Situated in Central Oregon, Black Butte Ranch connects families to nature with distinct Western flair.
If you want to vacation like a true Oregonian, you’ll venture to the sunny, eastern side of the Cascade Range, where you can commune with nature without leaving behind creature comforts. Simply put, the high desert is where families go to play. And while there are several high-end resorts in Central Oregon, Black Butte Ranch is my family’s favorite.
The tag line here is “Black Butte Ranch… There is a place.” Let me explain. The Ranch is a place where families of all ages choose from a long list of recreational options on land, in the water, and in the saddle. It’s a place where the golf pro is committed to introducing and energizing a new generation of young players. It’s a place where your family dog is as welcomed as you. And it’s a place where you can bike through a grassy meadow ringed by Cascade peaks and watch the ranch’s horses being turned out for the evening – all against the setting sun. Time here is meant to be savored not rushed… a walk not a gallop.
Accommodations at Black Butte Ranch
Black Butte Ranch is an 1,800-acre vacation community comprised of more than 1,240 private houses and condos along with a limited number of lodge rooms. About 110 of the homes are available to rent with a third of those being pet-friendly. Some of the rentals line one of the two golf courses; others are tucked into the Ponderosa pines. All of them blend very intentionally with the natural environment.
As opposed to the lodge rooms, most families opt for the two- and three-bedroom condos and cabins or the more spacious houses. We stayed in a custom home that featured two bedrooms with queen-sized beds plus a kids’ loft and bunk room that accommodated five additional people. The home had a fully-equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, fireplace, and outdoor hot tub. The larger homes are perfect for sharing with extended family or friends.
In addition to size, you’ll need to decide exactly where on the property to stay. To the north of Big Meadow, you’ll find the Black Butte Ranch Lodge, Lakeside pool, Lakeside Family Activity Center, sports fields, and two restaurants along Phalarope Lake, which is home to the resort’s water sports. Big Meadow Golf Course and a pub are also on the north side of the Ranch, as is Paulina pool and tennis courts. To the south of Big Meadow, you’ll find even more homes, plus Glaze Meadow Golf Course, two smaller recreation areas with pools and tennis courts, and Glaze Meadow Recreation Center which sports an indoor pool, outdoor pool, tennis courts, playground, bike rentals, and spa.
If you plan to eat on the property, play golf as a family, partake in water sports or ride the horses, I’d recommend staying on the north side. I think that it’s more convenient. That being said, if you stay on the south side, try to reserve close to Glaze Meadow Recreation Center so that you can take advantage of all the amenities. While bike paths connect all parts of the Ranch, it can take a full 30 to 40 minutes to bike from one corner to the other. The paths are paved with some uphill sections which can be challenging for very young cyclists. Alternatively, you could schlepp everyone into the car and drive from one end to the other.
Cost depends on the season. During low season (January to mid-May), lodge rooms start at $120/night, one- to three-bedroom condos start at $210/night, and homes start at $225/night. During high season (mid-June to Labor Day), lodge rooms start at $150/night, one- to three-bedroom condos start at $270/night, and homes start at $285/night.
KidTripster Tip: Consider renting a larger home and splitting the costs with multiple families. It’s a lot more fun!
A word about pets: my family found Black Butte Ranch to be the most pet-friendly, even pet-encouraging, resort that we’ve ever stayed at with our dog. We had no problem renting a house that welcomed pets. When we went to rent a bike trailer for our puppy whose legs were just too short to walk the miles of paths, no one rolled their eyes. When we asked if our pup could go kayaking with us instead of staying in his crate, the answer was “no problem.” During the summer, all of the restaurants have outdoor seating areas that accommodate dogs, no questions asked. And get this: if your well-behaved dog wants to walk the golf course while you play, he can!
Activities at Black Butte Ranch
A stay on the Ranch is really about enjoying the great outdoors during all of Central Oregon’s seasons.
Biking
Bring bikes for your entire family. Biking the Ranch’s 18 miles of paved trails is really the best way to explore the property. Grab the Black Butte Ranch Bike Path Map to get around; you’ll need it as some of the trails are tucked into hidden groves of aspens and Ponderosa pines. Don’t miss riding the flat loop around Big Meadow, especially in the evening when the ranch’s horses roam freely. Also ride over to Paulina Springs near Hole 12 of Big Meadow Golf Course. This natural spring feeds all the resort’s ponds and lake. My teenaged sons absolutely loved the biking trails which afforded them some independent exploration.
