Cowboy Hospitality at Concho Hills Guest Ranch

The Concho Hills Ranch's real-life experience of Western heritage is why owners Tim and Marilyn Norris have been recognized by True West Magazine as the 2024 reader's choice Best of the West Heritage Guest Ranch.

Located between Magdalena and Datil, the guest ranch is operated 24-7, 365 days a year, by perhaps the smartest and most well-traveled guest ranchers in America. The two met while working in the nuclear weapons and power industry, and their love began there.

"We moved here from South Africa (they've been just about everywhere); we were working on designing and licensing a new kind of nuclear power plant. We enjoyed the climate so much in the Johannesburg area because it wasn't humid." Marilyn said.

New Mexico is a great choice for people who like a dry climate. A few twists and turns led to a decision to showcase their hidden talents.

It was a vast leap from working in the nuclear field to getting into hospitality and guests. However, a person only has to spend a little time at the Concho Hills Ranch to realize Tim and Marilyn operate on a first-name basis, and they don't take themselves too seriously.

They love their profession, and they've been married for 25 years.

"We've had five good years," Marilyn jokes, and her husband slightly tops her off with, "It seems like eight minutes—underwater."

Their brand of humor instantly puts one at ease as they talk about their decade-long journey into guest ranching.

Together, they operate on a business plan where people arrive as guests and leave as family. An all-inclusive stay includes bunkhouse quarters, access to the main house, kitchen, a full spread of Marilyn's home cooking and much more.

With a maximum occupancy of 14 people, the Concho Hills Ranch experience is a level above a "dude ranch" because it's not designed for just hopping on a horse and taking off. Horses in the stables like "John Wayne" are working Western horses. A ride with the couple is much like the brush-popping the cowboys did while pushing cattle across the high plains to market in the 1880s.

Elk and deer outnumber the local cattle population, but as an island among large working cattle ranches, Concho Hills Ranch is an "adoption" agency for dogies that have lost their mothers. It's an added experience for guests to get to bottle-feed the animals.

There are a half dozen horses available for riding after guests have completed a safety orientation, which also includes reminders that the ranch is full of critters that sting and bite. The horse herd was once larger, but like many other small home-run businesses, COVID shut down their operation, forcing cutbacks.

Hired help has been hard to find, and the ranch's remote location adds to the difficulty of finding reliable employees.

Even with all the encumbrances, the pair remain undaunted in providing their guests with an authentic Western experience, including an introduction to Western reining, historical tours, and Tim's very well-researched stories about the local area.

As the two sit on a loveseat in their home and talk about their operation, it's hard not to look around and see Marilyn's decorating work. Everything is in its place, and there's place for everything.

Just out of the way is Tim's guitar. He claims he doesn't play well due to a lack of practice, but guests have reported he carries a decent tune. Somewhere, there's a Native American flute tucked away to add to the true Western experience.

Most of the time, before the music flows and the poetry begins, the guests are filled to the brim with food that has been eaten on New Mexico ranches for more than 100 years.

"We have lots of beef because it's in the country. Lots of homemade breads, biscuits, cornbread, fresh rolls, cinnamon rolls," Marilyn said. "I love to bake. So, you'll have plenty of good desserts, chocolate cake, pineapple granny cake, peanut butter pie, lots of different cookies and brownies and things."

It all ties into the ranch's theme, which is reflected in the awards Conch Hill has won and the reviews of its guests.

"People who write reviews say we came as guests, and we felt like we were family by the time we left. To me, that's a real compliment that they enjoyed things, and they felt like they belonged," Tim said.

Learn more about the authentic western experience of the Concho Hills Ranch online at https://conchohillsranch.com/.