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Paradise Ranch, Wyoming, USA

Julie Miller saddles up, then heads for a stunning ranch which (nearly) became the setting for Brokeback Mountain.

Things that turn me to butter: The soft nicker of a horse. Snow-capped mountains. Wildflowers. A cowboy tipping his Stetson and drawling “mornin’, ma’am”.

At Paradise Ranch in Wyoming, all of the above have reduced me to a liquid pool of yellow goo. I’ve fallen into a world straight out of a Hollywood movie, every cowgirl fantasy fulfilled in one fell swoop.

I’m galloping across a mesa on a trusty steed. I’m watching moose and elk grazing on a hillside. I’m swing dancing with handsome cowboys.

Yup, this is paradise alright.

A couple of years ago, this mountain-top property bordering the Bighorn National Forest near the town of Buffalo hosted two esteemed guests – Ang Lee and Annie Proux, who were scouting for the perfect location to film Brokeback Mountain. Logistics and budgets eventually forced the production north to Canada, but in every other way, the ranch was perfect – soaring landscapes, a ready-made cowboy culture, plenty of accommodation for cast and crew – dang it, there’s even a saloon on site for socialising after hours.

Paradise Ranch has welcomed paying guests – or ‘dudes’, as the folk from Wyoming so quaintly call them – for over 100 years, offering the Wild West experience for city slickers, romantics and horse lovers. Sixty percent are return guests – they simply can’t get enough of the place, with families the largest demographic.

While some of the original log cabins still stand, there’s been a considerable injection of cash into the property over the years, resulting in unexpected luxury – comfy one and two bedroom cottages with all mod cons, a swimming pool, hot tub, wifi – all welcome touches after several hours in the saddle.

And it’s the riding that most people come for. Unlike many US horse riding outfitters, this is no boring nose-to-tail mandatory walk operation.Depending on your level of experience, you can ride for as long and as fast as you like, with anything from one hour trails to overnight treks into the surrounding wilderness. The horses are responsive, obedient and – most importantly, when you’re riding in unfamiliar terrain – are equipped with brakes, making a long lope over open, wildflower-strewn pasture sheer joy.

Catching our breath at the top of the rise, we gaze out over what can only be described as the most stunning vista on earth – 180 degrees of snowcapped mountains, a sparkling tiara against an endless blue sky. Paradise found…

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