B e n e f i t s o f S u m m e r C am p

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B e n e fit s
o f S u m m e r
C am p
SADDLE UP:
Dude Ranch Vacations
BUDGET TIPS FOR
SUMMER EXPENSES
A
G u id e t o
C am p i n g w i t h
K i d s i n C o l o r ad o
ColoradoParent.com
The author (in red) participates in a group ride with
other guests at the North Fork Ranch.
Phot Courtesy Mark Rush
Home on the Ranch
FIND YOUR INNER COWBOY OR COWGIRL AT COLORADO GUEST RANCHES.
By Irene Middleman Thomas
L
ast night I awoke to police sirens, barking
dogs and revving motorcycles. What a
difference from the serenity and stillness of
the three days my family had just enjoyed at
the North Fork Guest Ranch. There, nights
consisted of inky skies glittering with stars,
aspen leaves rustling gently and cool mountain
air snuggling us into soft blankets. The only
sound was a whinny or two from the horses in
the pasture below. It truly was paradise.
Guest or “dude” ranches have been around
for about 100 years, when real working ranchers
first realized what a lure the cowboy lifestyle
was for us “regular” folks. Today’s ranches help
visitors experience the romance, adventure and
spirit of the old west without giving up the basic
creature comforts of home. Here are five great
all-inclusive Colorado ranches for families.
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Ultimate Guide to Summer | 2016
Bar Lazy J Guest
Ranch, Parshall
Barlazyj.com 800-396-6297
At 7,500 feet elevation, the 100-year-old Bar
Lazy J Guest Ranch is located on an unusually
lush green valley alongside the Colorado
River. This 42-person-capacity ranch is cozy
and intimate, featuring twelve log cabins with
screened porches.
Owners Cheri and Jerry Helmicki, who
bought the ranch in 1995, make sure each guest
finds his or her niche here: Activities include
riding, catch-and-release Gold Medal flyfishing, rod and reel fishing in the stocked pond,
(Cont.)
A little cowpoke gazes at the Colorado River.
(Cont.)
swimming in the heated pool, hot-tubbing, trap
shooting, team penning with cows, visiting the
petting zoo, reading from the extensive library
and mountain biking. Kids’ groups, in which
certified counselors and wranglers lead children
through a variety of activities, are divided into
ages 3 to 6 and 7 to 12. The 1,500-foot Colorado
River zip line for ages 13 and up is a very
popular feature.
Bar Lazy J’s meals are served family-style.
Lemonade, coffee, tea, fruit and fresh cookies
are always available. A different planned activity,
such as campfire sing-a-longs and western
dancing are offered each evening. Week-long
(Sunday to Sunday) rental rates are available;
select weeks are reserved for adults only.
Bar Lazy J offers a wide range of activities.
4UR Ranch, Creede
4URranch.com 719-658-2202
At the 4UR Ranch—seven miles from Creede in south-central
Colorado—guests are pampered. This 45-person-capacity
ranch is surrounded by national forests: the La Garita range to
the north, Weminuche Wilderness and Wolf Creek Pass to the
south and west. Nearby is Wheeler National Monument, with its
striking rock formation “hoodoos.” Also here are the headwaters
of the Rio Grande River. The ranch has more than 3,000 acres
of terrain as well as the source of the Wagon Wheel Gap Hot
Springs, which are funneled to a large hot tub pool.
First and foremost, the 4UR is a catch and release fly-fishing
ranch, offering fishing on Goose Creek and the Rio Grande
River, with abundant brown, rainbow and cutthroat on six miles
of private tailwater. Guides are not mandatory, but available for
extra charge.
The ranch offers an outstanding kids’ horseback program,
during which children will prepare for the Kids’ Rodeo. At the
rodeo, kids get to show off skills learned, such as goat wrestling,
maneuvering through a horseback obstacle course and more.
During less busy weeks, the 4UR allows three-night packages.
The Leavell family has owned and operated the ranch for more
than 40 years, and takes great pride in meeting and knowing
their many longtime guests.
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Ultimate Guide to Summer | 2016
Phot Courtesy Mark Rush
The cozy and inviting lodge at the 4UR has a panoramic
view from the game room.
