Discover Your Next Elevated Western Escape

If you’re dreaming of a vacation escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily life, a trip to an all-inclusive luxury dude ranch might be the ticket. Vista Verde Ranch, located just north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is encircled by the Rockies and nestled into a meadow adorned with creeks and forests. The well-appointed cabins offer a comfortable stay, while amenities, activities and 5-star customer service have delighted guests for decades. Let’s take a trip to cowboy country!

Origin Story

First homesteaded in 1916, Vista Verde Ranch came by its name in the 1930s, when Jennie Tufly, sister of the ranch’s then co-owner Salome Tufly, said “Vista Verde!” upon sighting the property’s plentiful green pastureland. The operation became a guest ranch in 1975, and today it’s owned by Laura and Chris Jones.

The ranch has 15 rustically built log cabins with luxury amenities, Italian linens, hot tubs, wood-burning fireplaces and many have outdoor porches overlooking gorgeous views. Guest can also choose lodge rooms in the Main Lodge.

Guest Experience

From the moment you arrive at the airport in Colorado, your comfort is a priority. Vista Verde staff pick up guests in town and transports out to the ranch, where you’re greeted and brought to your cabin to relax. Erin Brosterhous, director of marketing at the ranch, says staff intermingle and spend time with guests to offer not only respite, but connection.

“We have an incredible authentic traditional dude ranch experience with a laid-back luxury twist,” Brosterhous says. “But what really makes us special is our staff. We offer a relational touch, and one-to-one staff ratio to guests. We’ve found that the relational aspect is what keeps guests coming back with their families, year after year.”

The ranch’s mission is to give guests an escape, an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Colorado mountains and serenity of the location. But it serves a deeper purpose.

“We think that giving guests a bit of space here is what allows people to breathe and reconnect with either themselves, or the people who matter the most to them,” she says. 

Foodie Heaven

At some guest ranches, food is an afterthought, simply fuel; but this is definitely not the case at Vista Verde Ranch. Thanks to a menu that intersperses high-end buffet meals with two formal dinners serving multiple courses and paired with wine from an extensive wine list, guests leave each meal more than satiated. 

Children can enjoy “Dine and Dash” during these formal meals, where they eat a kid-friendly buffet meal outside with counselors playing activities and games.

“You get family dining experiences where those stories and that connection happens around the table as a family; and you also get times where you can just enjoy the company of the other adult guests,” Brosterhous says. “It’s a really beautiful mix throughout the week.”

Dude Ranch Activities

No matter the time of year, your choice of activities are plentiful and rooted in the ranch’s three main pillars. Horsemanship is the first—in the fall, the ranch hosts a four-day clinic for riders wanting to dive deep into their horsemanship skills. Guests can take trail rides year-round and go on cattle drives, or learn through rhythm and balance clinics and draft team driving.

Second is the outdoor activity center. Guests can participate in outdoor adventures like fly fishing, mountain bike trail riding, hiking and archery in the summer, and in the winter, enjoy nine miles of pristine Nordic trails for skate skiing and classic skiing, as well as backcountry skiing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides.

“We have a new program called Ride to Fish, where you get to ride a horse to backcountry waters, and then fly fish with a guide, which is a new way to bring together classic experiences,” Brosterhous says.

Foodie adventures are the third area of focus. Beyond formal dinners and the ranch’s incredible cuisine, Vista Verde offers cooking classes with the chef de cuisine Ben Barnas and wine tastings with executive chef and sommelier Jonathon Gillespie.

But days are not set with rigid schedules. Guests can pick and choose activities, and change them however they’d like.

“We offer the ability to slow down, grow as a human, be challenged and have an adventurous experience, but then feel ease and flow, and you don’t have to worry about anything, because we’re taking care of you,” Brosterhous says.

Living Well

The ranch attracts families and couples who return year after year because it’s a chance to detach from digital connection to the world. 

“The pace of life here allows folks to leave behind regular life,” Brosterhous says. “You get an opportunity to settle into yourself, hear your own thoughts again, and really connect with other people. There are no other vacations out there that can meet every generation where they want to be, and where everyone says ‘I had an incredible time and we’re coming back.’ And in our case, they certainly do come back.”