hand. If we had more time, we would of opted to enjoy the buffet. The longhorn feeding occurs every morning at 9. We arrived at the pasture along with other families staying on property. The wrangler arrived and literally honked his horn several times to draw in the longhorn. They were not visible as they were likely out in the pasture beyond the trees. We waited about 15 minutes, but needed to travel down for the trail ride. We had lost hope as it was stated that they don't always come in for breakfast. However, we heard from another family that they did indeed arrive after we left. We were disappointed, but we were pleased that we had seen them when we arrived.

We arrived for our trail ride. The wranglers were very helpful. They provided paperwork for our family to complete and provided helmets for our daughters. We met the other individuals in our group and then were assigned to particular horses. My youngest daughter is very small for her age, but the wranglers were able to work some magic so that her stirrups fit appropriately. We participated in 90 minute trail ride which was a perfect amount of time. We were able to get in a groove with our horses and see the beautiful property. The trail ride takes you by the Brazos River. I will admit I was a little nervous if we would be traversing down a steep grade, but we did not and I felt very safe the entire time.

After the trail ride, we returned to our cabin to change clothes. It was time for us to check out of the ranch and go on to other adventures on our trip.

I was sincerely sad to leave the ranch and hope to be back. My one regret for this stay is that we didn't spend another night at the ranch. At the time of booking, they had fewer amenities so we were resistant to spend more than one night. However, have now added so many activities and amenities that we could have enjoyed a longer stay. The ranch offers additional activities such as a sunset trail ride, horse grooming, clay shooting, archery, tomahawk and spear throwing, roping and branding. They also have a "bass tank" location that is available for catch and release fishing. In addition, they offer jeep tours of the property. They have also added massage and esthetic services as well. Honestly, we could have easily spent another day soaking up the sights and spending time in the pool.

As prices are always evolving, I am reluctant to state prices. However, I will say that we did comparison shopping. I feel like a stay at Wildcatter Ranch is very reasonable and a wonderful value. Wildcatter Ranch definitely offers a luxury feel while keeping with a middle of the road mindset.

We hope to be back and enjoy a longer stay! I highly recommend checking out Wildcatter Ranch!

Read about our entire road trip on this post: 50 State Journey-The Midwest to the Wild West.

Follow along for more multi-destination trips at Middle of the Road Mindset.