Home on the range is taking on new meaning in Colorado and Wyoming – even though it’s the 21st century. Those rough and tumble steer-roping days are just a short drive away for those seeking old west experiences. Dude and guest ranches allow willing souls to ride the open range, camp under the stars or feast on upscale cowboy cuisine.
Lodging, Simple to Elegant
Today’s dude and guest ranches offer small wooden cabins to rooms with the same amenities you would find in a four-star luxury resort. Most offer weekly stays from Sunday to Sunday with varying price structures. At the Bar Lazy J, the oldest continuously operating guest ranch in Colorado, guests may choose between 1-3 bedroom log cabins with screened porches, which are nestled right alongside the Colorado River. This, of course, is perfect for anglers wanting to land some good-sized trout right outside their door.
”Rustic elegance” is how office manager Jude Dwyer describes the rooms at the C Lazy U in Granby. “We are more of an upscale guest ranch,” she says. Of the 50 guest accommodations that all include fireplaces, hand carved wood beds, terrycloth robes and slippers. A few of the deluxe suites even have whirlpool tubs.
Terry Bison Ranch in Cheyenne features a combination of sleeping arrangements. These include an RV or recreational vehicle campground with 86 full hookups, tent sites, cabins and a 13-bed bunkhouse room previously owned by F.E. Warren, the first territorial governor of Wyoming. The 7XL Cowboys, as they were known, lived in the bunkhouse and worked the land in the early 1900’s.
Ranch Activities and Adventures
What makes each ranch distinctive is how ranch owners blend activities that cater to both adults and children. At some locations, kids can be gone from dawn till dusk, occupied with horseback riding, games, fishing, swimming and hiking. This allows parents to pursue their own interests. Others take a more familial approach.
At the Rawah Dude and Guest Ranch in Glendevey, “kids participate in activities with their families,” says owner Pete Kunz. This brings everyone closer together and all activities are created with this in mind. Rawah is a Native American word meaning “abundance” and Kunz says this is still true today. His ranch offers the best in riding, hiking, fishing, entertainment and, of course, fabulous food.
One of Rawah’s long-time satisfied clients is Julie Ford from Missouri. “It’s the best place on Earth,” says Ford. “We’ve been married for 26 years and I kept telling my husband that for my birthday, I don’t need any more jewelry, just give me more weeks at Rawah.”
All the ranches offer equestrian lessons that cover basic horsemanship and safety. Most match riders with a horse best suited to the visitor. Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland is one of the few that also offers cattle drives for those who qualify. This is decided based on horse riding skill level. “We have 3,200 acres and 160-180 cattle,” says co-owner David Jessop. “We rotate from pasture to pasture and guests will help us with the cattle drives, branding and vaccinating as well.”
Of course, not all of the activities include just horseback riding. Sylvan Dale has a full youth program that features river tubing in the Big Thompson and hikes to the local Indian caves. Wind River Ranch in Estes Park keeps the fun coming with volleyball, a climbing wall, a 400-foot zip line that goes strait across the meadow. There is also a huge kids’ carnival complete with apple bobbing and even an occasional pie in the face. Guests at Terry Bison can tour their 2500-acre property by steam locomotive where, along the way, they might just see ostriches, longhorns, yaks, buffalo and even Dromedary camels from Saudi Arabia.
Dining, Cowboy Style
While the magnificent views, trail rides and activities are the mainstays of any ranch experience, one of the others highlights is the grub. There’s just something about the mix of fresh air and home cooked food that just seem to go together.
“Our guests actually complain that our food is too good,” says Pete Kuns from Rawah. Entrees include prime marinated sirloin of bison, fresh halibut and chicken Diavalo, which is covered in olive oil, lemon juice, and grilled over an Aspen wood fire.
Its owners have described C Lazy U’s food as “Gourmet Western” and one of the most popular is their “Woodsie” breakfast. Served outside, campfire style, visitors can enjoy sourdough blueberry pancakes, stuffed trout and freshly made donuts. Some of the of the recipes date back to its founding in 1912.
Every ranch seems to have specialties that endear it to hungry clientele. Sylvan Dale’s food is all cooked over a campfire including David A’s Calico beans plus exotic samplings of yucca blossoms. Wind River serves a Wranglers breakfast on Friday’s in an Aspen Grove with a signature 3-foot diameter pancake that tastes like a funnel cake.
Changing times, changing needs
As tastes change, most of the ranches have adopted offerings are not “traditional” dude ranch fare. Wind River Ranch, for instance, operates as a non-profit Christian ministry bringing in guest speakers for those who want to add a spiritual component to the visit. Other ranches offer fly-fishing clinics; custom video productions featuring parents and kids; overnight adventure trail rides; and on-site swimming pools and hot tubs. All of these add to the overall ambiance and help stressed out city folk forget about emails, faxes, deadlines and getting up the crack of dawn to head to work.
Perhaps Luke Chelterham captured the overall experience best. After visiting Bar Lazy J he wrote “When we first got here, it wasn’t long before we grew to love waking up to the breakfast bell and the run of the river. Now we can’t believe it’s over. Thank you all so much for making an impact on us and proving there’s a part of America that still holds on to the tradition of the great outdoors.”