Winter in southern Arizona in the heart of Sonoran Desert

WINTER SEASON JOBS AT ELKHORN RANCH IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA 

Join a family owned and operated business in its 81th season.  You'll live and work in an exceptionally beautiful rural location on the eastern slopes of the Baboquivari Mountains, about 50 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona.  The crew gathers in October to open the ranch – a time for getting to know the fellow crew, our family, and the ways of the ranch. Guests arrive in mid-November and the season ends in late April or early May.  You'll have your own private furnished room with linens provided as well as all meals ~ no commute, no rent!  Enjoying the outdoors and rural living is important – if you need city life, we're not the place for you.

The first generation of Millers opened their first guest ranch in Montana in 1922 and launched the Arizona Elkhorn Ranch in 1945.  The ranch is owned and operated by Miller family members.  Conservation and sustainable grazing practices are cornerstones of our operation, and we take pride in our herd of over a hundred ranch raised and trained horses.  We work closely with ranching neighbors through an organization called Altar Valley Conservation Alliance.  

What is special about Elkhorn Ranch?  We think it is our personalized approach ~ whether on rides, in our cabins, or in the dining room.  Plus we have a beautiful setting and friendly horses and a wonderful cadre of returning guests of all ages.  We do our best to apply the same personalized touch to working with our crew.  We strive to work closely with our crew to model the family-style hospitality that is the essence of traditional guest ranching.  We aim for an environment that's all about friendly horses, friendly people, and beautiful country.  

Elkhorn Ranch offers an unusual privilege in that we allow crew to have pets on the ranch, but you must tell us about your pets during the application process and you must abide by our pet policy.  (Unfortunately, our insurance company has required that we do not permit certain dog breeds—Akita, American Staffordshire terrier, Bullmastiff, Chow Chow, Doberman pinscher, German Shepard, Husky, Malamute, Pit Bull, Press Canario, Rottweiler, and Wolf hybrid—on the ranch.) Pets must be declared at time of hiring and are allowed subject to meeting the requirements of the pet policy.

It is quiet here, well away from town.  If you need daily Starbucks, we're not the place for you.  If you can go weeks without driving your car, you'll be right at home.  If you like the outdoors, hiking, peace, and quiet – you'll love it.  If you seek a horseback guiding position, you'll find rugged and scenic country, good horses to learn from and teach, and traditional western cowboy culture.

Our crew ranges in age from 20ish to 50ish.  As a winter operation, the crew does not tend to be a college student crowd -- though we always have people in their early 20s on the crew.  The social dynamics vary year-to-year depending on the crowd, but the nearest bar is a solid hour away and evenings are often quiet.  People make their own fun -- movie nights, campfires, games, puzzles. The crew are welcome to attend all ranch social functions, and usually, there's some sort of ranch supported crew social function about once a month.

One of the biggest differences between Elkhorn Ranch AZ and many seasonal jobs is the long season.  In comparison to summer seasons, we are barely hitting our stride in mid-January after the crew has been here for about 3 months.  We often say that our season is more of a marathon in comparison to the sprint of a summer season.  Some people find this very difficult, particularly if they work back to back seasons without any break in between.

We aim to treat our crew well here.  We take maintenance of crew housing seriously, do our best to have plenty of good food available, and strive to be fair and supportive when issues and challenges come up.  We encourage people to value each others' privacy (which can be difficult in close quarters).  We aim to treat people like adults and trust that they will behave accordingly.  Most of all, we strive to work closely with our crew to model the family-style hospitality that is the essence of traditional guest ranching.

An ideal Elkhorn Ranch crew candidate could range in age from 18 to 50ish.  As a winter season place, we don't work well for people actively enrolled in school ~ though some people have accomplished flexible online coursework.  Here are some qualities that we think suit our operation... 

• Work and life experience in hospitality and outdoor recreation, livestock-oriented agriculture and/or horse-related outdoor recreation

• A true commitment to working the entire season

• Genuine enjoyment of rural living ~   if you need city life to be happy, we're not the place for you

• Physical and emotional wellness

  • Ranch life is physically demanding, with long days and at least some heavy lifting for all jobs.  Must be willing and able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds (think of a saddle, 50-pound bag of flour, heavy cast iron skillets, team lifting furniture, etc.)

