Bison & Cattle Ranch

Introduction
Colorado USA
This 103,000 acre authentic Bison and Cattle ranch  borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve along its Eastern border. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains tower alongside the ranch with several 14,000 foot peaks with trail heads leading into them, just minutes from the lodge. It has one of the most scenically spectacular and diverse geological landscapes to be found anywhere in the world. It is a wildlife mecca with thousands of elk, hundreds of bison, and countless deer, coyotes, birds and many other animal species.

Real life ranching and exploring the great outdoors is at the core of the programs that are offered. We have hosted guests from all over the world for over 20 years, developing special programs that bring visitors into the middle of ranch life by working side by side with the cowboys and cowgirls on the ranch; these activities are not staged - they occur whether guests are on the ranch or not. If groups have varied interests or do not want to spend all their time with the cowboys, they can take one of our trips into the wild to study the bison herds, or explore the sand dunes and mountain meadows. The ranch is owned by The Nature Conservancy.

Note: Unfortunately we no longer have a domestic bison herd (wild herd only) -- we do not have any opportunities to move bison though our guests are welcome to ride (from a safe distance) amongst our wild herd. We also do invite guests to participate in any ongoing cattle work we may have during their stay.

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a stationary ride, so all nights are spent at the same location.

Description
Set back in a shady cotton wood grove beneath the majestic 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains lies this historic Ranch headquarters and lodge, which was established in the late 1800’s. Elk, mule deer, migratory birds, eagles, and black bear also call this area home. Recently renovated, the main building contains large indoor and outdoor dining areas, a bar that serves wine with appetizers and refrigeration for guest's own additional beverages, and comfortable guest rooms. There are 2 other buildings hosting the rest of the bedrooms. Each of the 15 bedroom features two double beds or a single king and we have one room with three queen beds. For evening soaks after a long day of fun, the hot tub, with views of the sand dunes, and the mountains beyond, is just steps away.
WiFi is available in the lodge’s sitting room. Daily housekeeping and laundry facilities are included.

Please note that the ranch is located at 7,950 feet above sea level.



The Lodge
This is the original homestead built in the 1800's. The log home has been beautifully remodeled to incorporate a roomy and attractive indoor dining area with a fireplace and large windows along with a cozy sitting area. The large deck just outside the dining area is shaded by mature cottonwood trees and complimented by a flower garden that allows for lovely views of the property. The five rooms are beautifully furnished, and have a southwestern decor that gives them the feel of home and rustic elegance.

The Bunkhouse
Just outside the lodge is the log bunkhouse with five private rooms, each with a full bath and exterior entrance. One room is a suite with a separate living room and wood stove.  Rooms are in top order and beautifully decorated along with large comfortable beds.  Windows open wide to let in the fresh mountain air and the views of the natural gardens surrounding the Inn set you in a world all your own. 

The Stewart House
A fully furnished home separated from the lodge by a lighted footpath. Each of the five private rooms offers full baths. The home features common areas such as a fully equipped kitchen, living room with fireplace, pool table and a large dining area that can accommodate larger groups. The view from the living room windows and private patio provide a front row seat to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Crestone Peak, one of the most spectacular 14,000 foot peaks in the entire Sangre de Cristo mountain range.

Room Occupancy
There is no single supplement fee.
Triple occupancy might be possible based on availability.



Meals
All meals are included in this trip from dinner on Day 1 to lunch on the last day.

The dining experience is second-to-none. Our cook promotes the return to home style cooking with the use of seasonal spices and fare and strives to connect dishes to local farming producers.
Our menus often feature ranch-raised bison and beef as well as locally grown vegetables and produce. Meals are served family-style in either of two dining rooms –our outside dining area on calm evenings or our indoor dining room with large windows and a fireplace otherwise.

Breakfast is served at 8:00am and includes eggs made to order, biscuits and gravy, warm pancakes, cereal, as well as fresh fruits.
Sack Lunches of your choice are provided to take with you on activities.
Dinner begins with appetizers at 6:00pm each evening.

Wine is served with appetizers and guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol for anything additional. We can stop after picking guests up from the airport or if requested, alcohol can be picked up on one of our two weekly town runs.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to severe food allergies and vegan/vegetarian diets with prior notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


Riding Level
We can accommodate a variety of riding levels and cater the itinerary to your preferences. If you are new to the saddle, our wranglers provide solid instruction to start your horse journey off in the right direction! For those more experienced we have more challenging rides and cattle work to keep you fast on your feet. Horseback activities can include working and moving cattle, exploring the surrounding San Luis Valley, and venturing into the adjacent Great Sand Dunes National Park. Formal instruction and horsemanship demonstrations from our expert wranglers are available at any point during your stay.

Pace
Guest rides are from about 8:30am - 2:00pm, though can be shorter if guests would like. Riding groups are kept small: 3 to 4 riders per wrangler.

