If you are looking for a remote getaway and love the great outdoors and horses "look no further". Goosewing Ranch is a class act. My husband and I visited the ranch June 9-11, 2012. The 3 days and 3 nights were spent amongst some of the most breathtaking terrain. The views from our cabin porch were amazing gazing out at the snow capped Grand Tetons mountain range what a sight to see. The diversity of the terrain is unique in each direction just gorgeous and so majestic. Upon our arrival we were kindly greeted by Amy the General Manager. She took the time to show us around and make us feel right at home, very friendly/courteous and always with a genuine smile. The owner Francesco greeted us each evening and took the time to ensure everyone's needs and expectations were met. Suzanne managed the dining/kitchen area and made sure our belly's were satisfied at all times. The food was amazing, "5-star" restaurant style. Each meal was served with fresh wholesome ingredients. Even the boxed lunches which we took with us on the trail rides were fresh and delicious. All of the ranch staff was friendly and accommodating at all times. The wranglers were fun, attentive and went out of their way to ensure everyone was having a good time. Bri (my wrangler) on the first day was a doll; she took the time to work with me in the arena to improve my trotting skills with Smokey. Smokey was my trail horse, he was energetic and a great ride. I enjoyed every moment of the time spent with him...and the staff...as well as all our new friends that we made with other guests at the ranch. Back to the trail rides, on the first ride we passed by a coyote on the hillside. The second day we saw an antelope chase a wolf pup back to its den. Neat stuff. The cabins were clean and the beds were comfy and equipped with nice pillows which made for a good nights sleep. Nicely decorated too. Words can not express what a delightful experience we had at the Goosewing Ranch. Can't wait to do this trip again. Next time we plan to stay at least 5 days.

All of us, 2 grandparents, 6 adult children and spouses and 5 gandchildren age 6 to 16, all agreed that this was the best vacation we have ever had. A few of us have been riding over the years, most of us had not ridden a horse in many years, and several had never been on a horse. The wranglers on the ranch, who were from all over the world, managed to get all of us comfortable ridng, and we took extensive trail rides into the mountains. Each cabin was outfitted with an All Terrain Vehicle which all of used extensively to sight-see in the wilderness. The wildlife was extensive and the scenery extraordinary. We typically went for ATV rides in the early morning and at dusk.
Activities included: white water rafting, a trip into Jackson for a rodeo, archery, learning to use a lasso, cocktail hour every evening for the adults, dancing and more.
The owner of the ranch is from Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. Need we comment that the food was first class?
The constant smiles on the faces of our grandchildren told the story. It was a great vacation.

I was looking for more of an authentic dude ranch experience. I knew that the ranch is owned by a French Man, but what I did not realize is that the wait staff is French, although they speak pretty good English and are very nice. If you are looking for a more American cow boy experience then I would not recommend Goosewing..
It is in a beautiful setting, cabins are comfortable (we had mice issues, but that kind of comes with the territory I think), cabins do get hot, but we slept with our door open so it was pleasant at night..
The dining staff is very helpful and polite. The wranglers are good, but none of them seem overly happy. The horse rides are well organized and they do a good job fitting you to the proper ride. Rides are beautiful, horses pretty good.
We arrived mid week and was never introduced to all the wrangles or staff. I guess they do orientation to the staff and ranch on Sundays, but there were a several new groups that arrived mid week and they should have at least introduced all the wranglers and staff.
Will I am not sure what his title is, (he seemed to check people in and out, plan and oversee activities not related to horseback riding) was not overly accommodating, his first response to requests seemed to be I don't think that can be done, which in most cases it could be. He seemed over whelmed. The wranglers kept to themselves pretty much when not riding.
The rangers (ATV) were a nice addition as it was fun to take them out to explore the area. The food was abundant but was marginal, they need to remove the short ribs from the menu, I was served a big plate of bones and fat. They also advertise it as having a spa, while the pool, hot tub and sauna are nice there were no spa services available the week we were there. I found that disappointing. Goosewing Ranch has potential but does need improvements and like I mentioned before I did not get the feel of a true American cowboy, dude ranch experience.

