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Welcome Support the Dude Ranch Foundation Preservation Program Land Management Resource Conservation Scholarship Program Investing in the Future of the Dude Ranching Industry The Dude Ranch Foundation Plan Your Visit Donate Become a Supporter of the Foundation Scholarships Our Story In the mid1920s four forces converged to create the Dude Ranchers Association DRA the creation of a National Park System the economic boom following WWI the railroads need for passengers on their new routes in the West and the nations fascination with the western culture of the cowboy. For almost 100 years this new organization of independent ranches opened their gates invited guests to cross their cattle guards and extended Western hospitality to the traveling public of the world. These ranch families that took in friends used horses to help unlock the mysteries of the West behold the majesty of its public lands and understand and participate in the lifestyle of the cowboy. The Dude Ranchers Foundation DRF also had four forces that helped it grow out of the DRA.