I am not sure what I would rate higher --The friendliness of Dave, Kari,their children and family members or the meals and accommodations. The whole atmosphere added to one of the best weekends that my family have ever had together. I would highly recommend KD Guest Ranch. Many blessings to all of you !!!! Jan Biggin

My sisters and I met up at KD Guest Ranch for a Sun-Thurs. stay during the last week of Sept. We were the only guests during that time (besides a couple of hunters whom we rarely saw) but we still experienced excellent hospitality and service from Dave and Kari beginning the moment we arrived.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Our cabin was beautifully decorated in a western motif and was a spacious 2 BR that also included a loft, a nice size bathroom with an additional sink/makeup area, as well as a sitting area, table, full-size refrigerator and a stove (which we did not use). It actually felt more like a small hotel suite than a "cabin". The mattresses were also super comfortable. The website photos are legit!

LODGE: The lodge is a log cabin style building with western decor and includes a cozy library, large family style dining area, and general store (no food, but clothing, cowboy hats, accessories, etc.) on the first level and upstairs there is a saloon (with complimentary sodas), a TV/game area, and pool table. There is also a lower level with a theatre room for watching movies, conference table for group meetings, and small weight room. The back porch is a great place to relax and overlooks a large outdoor arena at the bottom of a long hill. There is also a swimming pool and hot tub.

HORSEBACK RIDING: The weather during most of our stay was cooler, cloudy, and/or rainy but Dave and Kari were always looking for windows of opportunity to ensure we were able to trail ride or participate in team penning. We only missed one ride due to steady rain all afternoon. The horses are well cared for, friendly, and responsive, and you will groom and saddle your horse after they are brought out to the hitching post. Our first morning began with an informative 45-minute orientation by Kari in the round pen (worthwhile for even the experienced rider) and then we went out for a ride. The trail rides take place in the surrounding countryside, which is very scenic with rolling hills. We rode through pastures, along harvested fields, up and down (rather steep) hills, and occasionally through wooded areas (I'm sure our riding options may have been limited given wet and muddy conditions). While the rides were mostly at a walk, they were not necessarily nose to tail and we did trot or lope at times (usually up hills, which the horses were eager to do). Each ride (both morning and afternoon) is about an hour, though I personally would have enjoyed the option of longer rides, e.g. 2-3 hrs and perhaps taking a picnic lunch in saddlebags. Note: riding helmets are not required or even encouraged (at least not for adults) but we chose to use them (brought our own) for safety reasons. Though admittedly they don't look "cowgirl cool" in pictures!

MEALS: The food is homestyle, hearty, delicious, and abundant! Dave's father is the cook and he did a great job. It was much more than I usually eat--you will not be hungry here. Frankly, I needed more exercise than a couple of hours of riding each day to burn off the calories! If you really love what you're eating, you can purchase the recipes in a cookbook.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: KD ranch exceeded my expectations, especially since we selected it online and based on other Trip Advisor reviews (you really never know how "rustic" a place might be). We really appreciated the smaller ranch size, the personal interaction with Dave and Kari (one of them always ate meals with us), and the overall relaxed approach they had with the guests, such as an honor system for alcoholic beverages and staying late at the lodge to watch a movie or play pool and just shutting off the lights when we left. I'm sure we missed out on extracurricular activities that normally occur in the summer months when there is more staff and guests, but we did enjoy having the ranch mostly to ourselves and hopefully we were low maintenance for them as well. Kari and Dave's father also took photos of our group on the first and last day (this may be more frequent during summer weeks) and we were later able to purchase them on a jump drive for $40, which we shared among ourselves. That was a nice addition at a reasonable cost, considering that the quality of a professional level camera was much better than our phones, especially action shots during team penning.

Dave, Kari and all the staff made our stay really great.

The penning of the cattle was a 1st compared to other ranches we have visited and for us was the highlight.

The different rides both in the morning and at night were great and the changes to the schedule due to inclement weather was really helpful and demonstrated the flexibility of Dave and his team. I hope the next budding horsewoman Brayleigh and her marketing and Sales man Bronc grow up to appreciate what's coming their way.

Special word of thanks to Kayla and Jess for there patience and assistance and good luck to them both in their futures.

Everyone was knowledgeable and helpful and the amenities superb. The cook(Dave's Dad was really good and food was plentiful.

The horses, chosen for your experience and ability were exactly what was required and although I personally had a mishap (due to no ones fault, especially Diesel my steed) did not deter from the overall great time we had. The bar and pool table were utilised to a great extent by our group. The pool came in useful to cool off after the rides.

Due to there only being 4 guests we missed out on the camp fire and the entertainments mentioned by others, however Dave did entertain (!!!!!) us with his guitar playing and vocals.

Overall, Book it and you won't be sorry.

Thanks to All

Rob and Maggie