  • If you have medical challenges, keep in mind that town (Tucson) is 50 miles away so it can be challenging to get care 

• Hobbies or interests that you can enjoy living out here ~ outdoor activities, interest in the natural world, music, art, reading

• Overall, you're a team player who has demonstrated your ability to get along with other people both during work and off-hours;

• Be punctual, reliable, and get the assigned job done;

• Keep a positive attitude with guests and co-workers; and

• Be willing to help out occasionally in areas outside your usual job

• For some jobs, we require that you have an active driver's license approved by our insurance company

Housing and food (aka room and board) are a valuable addition to your compensation (equivalent to approximately $5 per hour) ~ enjoy no rent, no utilities, and no grocery shopping!  You will receive a paycheck every other week via direct deposit.  There is no direct tipping at Elkhorn Ranch, rather a service charge is automatically added to guests’ bills.  These funds are distributed as part of each regular paycheck and the remainder is distributed to all crew present at the end of the season as a final bonus.  

You will have your own private room plus bed linens and towels and and share a bathroom with 1 or 2 people.  Some rooms require walking outside briefly to a separate building with a bathroom and shower.  

Washers and dryers for crew use are located in the kitchen area and the maintenance shop area.  Laundry machine use and detergent are free.  Clothes lines are readily available or the dryers take $.75 per load.

The crew dining room is separate from the guest room, and has an attached TV / video room. A designated crew internet account provides WIFI around the crew dining room via Starlink.  

You'll have three meals per day.  You can order your favorite breakfast classic ~ eggs any style, bacon or sausage, pancakes, etc.  Lunch and supper are balanced and bountiful.  Crew eat the same meals as guests, plus leftovers.  Thursday night margaritas and steaks are a highlight! 

Please note that if you work in the kitchen / dining room areas, you will often be working during crew meals.  You will have meals, but you’ll need to adapt your eating schedule to your job!

The Elkhorn kitchen works hard to accommodate crew and guest food allergies and preferences.  We cannot promise crew a vegan menu on a daily basis.  We are happy to talk with you about your individual needs and will give you an honest answer about our ability to meet your needs. 

• Beautiful sunrises
• Beautiful sunsets and star-filled night sky
• Lots of time in the saddle for horseback guides on good horses!  And the opportunity to ride during your free time for all crew as the guest schedule allows
• Weekly margaritas and steak dinner
• Great hiking just out your door
• Lots of birds – start your life list
• Reduced rates with the massage therapist that comes out to the ranch
• Amazing library of books and videos, puzzles and games – plus a swimming pool, tennis / pickleball / basketball court, and pingpong
• Participate in creative workshops offered periodically during your free time ~ photography, music, art
• Good internet provided by Starlink
• Financial assistance for medical insurance your 2nd year and beyond

Most of the crew prefer having their own vehicle.  During our long season, it can be refreshing to be able to leave the ranch on your day off.  We certainly have had many people work here who do not have cars, and we are happy to help purchase occasional staples for the crew on the weekly town run.  That said, it can be very difficult to feel dependent on the ranch or fellow employees for transportation.  If you have medical or other needs that require frequent town visits, you definitely should have your own wheels.  

If you do choose to be here without your own vehicle, we are happy to pick you up at the Tucson airport or elsewhere in Tucson.

Tucson is a big biking community, but at the ranch, you'll be in a rural environment that is not suitable for road bikes.  The ranch road is ok for mountain biking, but we discourage mountain biking on the ranch trails due to conflicts with the horse program.  If you're an avid biker, there are many places you can go on your day off.

The Sonoran Desert is the land of saguaros ~ the iconic cacti with arms.  The winter sunshine sure feels good!  At Elkhorn you are in the heart of it.  

Elkhorn is known for its individualized horseback riding program and ranch-raised horses.  If you are a horseback guide, you’ll get lots of saddle time on good horses in rugged, interesting country.  All the crew have the chance to ride in their free time and this is a great place to learn.  

Tucson was designated a City of Gastronomy in 2015 due to its 4,000+ year of agricultural history in the region, the confluence of cultures, the huge breadth of food-related businesses, festivals, activism, and research that exist here today.  There’s LOTS to do!  Our family favorite is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  

Reaching activities off the ranch does take some driving time ~ but you can always hike right from the door of your room, spend time at the pool, or join a horseback ride.