Dude ranches are often linked with summer holidays, where city dwellers escape to enjoy nature and learn about horses. However, visiting a ranch in winter can also be enjoyable and exciting.
During the colder months, Colorado’s dude ranches offer various activities, including skiing, horseback riding, dog sledding, sleigh rides, and more, according to Courtney Frazier, executive director of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association.
Frazier mentions that guests will enjoy evening campfires and comfortable cabins. Some ranches also have full spas for relaxation after a day of exploring the Rocky Mountains.
Here are five dude ranches suitable for winter getaways, offering amenities such as a private ski mountain, a top-notch culinary program, and a murder mystery weekend.
C Lazy U Ranch
The C Lazy U near Granby has a picturesque setting. The 8,500-acre ranch offers activities like horse and sleigh rides, along with the option to skate on a groomed pond or participate in a hockey game.
Guests can also fly-fish in Willow Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, and enjoy three daily gourmet meals as part of the all-inclusive rate.
The winter dining menu includes dishes such as carmel apple venison, pheasant cordon bleu, duck confit perogies, and rose glazed pink prawns, with the rate starting at $587 per person/night or more.
Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa
Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Granby provides various winter activities, including rides in a heated snow cat, fat tire bikes, and a spa for relaxation, with rates starting at least $460 a night for lodging for two people.
Vista Verde Ranch offers a range of activities in winter, including occasional live-music performances in the lodge.
Vista Verde is a fancy dude ranch close to Steamboat Springs that combines old Western style with luxury. The food program is really impressive, especially in the winter when they serve things like carrot cake waffles with walnut syrup, Cuban sandwiches, and gnocchi with short rib ragu.
For dinner, you can choose a wine pairing. The guest ranch has a cellar with more than 90 kinds of wine, and it has been praised by Wine Spectator.
There are lots of ways to build up an appetite at the ranch. They have a bunch of fat tire bikes, as well as snowmobiling, tubing, and backcountry ski tours. There are also many groomed trails for beginners. Stays of three nights in late winter start at $2,295 per person.
Three Forks Ranch
Three Forks Ranch is located near the border of Colorado and Wyoming, and it is known as the “West Kept Secret.” The ranch covers 200,000 acres and has a special partnership with the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit healthcare organization. The wellness facility is staffed with certified coaches from the clinic who can give advice on nutrition and provide personal training.
Staying at this all-inclusive resort includes spa treatments, and guests staying for three nights can book two services in advance. The ranch also offers private skiing on a snowy mountain with 20 runs. They use heated snowcats to take guests to the summit. Nightly rates start at $1,995 per person.
Guests’ boots are lined up and ready for the next ride at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch on Dec. 20 2013. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)
Sundance Trail Guest Ranch, near Red Feather Lakes, offers a few options for winter visits. The Country Inn stay includes lodging, meals, and morning horseback rides. Alternatively, guests can choose the bed-and-breakfast option.
Guests can enjoy horseback rides through the Roosevelt National Forest, relax by the fireplace, and stargaze in the jacuzzi. If you gather a group of 8-12 people, the ranch will arrange a Murder Mystery getaway for you. In between meals and horseback rides, your group can try to solve the mystery. The bed and breakfast nightly rates start at $230 for a suite for two people or $170 for single occupancy.
Come the colder months, Colorado's dude ranches offer various activities, such as gliding on cross-country skis and riding through the snow on horseback.
Bed and breakfast nightly rates start at $230 per two-person suite or $170 for single occupancy.