Ok, so my family of 4 has issues with horses....some haven't ridden in 40 years (& didn't do well then), some are quite tall and others not so. We don't fit a saddle well and just are not your typical ranch-visiting family. Having said that, we thought a ranch might be fun and others seem to like them. We picked Goosewing and hoped for the best! Since we weren't sure that a ranch was for perfect for us, we opted for 3 nights and rented a car to travel around for the rest of the visit (Jackson, Yellowstone & Cody). Goosewing was fabulous and my family of 4 did not want to leave!!
We arrived mid week, rented a sturdy car and drove the distance to the ranch. It was a long drive involving dirt roads and wilderness but, as we had been warned about the dusty, bumpy road and area, we found it fine. GPS coordinates can solve most things! On arrival, we were given a quick, sufficient overview of the ranch & activities, all questions were answered, we found our lovely cabin, and enjoyed a tasty dinner & wine. Then we had lasso lessons! Great fun was had & the videos are hysterical. Over the next 2 days, we took 4 hour rides along sometimes steep and sometimes gentle trails, carefully checked repeatedly by a wrangler for safety and comfort. Even on inclines, which were not our favorite, the wranglers were careful, encouraging and you always felt like they were in control of the situation. The horses were gentle, beautiful, tenderly cared for, and tended to follow the horse in front of them (yay), although sometimes we did take a bit of a detour---probably operator error. (There are more advanced rides and beginner ones...we did the easy ones). You chose your ride after dinner when the wrangler came around to discuss the next day's riding options and you also selected your box lunch items from a 6 sandwich menu (turkey & cheddar on ciabatta bread, ham & swiss on sourdough roll, veggie burger, etc---really nice options). After Horse Safety 101 and a visit around the arena until all were comfortable with their horse, we mounted after breakfast (you order what you want from an extensive menu of local items or enjoy cereals and tasty pastries), and headed off for adventures on the trail. They offer 2, 4 & 6 hour rides. We opted both days for 4 hour rides. (Had we been there longer, we might have taken the 2 hours rides each day to vary the days & degree of soreness). After enjoying 2 hours of unbelievable views of Tetons/wilderness, lovely streams, former coal mines or dry creek beds & snow-capped mtns along the way, we dismounted for lunch at a high plateau or beautiful old western cabin. Our sandwich lunch was greatly enjoyed along with the accompanying apples, trail mix and homemade cookies. Always generous, filling and tasty! The remaining 2 hours covered a different trail back to the ranch. Upon our mid-afternoon return, we drove around in our cabin's Polaris vehicle to see a different view of the area....secluded lakes, antelope or moose. There were also afternoon activities---the guys enjoyed shooting one day. We rested a bit before dinner on our porch and then enjoyed happy hour with tasty appetizers (smoked salmon, etc) & another wonderful meal. Dinner food ranged from chicken cordon bleu, beef brisket to grilled mahi mahi with seaweed salad. You could ask if you needed a different selection but we found the food tasty and varied, so we went with their choice. They came around to advise on wine and drink selections. After dinner, there was always an activity as the sun didn't set until 9:30 or 10. One evening was lasso lessons and another was a cowboy singing songs & telling stories. I think they also had line dancing, which I wanted to do, but you cannot do everything. Our cookout evening moved indoors as the temperature dropped and it was very windy.
Some have commented upon the cabin, but we found ours to be wonderful. We opened the windows at night (it was warm inside), and we were fine. The beds & quilts were very comfortable. Plenty of hot water. A real highlight were the people there. The activities director was friendly and accomodating. He even offered a special time for fly fishing lessons when we asked about when we might do that (afternoons might be windy and not best for beginning fly fishermen so you want them early). We didn't get to experience fishing as all were too happy with horses. The staff incorporated both european and american help. All were involved, interesting, friendly and great fun to be around...answering questions, asking you questions, making suggestions, and generally being welcoming and helpful. The other guests were also fun to be around and you could always learn from their daily adventures, either with you on a ride or at happy hour or dinner. Helpful in planning the next day! All things considered, Goosewing Ranch was a huge family hit....one that my children and husband are eager to repeat! Next time, we might stay a week and temper the riding with some relaxing fishing.