Horses
The horses we use in our daily ranch work and guest program come from our breeding program.  The program focuses on producing gentle horses that can work long days on a ranch and thrive on native pasture with minimal supplemental feed. Specifically, our horses are bred for a gentle disposition, athleticism, hardiness, and livestock sense. We also train horses that come from outside of the program that show promising disposition for daily ranch work and meeting the needs of guest riders. The herd, averaging around 60 head, meet all abilities ranging from experienced to beginner riders. We work closely with each horse to train them for working livestock. During the guest season the herd is split into two groups with one group resting and the other group in a nearby pasture ready for daily work. The groups are then frequently rotated giving the horses plenty of rest and time under saddle so they ultimately remain in peak and healthy condition.

Horsemanship
Horses are the core to a good ranch program. Therefore, we work with our horses every day and we encourage guests to be involved by learning about how to improve or maintain their horse. The crew will work with the guests so they will be continually learning and working to improve their skills with a horse. Guests are welcome to watch the ranch crew train a young horse or participate in one-on-one horsemanship instruction. These options are typically half day options in the afternoon.

Itinerary


Central to what we do is maintaining our ranching heritage while enhancing the natural landscape. Our philosophy maintains that a balance must be struck between the management of a healthy and vigorous ecosystem and a sustainable land-based business that supports the people living on the land. We feel that our ranching and conservation work in partnership with The Nature Conservancy is an important model for preserving large scale ranch lands in the western United States. The property is a 103,000-acre ranch located on the eastern wall of the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado. It borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the newest National Park in the United States. The high desert grasslands, alpine forests, wetlands, sand dunes, creeks, and lush meadows offer one of the most scenic and ecologically diverse landscapes in the United States. 

With approximately 2,000 free-roaming wild bison and 300 cattle, this is a true working ranch.

Check out the special Theme Weeks throughout the season.

Horseback Experiences
Come ride with us, work and drive cattle, ride through the bison herd, and explore the Sand Dunes National Park while we help you to focus on improving your horsemanship and riding skills. We invite you come and ride one of our ranch horses, or to bring your own horse. We welcome guests of all experience levels as we have a solid herd of horses and will take time to provide education opportunities based on a rider’s skill set. Formal instruction and horsemanship demonstrations from our expert wranglers are available at any point during your stay.
Guests who desire a true working ranch experience are welcome to work alongside our wranglers and ranch staff on various ranch projects. Along the way, guests learn about how we operate our ranches, our land and cattle management philosophy, and the natural surroundings that make our valley so spectacular.

While we try to use horses as much as possible in our ranch work (“use grass, not gas”), not all of a modern day cowboy’s work occurs on horseback. For those interested in experiencing the full range of a rancher’s daily work, guests are invited to join our cowboys as they monitor herd health, check and fix fence, irrigate farmland, assess pasture conditions, and perform any number of other activities required on a working ranch. Guests will also learn about important land conservation management practices, grass-fed cattle and bison production, and our prescriptive grazing program. Our programs are designed to put guests safely in the middle of this work, allowing our visitors to contribute and learn by gaining hands-on experience.



Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

We pride ourselves in being able to customize our itineraries based on our guests' preferences. Please note that the itinerary below is only a sample, and will be adjusted to fit your needs.
No activities are held on the day of arrival or Sundays, however we are happy to arrange a fishing or rafting trip.

