I’ve recently become addicted to The Pioneer Woman’s blog (if you don’t know about, it might be time to crawl out from under your rock and take a quick visit. Of course, since I discovered her blog a few months ago, I’m fairly certain I’ve lost countless hours to the time-vortex that is her archives). Aside from her fabulous recipes, what I most love about PW’s blog is all the real-live ranch stuff.

It’s made me seriously want to plan a trip to a dude ranch. Now, I doubt I have it in me to make my life on a ranch, like she does with her four kids and her “Marlboro Man” husband. But a week riding horses and rounding up cattle does sound pretty awesome. Plus, the food… the food sounds incredible.

Then I started thinking — why not get paid to experience this adventure?! A seasonal Dude Ranch job is probably the best way to get that “pioneer” experience — while earning a paycheck. What could be better, right? Especially if you are single or married without kids, working on a dude ranch for the summer seems like the most amazing job experience adventure imaginable. If you agree with me, read on. I have gathered a short list of three of these fun Western United States ranches.

1. Sundance Trail

Open year round, the Sundance Trail is the ideal place for a family vacation with horseback riding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, professional rock climbing, white water rafting, sunset hikes, fly fishing, archery, and more. There are evening campfires and a full-time children’s program. For employees, that means long days of hard work — but also loads of fun interacting with different groups of guests throughout the summer (or winter) season. What I especially love about the Sundance Trail is their video requirement. Check it out here. In short, if you are applying for a job, you have to submit a video of you working with horses — and teaching about horses. Clearly the owners want someone with a lot of knowledge and even more charisma when it comes to working with people. I can only imagine what a cool environment they have among their employees with such selective hiring practices.

2. Tumbling River Ranch

Nestled in a secluded valley high up in the Rocky Mountains, Tumbling River Ranch puts a special emphasis on kids. Priding itself on its hands-on kids program, children from babies through teenagers will enjoy exciting outdoor adventures, from horse (and pony) riding to swimming to hiking and more. If you are interested in working with kids, Tumbling River Ranch would be a great choice to focus on — especially if you have past experience with young people. The Ranch offers the full-range of dude ranch experiences: form fly-fishing, swimming and hiking to trapshooting, family rodeos and of course horseback riding. Employees at the Tumbling River Ranch earn an hourly wage, plus overtime, and an equal share from the tip pool. There is a staff of 33, including the childrens’ program, cooks, horse operations, lodging and housekeeping and maintenance.

3. Rockin’ R Ranch

Located in Antimony, Utah, the Rockin’ R Ranch is surrounded by Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. As a working ranch, Rockin’ R is where coybows brand cattle, and grow and harvest crops. The ranch is currently hiring for summer jobs that will begin as early April 1st, including wranglers, recreation counselors, general staff, kitchen staff, housekeeping staff, management/operations personnel, and gift shop staff. Click the link above to find out more about working at Rockin’ R.

Have you ever worked at a dude ranch? Tell us about your experiences!

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Hot Jobs post. Today I am going to be featuring some of the hottest dude ranch job leads from JobMonkey’s free Job Center.

JobMonkey’s job center is updated continually with a wide, wide variety of job openings. Bookmark it – make it a ‘favorite’ – whether you’re looking for a seasonal job or career opportunity.

As you will see, some of these dude ranches are looking for year-round employees, while others are already gearing up for the Summer 2010 season. On the plus side, working for a dude ranch means fun, adventure, and interacting with people from around the world. The lifestyle isn’t for everyone, however — so keep that in mind, especially if you don’t like hard, physical work or if you place a premium on privacy.

1. Circle Z Ranch, 2009/2010 Season, Patagonia, AZ

Circle Z Ranch in Patagonia, AZ is looking for hard-working, reliable and outgoing folk to become a part of a great community. Apply on line by clicking the link above.

2. Hidden Meadow Ranch, Year Round, Greer, AZ

Hidden Meadow Ranch is a year-round ranch in a beautiful mountain setting, offering top wages and benefits for all full-time employees. Department managers can also take advantage of on-site housing. The ranch also offers paid summer internships for college students, including on-site housing. Learn more about summer and year-round opportunities by clicking on the link above.

