For Max and Elle Dewitt, Ride Out Ranch started as a remote family getaway in Florence, Arizona, and has transformed into a soulful desert escape for horse lovers, adventurers, and those needing to unplug from the noise of everyday life.
“When we first bought the land, my dad kind of had a doomsday mindset,” Max laughs. “But the zombie apocalypse never came.”
Instead, the land became something much more meaningful: A place where holidays were spent riding through open desert trails and reconnecting around the campfire.
Max’s father had a way of welcoming everyone, often inviting friends to join in the rugged beauty of desert life. And soon, those friends began to nudge the family toward something more.
“They kept telling us we needed to turn it into a campground,” Elle recalls. “So in 2020, we spent most of the year building and updating the space so we could share it with others.”
The turning point came in November of that year with an event they called the Good Ol’ Cowgirl Weekend. Forty women arrived with horses in tow for a weekend of trail rides, games, and catered meals under the stars. It was a celebration of grit, grace, and the grounding magic of the Arizona desert.
“That weekend was really special,” Max shares. “It was one of the last times our whole family worked and played together before my dad passed away in December.”
Today, the ranch continues to evolve, carrying on the family’s legacy of hospitality and wide-open freedom. New additions include cozy accommodations and thoughtful touches like a “hideout spa” complete with twin clawfoot tubs and a view that stretches west toward the sunset.
For the Dewitts, the mission is simple: create a space where people can slow down and truly feel connected to the land.
“You can’t help but notice how unique and special this place is,” says Elle. “It’s right in our backyard, but it feels like a world away.”
www.rideoutranch.com