Phot Courtesy Mark Rush
Ranches connect kids to the natural world. Guests young and old enjoy the hummingbirds at North Fork Ranch.
North Fork Ranch, Shawnee
Northforkranch.com 800-843-7895
North Fork Ranch is located just one hour from east Denver. Set smack
on the North Fork of the South Platte River, the 20-person-capacity ranch
enjoys superb fly-fishing and is Orvis-endorsed. The friendly, low-key
ranch has been operated by Karen and Dean May for the past 30 years.
The dining is delicious—you might enjoy a Mexican buffet on the patio
or an Italian-theme evening. Fresh-baked cookies are always in the cookie
jar, as well as a bowl of fruit, trail mix and other goodies.
The river’s flows create a private fishery, teeming with brown, rainbow
and cutthroat trout. The half-mile of North Fork Ranch river is flyfishing only with guided, barbless hooks, catch and release. Fly-fishing
casting classes are free for ranch guests, held on the stocked trout pond.
The ranch does not offer a supervised children’s program, but there
are plenty of family activities, and reduced rates for younger children
and nannies. Families can choose to spend the night in the tepee, while
the ranch provides hot chocolate, marshmallows and sleeping bags.
There’s a petting zoo with sheep, hens and a miniature donkey; a large
swimming pool and a game room. Whitewater rafting is available
for ages 8 and up; fishing and horseback riding for 6 and up. In the
evenings, participate in family game nights, mountain man storytelling,
hayrides and other options.
For a special treat, reserve the Stonehenge Lodge—a gorgeous
85-year-old stone house with endless rustic elegance. Although the ranch
encourages full-week stays, it permits stays of just one night, with a la
carte pricing for activities such as target shooting and whitewater rafting.
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Ultimate Guide to Summer | 2016
Sundance Trail Guest Ranch,
Red Feather Lakes
sundancetrail.com 800-357-4930
Known for being relaxed, friendly and flexible, the Sundance Trail Guest
Ranch is a cozy 24-person-capacity ranch with just four dining tables.
The resident owners Dan and Ellen Morin are hands-on, helping with
cooking, cleaning rooms, teaching horsemanship and leading rides—and
philosophizing. Food is ample, delicious and health-oriented.
Sundance Trail borders a million acres of National Forest for riding,
exploring and hiking. Or, take in skeet shooting, rock climbing, belaying,
Frisbee golf, horseshoes, archery, foosball, pool, tomahawk throwing,
mountain biking and white water rafting.
Guests are welcome to bring their own dogs and own horses—a rarity
among guest ranches. Kids can opt to participate in ranch activities with
their families, or join counselors for kid-specific offerings for ages 5 and
up, including gathering eggs, trail riding, playing outdoor games, treasure
hunting and more. One evening per week, kids camp out in a tepee while
adults enjoy a candle lit dinner at the main ranch house.
Sundance Trail permits weekend stays in the non-summer months,
late September through mid May. Three day, four night packages are
also available.
Children will enjoy riding and making friends with the horses at Sylvan Dale.
Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, Loveland
Sylvandale.com 970-667-3915
This year-round, 30-person capacity ranch is one of Colorado’s oldest
working horse and cattle ranches. Just one and a half hours from Denver,
the ranch is about 30 minutes east from Rocky Mountain National Park
and Estes Park. Surrounded by the red rock cliffs of Eagle Ridge, the Big
Thompson River runs through the 3,200-acre property.
In just three days there, we saw a black bear on the hillside, a blue heron
flying over our heads, several mule deer, endless bunnies and a few toads.
Susan and Dave Jessup, the friendly owners, share the passion of Susan’s
parents, who bought the ranch in 1946.
Sylvan Dale is proud of its cattle program, raising its own grass-fed
cows with no hormones, steroids, antibiotics or GMOs. In addition to
cattle round-ups and team penning, guests can enjoy horseback riding,
fly-fishing and rod and reel fishing in the stocked bass pond (about two
miles away), tennis, swimming in the heated pool, volleyball, ping pong
and other games, horseshoes and yoga. In the off-season, Sylvan Dale
offers a Bunk & Breakfast three-night stay.
Irene Middleman Thomas is a Denver-based travel writer and mother.
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Ultimate Guide to Summer | 2016