My family had a wonderful time at Historic Prude Ranch. There are two historical markers on the property.

The food was excellent and plentiful. They serve all you can eat buffets....We also had the meal with the chicken breast...Prude Ranch Baked Chicken, they called it. My family thought it was excellent.

The pool is refreshing and the horseback riding is superb! Great trails. They also have wireless internet throughout the ranch!

The employees are down to earth and easy to get along with.

There were several groups there at the same time and they treated my family with the same respect they treated the groups. I would highly recommend this place to other people.

The Bad: Old, caved in mattresses---Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner served on styrofoam plates (!)----$14.95 for 1/3 chicken breast w/ cream of mushroom soup poured on top---No updating of rooms since...1970s?---No usual dude ranch activities...no campfires, cookouts, cowboy stories, smores, etc----

We stayed in room 42. The room was large but well worn. Bring your own shampoo and hair drier!

No cell service, no internet service, no phone, no tv in room, no tub in room--tiny shower only. You can drive into the town of Ft. Davis and get cell phone access (6 miles).

We saw their cook having dinner at hotel restaurant in town. Uh oh.

The Good: Horseback riding @ $30 per person---Nice scenery---It's near the McDonald Observatory---Not in town.

Our daughter took part in a two week summer camp with lots of horseback riding at Prude Ranch which she absolutely loved (Can I go back for the whole summer next year? she asked.)

My husband and I stayed over night in one of their cabins when we went back to pick her up. It was basic, but very clean, very quiet and so relaxing. We ate supper that night and breakfast the next morning with all the campers. Good, basic food with plenty to eat.

That part of Texas is wonderful to drive through -- absolutely beautiful views.

My family (husband, 8 yr. old daughter, 6 yr. old son) and I stayed three nights at Prude during spring break. We enjoyed the peace and solitude at the ranch. We spent lots of time on the porch watching our kids collect treasures (rocks, sticks, etc.) and run around.

We stayed in cabin 20 and the accomodations were pretty basic: 2 beds, a table and chair set, a rocker in the room. There was a sink area with a mirror and place to hang your clothes, and a small bathroom with a very small shower stall, another sink and toilet. Note to tall folks: our shower head was very, very low. Also, warm water was a premium when we had neighbors. Housekeeping was great! Although there are no TVs or telephones in the cabins, there are TVs in the lodge and reception area with DisneyChannel access! :) I really enjoyed the lack of TVs and phones.

Food is also basic. You can definitely fill up at the family-style mealtimes. Hidden gem: In town, there is a small trailer on the left-hand side (as you go into Ft. Davis from Prude) next to the convenience/liquor store. It is called Lupita's-YUMMY!!!! Great gorditas, burritos, chalupas, burgers. Place your order and have a seat at the picnic tables to wait. Great place to eat, sit and listen to locals talk about goings-on.

We rode horses on the trail ride and enjoyed that. I thought the ride was easy enough for beginners, but had some exciting elements for them, as well. The wranglers were top-notch. Our kids discovered a horseshoe set-up in the field in front of our set of cabins, so we all did that, too. The indoor pool was open, and although we didn't swim, plenty of others were enjoying themselves. We saw lots of kiddos on bikes and wished that we had thought to bring ours. For the amount of space and the facilities that Prude has, I think they could offer a few more things for families... s'mores each night, sunrise/sunset rides, lunch rides, games, riding demos in the arena...

All in all, we had a nice time at Prude. Most of the staff went way beyond the call of duty to be friendly, help and make our stay pleasant. For us, that is what makes or breaks a place.