Photo: steamboat.com
Saddleback Ranch is home to year round Western fun in the Yampa Valley. Snow filled fun includes sleigh rides, horseback riding, tubing and snowmobile tours. Come summer, it’s wagon rides, horseback riding and cattle drives.
Snowmobiling
Saddleback Ranch is the only guided snowmobile tour in Colorado on private land. Enjoy your tour around the ranch’s 8,000 acres, with views of the Flattops, Mt. Werner, Sleeping Giant and the Zirkels. There are half day, two hour and sunset snowmobile tours.
Two passenger snowmobiles are used, which are easy to operate, with effortless acceleration an “no smell” exhaust. Complimentary shuttles will pick you up from your lodge in Steamboat Springs. You must be at least 16 years old to drive the snowmobile.
Sleigh Rides
Dinner sleigh rides depart nightly with transportation provided from your condo. The thirty minute sleigh rides peacefully leads you to the Double Dollar Lodge, where you’ll be greeted with hot chocolate or hot apple cider. Enjoy a homecooked Western meal, complete with salad and dessert. Dress warmly!
Snow Tubing
Saddleback Ranch also offers fantastic snow tubing on Yee-Haw Tubing Hill. Combine a tubing session with a dinner sleigh ride for a truly memorable evening.
Horseback Riding
Winter horseback rides depart daily on 1.5-2 hour treks. Soak in life the way it was nearly a hundred years ago. There are horses for all levels of riding. Trips depart once daily, and twice a day during peak season. Riders must be at least 8 years old. There is no tandem horseback rides.
Summer horseback rides depart Tuesday through Saturday, with one two-hour tour in the morning and one in the afternoon. Shorter one hour scenic ranch rides are offered several times a week in the afternoon. You can also take an evening horseback dinner ride on select nights. Riders must be at least 6 years old to ride.
Wagon Rides
After the snow melts, wheeled wagons take over for the sleighs. Offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings, horse-led wagons escort guests to dinner via a 30-minute trek. After dinner, soak in a gorgeous Colorado sunset on your wagon ride home.
Cattle Drives
Perhaps there is nothing as western as a cattle drive. Spend the day doing typical ranch duties, including herding up strays, checking for sickness and a varying set of day-to-day duties. It’s typically a 3-4 hour experience, or until the job is done. Guests ride a horse.
In addition to the above activities, the ranch can be rented for weddings and private events. Read our feature on Saddleback Ranch.
Details
Address: 36975 County Rd 179, Steamboat Springs
Photo: 970-879-3711
Season: mid November to early April (winter activities)
Website: saddlebackranch.net
