Cottonwood Guest Ranch

From exciting horse drives to cattle drives, ranch vacations to stunning mountain pack trips, winter recreation to bird and wildlife viewing, corporate retreats and weddings to family vacations, we have it all! Join one of our scheduled events or design the experience of your dreams. Five generations of the Smith family have owned and operated the Ranch, and now share ownership with Tom and Alecia Maxey. For over fifty years Cottonwood Ranch has offered a warm, western welcome to the many guests who have shared this beautiful place that the Smiths and Maxeys call home.  Located 30 miles from paved highway and 70 miles from the nearest town, Cottonwood Ranch is an unexpected hospitable sanctuary amid a sea of rolling sage covered hills and alpine mountains that seem to go on forever. The Ranch rests in the historic O'Neil Basin, once home to notorious cattle rustlers. At an elevation of just over 6,000 feet, the average summer temperatures are in the low 80's. This corner of Nevada boasts the purest air in the lower 48 states. To quote one ranch visitor, "Our days were filled with air so clean you could feel it and country so beautiful, just being there was enough." Cottonwood Creek meanders through the willows and meadows just below Ranch headquarters. To the west, the landscape rises to what we lovingly refer to as 'The Mountain'- the high mountains of the Jarbidge Wilderness, known as one of the least-traveled wilderness areas in the continental U.S. These mountains also form the highest concentration of peaks over 10,000 feet in Nevada. They are a sight to behold and a thrill to explore.  Cottonwood offers luxurious lodging, hearty meals and always lots of horseback riding. The lodge's seven bedrooms are each complete with a private bath and offer a wide variety of sleeping accommodations to fit the needs of most groups of 14 to 19 persons. The common space features a spacious dining room and spectacular great room with a variety of seating areas, a bar and a large stone fireplace. There is a cozy area behind the massive fireplace for reading, quiet conversation and computer internet access. Next to the fireplace is a game table for chess, checkers or backgammon. On the south side of the Lodge is a large deck where guests gather to take in the magnificent views of the barn, arena, meadows and mountains, and where meals are served weather permitting. There is also a recreation room that is totally separated from the other living spaces. There you'll find a pool table, large flat screen television and comfortable seating, and the entry to the Cottonwood Trading Post. The hot tub is also a very popular and healthy way to relax and soothe your body after an exhilarating and unforgettable day at Cottonwood.