3. Flying E Ranch, Year Round, Wickenburg, AZ

For anyone who dreamed of being a cowboy when they grew up, Flying E Ranch is the ideal place to take a step back in time. Benefits include clean air, warm sun, good horses — and great pay and benefits. Click on the link above for more information about the ranch and application process.

4. Baker and Breakfast Cook, Colorado Trails Ranch, Durango, CO, Summer Only

Colorado Trails Ranch is seeking a baker/breakfast cook to be responsible for preparing breakfast for guests and staff, as well as breads, desserts, and other baked goods. On the chef’s day off, the cook will also be responsible for preparing lunch and dinner. Cooking experience is required. Click the link above for more information and to apply for the position.

If you didn’t find the job of your dreams on our hot jobs list today, be sure to check out the JobMonkey Job Center for hundreds of other listings in every imaginable field.

Good luck with your job search this week!

Happy Wednesday! It’s Hot Jobs day, which means I post three hot new job openings from our database of opportunities at the JobMonkey Job Center.

Have you visited the Job Center lately? There are pages and pages of great new jobs, including tons of dude ranch jobs.

I can’t think of a more exciting, adventuresome way to spend the summer months. If you agree, then check out these three hot jobs (and remember, these three are just the tip of the iceberg… find more great ranching and other kinds of jobs over at the Job Center.)

1. Wrangler Jobs, Coffee Creek Ranch, Trinity Center, California
Do you love horses? Are you an ambitious, hard working, personable individual with riding experience? Coffee Creek Ranch is looking for wranglers to round up, groom and tack, and train ranch horses. They also take ranch guests out on breakfast rides, moonlight rides, and overnight pack trips. Wranglers must have horse care knowledge, plus camping and field cooking experience. Check out the Coffee Creek Ranch website to apply directly for this and other summer jobs.

2. Kiddie Corral, Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch, Quincy, California
Greenhorn Ranch is looking for a host of seasonal ranch positions, including kiddie corral staff. For these staffers, the #1 priority is creating a clean and safe environment for guest children, and providing them with fun and enriching activities — both with their parents and on their own. Kiddie corral staff must have childcare experience and references must be provided. For more on this position and other ranch jobs, check out the Greenhorn Creek Ranch website.

3. Kitchen and Waitstaff Jobs, Elkhorn Ranch, Gallatin Gateway, Montana
Just outside of Yellowstone Park, the 90-year old Elkhorn Ranch is looking for team players to serve as kitchen and waitstaff. The ranch hires a 24-member team during the summer months, with all staffers living on the ranch and participating in ranch activities. Guests and crew are highly integrated, making employment at Elkhorn a great way to work and play at the same time! Check out this page from the JobMonkey Job Center for more information on this and other job openings at Elkhorn Ranch.

JobMonkey maintains a pretty heavy focus on seasonal employment opportunities.

The dude ranch industry is one of the biggest seasonal employers in the U.S., with hundreds of ranches located in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Canada…and beyond.

You’ll always find these jobs posted in our own Job Center, but now we’ve got another dude ranch job board featuring even more current openings.

When you’re using the board take advantage of the Keyword and Location search boxes to narrow your search.

The industry is a bit obscure to many people. You ride horses right? It’s like Billy Crystal and Jack Palance in … what were those movies called? … City Slickers. Right? Find out a lot more about working at dude ranch in that section of JobMonkey. The material was written by a ranch owner!

Dude ranches embody the adventuresome spirit of the Old West. If you’d like to tap into some of that historical magic, a job at a dude ranch might be right for you. You’ll also need to be willing to work hard and adopt a can-do attitude. The hours are long and the conditions are rough, but pay is good and adventure abounds. At JobMonkey’s Dude Ranch Jobs section, you can learn the history of dude ranches, the modern dude experience, get job descriptions and more.