You can rent bikes of all sizes and types (including push bikes and tandems), carriers, and helmets from the Glaze Meadow Rental Shop. Cost: Hourly $8-$20; Day $52-$115; Week $100-$225. Or if you’re just looking to take a one-time spin around the meadow or your kids are too young to ride, consider renting a four- or six-person surrey at Wheel Fun Rentals near the Lakeside Family Activity Center. Cost: Hourly $25-$35.
If your family are hard-core riders, the Sisters area is one of the premier mountain and road biking regions in the state, and the nearby McKenzie River Trail is widely regarded as one of the epic fat tire trails in North America. For more, click here.
Swimming & tennis
Black Butte Ranch boasts five, well-maintained pools. Glaze Meadow Recreation Center has an indoor pool and outdoor pool with a splash area for little ones. Parents can trade off watching the kids here and then sneak away for a spa treatment, designed for both men and women. Or you can hit the fitness center where classes, including yoga, are offered during the summer and holidays.
My family’s favorite pool is at the Lakeside Recreation Center. You can’t beat the views here overlooking the lake and the sometimes snow-capped mountain peaks of Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and the three Sisters. While my kids love the wide-open pool, I head to the oversized hot tubs.
South Meadow and Paulina recreation areas also have small pools, so no matter where you stay on the property, your kids are never too far from a swim.
Where you find a pool on the property, you’ll also find tennis courts, 15 in all. And make sure to challenge your kids to a game of pickleball. Equipment (and rules, if you need them) are available at the Glaze Meadow Recreation Center.
KidTripster Tip: “Can I swim in the lake?” was the first question my 13-year-old asked when he saw Phalarope Lake. That’s a tricky answer. Officially, there’s no swimming in the lake. But if you happen to fall off your paddleboard, no one’s going to stop you from swimming around a bit. It’s not that kind of place.
Water sports
Speaking of paddleboards, Phalarope Lake is a perfect spot to try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking or canoeing (rental fees apply). While classes are offered, I find that kids pick up these water sports very quickly without instruction. The water here is calm and begs to be explored.
Summer camp & classes
Remember all the things that you loved about summer camp? Black Butte Ranch offers all that at its Lakeside Family Activity Center. During the summer, your kids can choose from an extensive selection of classes, programs, and camps with crafts, games, sports, and more (extra fees apply). Try slacklining, archery, letterboxing, and cooking. Cost: Half day $30; Full day $60. The Ranch also offers a Parent’s Night Out option for $15 per kid or $20 per kid with dinner.
Make sure to stop in at the Lakeside Family Activity Center to check out the game room: ping pong, foosball, and table shuffleboard.
Rock climbing
Every Wednesday night during the summer, your kids can test themselves on the 25-foot outdoor climbing tower. Add in a little live music and ice cream, and it becomes a great family outing.
If you’re looking for some real rocks to climb, you’ve come to the right place. Nearby Smith Rock State Park is Oregon’s best rock climbing destination for families. First Ascent guides climbers of all ages and abilities. Rock climbing is a particularly good activity for tweens and teens. I like it because it’s one of the few (ok, only) athletic endeavors where I’m on equally footing with my kids!
Guided tours
Don’t get me wrong, there’s more than enough to do right at Black Butte Ranch that you could spend a week and never need to seek out other activities. However, guided tours do exist. Wanderlust Tours offers canoeing, caving, and GPS Eco-Challenge adventures that explore the unique ecological and geological features of Central Oregon. Or you could go whitewater rafting down the pristine McKenzie or Deschutes Rivers with one of three outfitters: Ouzel, Riverstone or Sun Country Tours.
Fishing
Even since I saw the movie A River Runs Through It, I’ve wanted to learn to fly fish. During the summer, you and your older kids (12 and up) can take a free fly fishing clinic. Just grab fly rods and flies at the Lakeside Family Activity Center. You don’t actually go fishing during the clinic, so a fishing license is not required for the class. If you decide to fish later (catch and release), you’ll need to be properly licensed. Or you can sign up for a guided trip with Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters on the Metolius River, one of the most beautiful rivers that you’ll ever experience. Walk-wade and float trips are also available on other area waterways.
Golf
While you don’t need to be a golfer to enjoy Black Butte Ranch, it is a golf resort with two very playable courses. Big Meadow Golf Course stretches over 7,000 yards through towering Ponderosa pines and shimmering stands of aspen trees. The fairways are expansive here, challenging younger golfers without the frustration. In fact, after finishing nine holes, my 13-year-old son wanted to continue to play, which is typically not the case. On the south side of the Ranch, you’ll find the Glaze Meadow Golf Course, the beneficiary of a $3.75 million renovation in 2012. It plays 7,007 yards from the back tees and includes five sets of tees on every hole, allowing golfers of all skill levels to enjoy the game.
