Summer Guest Ranch & Adventure Vacation Specials

Colorado Dude Ranch Last Minute

June & July Discounts

Dude Ranch Vacation
A 20% discount for any June rooms still available, &
A 10% discount on any July rooms available

Colorado Dude Ranch Momma Jazzy and baby Aspen, age 2 weeks, May 1st, 2013

Colorado Dude Ranch Momma Jazzy and baby Aspen, age 2 weeks, May 1st, 2013

Well, folks, looks like this year’s summer’s staff will be just as great as last years! Of course, that may be because most of this year’s staff were last years staff!

I can’t tell you how pleasant it is to be working with these folks again. And Ellen want’s to put them all to work!

She says that if you mention this note, we can give you

Colorado Dude Ranch Cowboy & HIs Horse

Colorado Dude Ranch Cowboy & HIs Horse

a 20% discount for any June rooms still available, and
a 10% discount on any July rooms available. Yee-haw!

If you haven’t made your summer vacation reservations yet, give us a call. 970-224-1222

Nick is working on his Obstacle Courses!

Nick is working on his Obstacle Courses!


Dude Ranch Early Bird Incentive
(Book by April 15th)

Hmm…. It’s too cold outside to horse back ride, so I have nothing to do but sit here by the phone. What might motivate folks to call the ranch and book their ranch vacation now?

Hurry Up and Call the Dude Ranch (David Hobby)

Hurry Up and Call Us! (Thanks for this Great Picture David Hobby!)

  • Would a Gift Certificate for an hour long Swedish Massage nudge you towards the telephone to call us?
  • A reward to yourself for planning ahead; or maybe a delightful gift for someone special?
  • Call us to book your six night summer stay before April 15th, and remind us of this bribe…. ah… offer!

horse back riding vacation foot rock

Remember Horseback Riding to Foot Rock?

Return Guest Discount
- Summer Family Adventure Vacation!

We’d love to see you again!

  • Come back and see us again this year and receive a 5% discount on your summer stay.
  • Simple.
  • Just remind us when you are booking your reservation.

Refer Another Family Discounts
- Summer Guest Ranch

bring friends on your dude ranch adventure vacation

Bring Your Friends to Your Dude Ranch Adventure Vacation!

Refer another family and

  • receive a 5% discount on your stay.
  • Be sure they tell us when they call to book their reservation!

Happy horse happy dude ranch wrangler

Dude Ranch Wrangler Connor on a Happy Horse!

Combined Return and Referral Discounts
- Summer Riding Vacation!

Ah, heck, why not do both!

  • Bring another family with you
  • (or refer another family) and
  • receive a 10% discount on your next return stay.
  • Yee haw!
  • Be sure you tell us when you call!

We will be posting  2011 pictures in the Ranch Picture Album next week – If you have pictures you would like us to post, send them to me quickly!


Spring Dude Ranch Trail Maintenance Week -
5/13 to 5/19 2012 Yeehaw!

Join us for Spring Trail Maintenance Week!

Ride your horse on Care Bear Hill.

See the little horse and human half way up Care Bear Hill?

This May we will be doing  a number of projects, and you can be involved!

  1. Trail Maintenance
  2. Installing the two new low ropes challenge and obstacle courses
  3. All kinds of other dirty projects
    • Maybe build a loafing shed (small barn)  for the horses to …. yes… loaf in.
    • Maybe expand the main corral — digging fence posts, sinking posts, screwing in hundreds of rails!
    • Maybe milling some of our beetle killed trees into lumber at our neighbor’s saw mill.
    • Maybe spring vaccinations and worming our horses.
  4. Training new staff.
  5. Working and training new horses.
  6. dude ranch momma jackhammer

    Does this jack hammer make my butt look big?

A surprising number of guests have told us that they just yearn for an opportunity to get outside in the spring and do some real work. A work-cation!

  • Get dirty, really dirty
  • Get tired, really tired,
  • Get sore… well , maybe only  moderately sore!
  • Come home to
    • A home cooked western supper
    • A hot shower
    • A soak in the jacuzzi and an evening of good company, &
    • Sleep like a baby!

You are welcome to join our ranch hands as we prepare the ranch and the trails for the 2012 summer season,  make the plans for our challenge courses into realities, and maybe change some dreams into real fences and a small horse barn.

This adventure vacation will include:

Guest Ranch Work to do

More work to do!

  1. A significant number of hours in the saddle each day, either training new horses, or traveling to trail maintenance areas such as “Care Bear Hill” (aka “Suicide Slide” or “O Merde!”).
  2. Basic instruction in erosion control and trail maintenance: removing dead trees that post a safety hazard to riders on the trail, replacing soil to areas where its been washed out, building water bars,. etc.
  3. Instruction in the basics of caring  for your horse: grooming, picking & tacking.
  4. Intermediate/advanced trail riding coaching.
  5. Possibly:
    • The joys of a 66 pound jack hammer
    • The joys of feeding big HEAVY logs into a really COOL BIG saw mill.
    • The joys of building a small barn or of creating a new challenge obstacle course.
      Moose at the guest ranch

      Adventurous moose visiting!

