A dude ranch and a waterpark may seem as compatible as oil and water, but the Double JJ Ranch, Waterpark & Golf Resort has turned this combination into a success.

Covering more than 2,000 acres of Michigan’s West Coast, the Double JJ, formerly the Jack and Jill Ranch, first welcomed guests in 1937. Since taking over in 1988, owners Joan and Bob Lipsitz and their partner, Wally Wojack, who first visited the ranch as a guest in 1955, have expanded the original ranch concept, adding the Gold Rush Waterpark and the Thoroughbred Golf Club.

Besides the 240-acre golf course designed by architect Arthur Hill, amenities include horseback riding, cattle drives, stage coach rides and rodeos.

Much of the entertainment is in the Back Forty, an Old West-style town, complete with a general store, and town hall. Nearby, the Swimmin’ Hole outdoor waterpark has an activity pool, toddler pool, hot tub and 150-foot water slide.

The 19th century gold rush theme of the 60,000-square-foot Gold Rush indoor waterpark complements the rest of the property. Water-slide tubes were fashioned like flumes from an Old West mine, and a dry-play area features a mine cave where kids can search for “nuggets of ore.”

Opened in 2006, the Gold Rush features one-quarter mile of water slides, including the 57-foot-tall Rustler’s Gulch, Michigan’s tallest indoor water slide.There’s also a 33,516-gallon wave pool, a lazy/crazy river, a mine car-themed toddler pool and the Lost Mine play structure, featuring an 800-gallon dumping mine car. Gold Rush Gus, the mascot, oversees it all.

Small touches such as the sheriff badge name tags for employees and in-room décor elements like hardware embellished with horseshoes help extend the theming further.

And all amenities have dude-ranch-related names. For example, dining options include the Wagon Wheel bar and the Pony Expresso coffee shop.