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrival
Welcome! Take some time to walk around the grounds, explore the lodge and surrounding walking trails, and get settled. The Program's Manager will be in the office until 5:00pm to talk in more detail about your stay and to confirm what you would like to do for the week.
6:00pm: Appetizers and wine will be ready at the bar of the main lodge.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 2 (Monday): Introductory Ride
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: A Wrangler will pick you up at the lodge and walk with you down to the corrals to meet your horse for the week and go over a quick riding and safety orientation. From the corrals, you will load up in truck and trailer to go for a ride on the Medano side of the ranch. Ride out from the Original Homestead and enjoy a ride among the wild bison herd, the spectacular scenery of the wetlands, and up Sand Creek bed towards the National Park boundary.
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
3:00pm: If you are feeling up for it after your ride, head to the Great Sand Dunes National Park to hike, explore around Medano Creek, and possibly even go sledding down the steep dune cliffs.
6:00pm: Appetizers and wine will be ready at the bar of the main lodge.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 3 (Tuesday): Great Sand Dunes National Park Ride & Zapata Falls Hike
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: A wrangler will pick you up at the lodge with truck and trailer to go for a spectacular ride through Great Sand Dunes National Park—up the creek bed, along the dunes, all through the ponderosa pine forest, and up into the mountains behind the dunes.
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
3:00pm: Hike up to Zapata Falls, a .3 mile scenic hike up to a stunning waterfall with spectacular views of the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes.
6:00pm: Appetizers and wine will be ready at the bar of the main lodge.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 4 (Wednesday): Ranch Work
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: Walk down to the corrals to meet your wrangler and horses. From the corrals, you will ride out from the Zapata side of the ranch to explore the ranch’s meadows, canyons, and cottonwoods. You might even discover on your ride that there are cows & calves that will need to be moved to new pasture.
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
4:00pm: Head down to the Mercantile for appetizers, refreshments and a leatherworking session with the Wranglers. Learn some basic repairs and perhaps purchase a belt, bracelet or keychain to personalize with stamping and tooling to take home with you.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 5 (Thursday): Lake Ride
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: A wrangler will pick you up at the lodge with truck and trailer to return to the Medano side of the ranch, this time to explore the ranch’s hidden lakes and then up Sand Creek, a sandy creek bed surrounded by cottonwoods, and up into small, surrounding sand dunes.
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
3:00pm: If you are in the mood for a more intensive hike, head up Mosca Pass, a longer, but fantastic hike with wonderful views of the Valley. Otherwise, you let us know what you might prefer to do with your afternoon.
6:00pm: Appetizers and wine will be ready at the bar of the main lodge.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 6 (Friday): Cattle Work
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: Walk down to the corrals to meet your wrangler and horses. From the corrals you will ride out to further explore the Zapata side of the ranch. If there any riding techniques you’d like to learn more about or perhaps head out to the cattle herd to practice sorting, just ask your wrangler!
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
4:00pm: Head to the Mercantile lawn for appetizers, refreshments, and a roping demonstration led by the Wranglers. Learn to coil and throw a rope using a roping dummy.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 7 (Saturday): Medano Creek Ride
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:30am: A wrangler will pick you up at the lodge with truck and trailer to return to the Great Sand Dunes. Spend some more time exploring Medano Creek or perhaps ride up into the Preserve amongst the Pines and Aspens for a beautiful ride.
Enjoy your lunch out in the field and have a great ride.
3:00pm: Free afternoon! Take some time to explore the ranch or relax in the hot tub, if there is anything you’d like to see or re-visit on your last afternoon, just let us know!
6:00pm: Appetizers and wine will be ready at the bar of the main lodge.
6:30pm: Dinner will be served in the dining room of the main lodge.

Day 8 (Sunday): Departure
7:00am: Cold breakfast and coffee will be ready in the lodge dining room.
8:00am: Hot breakfast will be ready in the lodge dining room.
10:00am: Checkout, but please feel free to stay and relax or explore once you’ve checked out of your room.



Non-Riding Activities

In addition to our full-slate of ranching and horseback activities, we offer gold medal fly fishing, nature hikes, birding, wildlife watching, rock climbing, photography tours, and more. For those seeking maximum relaxation, massages and yoga sessions are available throughout the week at an extra cost.

On Site Activities - available at additional cost

Wildlife & Landscape Photography Tours with Professional Photographer Steve Weaver
Spend a day honing your skills and exploring the ranch and San Luis Valley. For beginners to pros, you'll learn everything from basic techniques to high-level skills and discovering more about your camera. What you'll learn is up to you and can be completely customized as you're out in the field with Steve. 
$150 pp (Please note there is a 50% cancellation fee).

Massage & Wellness Services
We offer a variety of massage and wellness services.
Starting at $85/pp.



Off Site Activities - available at additional cost

Fly Fishing
Nearly half of the rivers that comprise Colorado’s gold medal trout waters are located within an hour’s drive of the ranch. With the Arkansas River to the north, the Rio Grande River to the west, and the Conejos River to the south, the Ranch's central location makes it a prime headquarters for trophy trout fishing. There are also several seasonal lakes closer to the ranch for those seeking a nearby outing. Guests are free to explore any of these waters on their own, or can schedule guided trips through local fly shops. Fishing trips are not included in our normal fee, but we are happy to help you book your trip with a high quality guiding service. We recommend scheduling prior to your visit in order to ensure availability. 
Ask for a custom quote (usually between $350-475)

Whitewater Rafting
Available March to Mid-August - For those with a thirst for adventure, whitewater rafting is available an hour north in Salida, Colorado. These trips offer a unique—and adrenaline-filled—way of viewing the scenic Arkansas River and the canyon that meanders with the river’s rushing waters. Whitewater rafting fees are not included in the price of a normal stay, but the Ranch staff is happy to assist you with your reservation. In order to ensure availability, we recommend you make arrangements before arriving for your stay.
Starting at $72 pp/half day.

Rock Climbing
Renowned climbing and bouldering for beginners to experts. Available in two locations that climbers from around the world specifically seek out - Penitente Canyon outside of Monte Vista, Colorado, and Tres Piedras, New Mexico.
Starting at $270 pp.

Rates and Dates for Bison & Cattle Ranch

Dates Note: Group bookings are possible for Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec with a minimum number of participants - check with us!
Minimum 3 nights stay.
Sold Out Dates (as of 1/4/22): Mar 6-13, May 25-29, Jun 5-12 + 16-19, Jul 10-17, Sep 4-11 + 18-23, Oct 2-16

Other Info
Meeting: Mosca
Airport: San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS)
Transfer: Alamosa airport (ALS)

Climate:
                                                Mosca area