    • Opportunity to sit in the Dude Ranchers Association Wrangler Safety Program -our wrangling staff orientation classes.

What can you expect:

  • Lodging
  • Meals
  • Hard physical labor.
  • A lot of hours in the saddle with new horses – a very sore butt?
  • Probably lots of spring flowers, but maybe a bit of snow.
  • Maybe a moose or two.
  • Maybe some awesome fishing before the summer crowds arrive.
  • Maybe a square dance one evening.
  • You will get dog tired, you will not swim in the pond ~~ brrrr!
  • We will NOT be cleaning sheaths!

Of course, we will NOT be able to accomplish all of these challenges in one week, so think about what would be most fun for you – we will ask you when you book your reservations, and set our priorities to match what you would like to do.

$110/night/adult-double occupancy, the same rate as our Country Inn Stays .


20 & 25% Discounted Summer Dude Ranch Weeks

Spring and fall are great times to get good dude ranch deals!

spring dude ranch flowers

Spring Flowers

Dude ranch rates include your lodging, all meals, a constant supply of snacks, and all activities including horse back riding, rock climbing & belaying lessons, seasonal white water rafting, and all of the other summer activities listed.   These rates do not include 3.7% tax or the tip you may want to leave for the staff, if they delight you.

Guest Ranch Horse back riding

Horses and kids in the dude ranch corral

May 20, 2012 Opening week – help us train the new staff! 25% off the standard high season rates:

6 night/7 day week – Adults (Age 16+) $1,610
6 night/7 day week -Older Kids (Age 8-15)  $985
6 night/7 day week -Younger Kids (Age 5-7) $900
6 night/7 day week -Little kids (< 5 years old) No charge

3 Night/4 day short stay – Adults (Age 16+)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Older Kids (Age 8-15)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Younger Kids (Age 5-7)
3Night/4 day short stay – Little kids (< 5 years old)

guest ranch rifle shooting

Learning to shoot rifles with the dude ranch wrangler

May 27 – 6/2 Spring Week – 20% Off

6 night/7 day week -Adults (Age 16+) $1,715
6 night/7 day week -Older Kids (Age 8-15) $1,050
6 night/7 day week -Younger Kids (Age 5-7) $960
6 night/7 day week-Little kids (< 5 years old) No Charge

3 Night/4 day short stay – Adults (Age 16+)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Older Kids (Age 8-15)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Younger Kids (Age 5-7)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Little kids (< 5 years old)

August 26 – September 1st End of Summer – 20% Off

6 night/7 day week -Adults (Age 16+) $1,715
6 night/7 day week -Older Kids (Age 8-15) $1,050
6 night/7 day week -Younger Kids (Age 5-7) $960
6 night/7 day week -Little kids (< 5 years old) No Charge

Rock climbing adventure vacation

Rock Climbing on Your Dude Ranch Adventure Vacation!

3 Night/4 day short stay – Adults (Age 16+)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Older Kids (Age 8-15)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Younger Kids (Age 5-7)
3 Night/4 day short stay – Little kids (< 5 years old)

September 2nd and September 9th – Adults Only Weeks – 20% Off

6 night/7 day week -Adults (Age 16+) $1,715
3 Night/4 day short stay – Adults (Age 16+)


Summer Saturday Night Dude Ranch Stays

We have heard from a number of folks that “staying over Saturday night” reduces their airfares considerably, but that staying in a hotel is not all that much fun. This summer we will be offering a Saturday night Bed & Breakfast option for those families who would like to spend the night here in our Colorado mountains.

  • The rate will be $139 per suite.
  • Note that this is our Sabbath. The staff will not be on the ranch. You are welcome to all of the facilities, but there will be no staff-lead activities.
  • Saturday supper will not be served, however you are welcome to join us at one of the neighborhood restaurants.
  • A simple breakfast will be served on Sunday morning.

Saturday night stays are available by previous arrangement with Dan or Ellen (so that we may schedule staff).

Family Dude Ranch Vacation Specials

Guest Ranch Western Riding in the pond


Four Day – Three Night Stays

This summer we will again offer a shortened week for those whose schedules make it impossible for them to get away for a full six nights.

This is a “riding intensive” experience that starts either on Sunday afternoon (until Wednesday morning) or Wednesday afternoon (until Saturday morning).

Rates are listed at Summer Dude Ranch Rates. And feel free to call the ranch for details.


Non-rider Dude Ranch Discount

We offer a 15% discount to dude ranch cowboys and cowgirls who enjoy the ranch but do not ride. Please ask for our non-rider discount when you book your family vacation reservations.

Adults (Age 16+)

Older Kids (Age 8-15)

Younger Kids (Age 5-7)

Little kids (< 5 years old)