KidTripster Tip: While you’ll read online that children only are allowed to play the Big Meadow course, it’s not true. Simply ask at the pro shop, and your family will be allowed to play Glaze Meadow. While there’s more up-and-down approaches, it’s not markedly more difficult than Big Meadow.
KidTripster Tip: Playing golf at Black Butte Ranch is incredibly affordable. After 4 p.m., a family of four can play 18 holes (or fewer) for $60 (extra fee for carts). There are also reduced rates for juniors (17 and under) in the afternoons and evenings.
KidTripster Tip: It’s the latest trend in golf: golf boards! (Think Segway + surfboard.) And while your kids will be stoked when they see them on the course, you, unfortunately, have to be 18 years old to rent them. Bummer, dude.
While these mountain courses are stunning, what’s really special about golf at Black Butte Ranch is the commitment to engage younger players. Golf director Jeff Fought runs kids’ clinics, camps, and fun junior putting challenges (with prizes!) throughout the summer. He also offers free, 90-minute snag golf sessions at Big Meadows. Snag golf is designed to make golf fun with oversized equipment and contests that introduce basic skills. If you’re looking to get your kids excited about the game of golf, you can’t beat the programs here.
Horseback Riding
Black Butte Ranch is truly a ranch, where you’ll see cattle and horses grazing in Big Meadow, adding to the feel of authenticity. The stables are located just inside the entrance and behind the General Store. Here you and your kids (7 and older) can sign up for guided, one-hour trail rides for beginners to a half- or full-day ride for more advanced riders. Wear long pants and sturdy boots or shoes; helmets are provided. Cost: Beginner/1-hour ride $50; Intermediate/2-hour ride $60 to $70; Advanced/half- or full-day ride $145 to $225 (includes lunch).
KidTripster Tip: Not to worry, little cowboys and cowgirls won’t be left out. Kids (ages 3-6) can saddle up for a parent-lead arena ride on one of the ranch’s experienced horses for $20.
KidTripster Tip: Have your camera ready for when the horses are released into the meadow after a day’s work. With mountain peaks as a backdrop, it’s a quintessential Black Butte Ranch photo op!
Winter activities
The fun continues through the winter months at Black Butte Ranch. You and the kids can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing around Big Meadow or Glaze Meadow golf course or on the 17 miles of trails around the property. Rentals are available at Glaze Meadow Rental Shop. Cost: Half day $5 -$13; Full day $8-$19. You also can rent fat tire bikes that plow through the snow. Cost: Hourly $12; Full day $35. And check out the sledding hill, located west of the Glaze Meadow Golf Course parking lot on Ponderosa Drive.
Black Butte Ranch is just 13 miles from HooDoo Ski Area, a family-friendly mountain offering excellent snow conditions. In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding, you can tube in HooDoo’s Autobahn Tubing Park. Mount Bachelor ski area is located about an hour’s drive from the ranch.
Dining at Black Butte Ranch
Black Butte Ranch has three main restaurants with a number of seasonal snack shops. With full kitchens, most families do a combination of dining in and dining out during their visits.
The casual Lakeside Bistro is your family go-to spot. For breakfast, choose from pastries and lattes; for lunch and dinner, you have a selection of wood-fired pizza, salads, and sandwiches. Opt to sit outside on the patio or around the fire pits during cooler weather.
Robert’s Pub located inside the Big Meadow Clubhouse is a great post-golf lunch or dinner spot. The menu features Northwest-style pub grub with a wide selection of Oregon microbrews and wines. Again, there’s an outdoor patio for casual dining with your kids and dog.
For a fine dining experience, make reservations at The Lodge Restaurant. Here you’ll select from menu inspired by Northwest flavors. Our family feasted on elk loin tournedos and poached Chinook salmon, but our favorite was the mouth-watering, slow smoke-roasted, beef short ribs. Save room for the sourdough chocolate cake with mocha icing and vanilla bean ice cream. The recipe has been passed down from chef to chef for more than 40 years. The meal ends with a complimentary piece of fudge, a Black Butte Ranch tradition. With entrées ranging in price from $26 to $39, this restaurant is probably best reserved for older kids who have an appreciation for fine cuisine or for a date night, where you check the kids into camp for the evening.
Off the ranch, you can drive 15 minutes south to the western town of Sisters, where there are lots of dining options and ice cream shops.
Getting to Black Butte Ranch
Black Butte Ranch is located 9 miles northeast of Sisters in Central Oregon. The ranch is a 3-hour drive from Portland. Take Interstate 5 to Highway 22 and then to Highway 20.
KidTripster Tip: During the winter, crossing the Cascade Range through this area can be treacherous. Always carry chains and check the road conditions before leaving.
This writer received a complimentary stay for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own
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