This is an amazing wedding venue. Such a great experience and everyone is friendly. We would…read moredefinitely recommend having your wedding here.

Brush Canyon Ranch was the venue of our dreams....mountains, camping, and an extremely awesome…read morefamily who runs a working ranch and also runs 48 hour weddings during wedding season each year! Cara is one of the sweetest people we've ever met, and iIt was really the little things she did that made all the difference...letting my mother-in-law order stuff and send it to the ranch to put in storage, letting us drop things off early the day before the wedding, coming over to tell us that we didn't have to rush out of there the next day.....every single person just had SO much fun! We got so many compliments on what an absolutely breathtaking venue we had chosen. The kids had tons of room to run around on and fly kites, our friends were able to bring their dogs, lawn games galore, there's a working fire pit, a brand new back patio, you can choose to get married under a gazebo or in the field in front of the mountains, they built a beautiful reception pavilion already decorated with lights, you can arrive in a horse-drawn carriage if you get married on the weekend, you hire all your own vendors and set things up exactly how you want it....and the absolute best part about this venue is that our friends got to camp anywhere they wanted on the property for 2 nights! That means we were able to dance ALL night long, and then just crawl into your tent when you got tired. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this ranch and the owners. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding venue at an extremely reasonable price. Forever grateful we found Cara and her incredible ranch!!!

I took a group of 9 people to Music Meadows. Absolutely fantastic. Elin Parker Ganschow is a…read morefantastic guide and teacher. She custom tailored the ride to my kids' more advanced riding abilities, so I'm sure she can do the same for your group. She's a bit more expensive than the other ranch near Westcliffe (Bear Basin), but very worth it. Bear Basin would only do "nose to tail" rides where you're stuck in a line the whole time. Elin at Music Meadows encouraged our group to get to know our assigned horse, get them to do what we wanted and explore the open country. (I'm sure you can do regular trail rides in a line as well). Great variety of terrain on a huge, 3800 acre working cattle ranch. A mixture of open grasslands, rolling sage hillsides, aspen groves, water crossings and amazing views of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Also, each rider was given a very nice Music Meadows aluminum water bottle for the ride, and got to keep them afterwards (probably supposed to be a secret bonus at the end, so shhhhhh!). Music Meadows is home of "Sangres Best" grass-finished beef, and you can buy some on site to take home. Since I was already covering a ride for 9 people, we just bought some all-beef bratwurst and franks, and they were delicious. She also let us sample some of their new beef jerky, which only had a small handful of entirely pronounceable ingredients. Elin also gave us a tour of the cute (and surprisingly big) cottage on the ranch. It's beautifully decorated and can be rented out. It looks like it could sleep quite a few people. I've been on plenty of trail rides throughout Colorado, and Music Meadows is top notch. Hats off to Elin for working tirelessly to carry on Colorado's rich western heritage. The ranch is protected under a conservation easement through San Isabel Land Trust that ensures it remains in its natural state for generations to come. Dang it. I'm gushing. Give these guys a try. You'll be glad you did.

Great experience! I was in Westcliffe for an offsite work retreat. Music Meadows Ranch was…read morerecommended by a fellow coworker. We had a group of 10 and had a wonderful time! Nicole was so easy to work with and talk to when I was planning the trip. We were unable to do a full day of riding so the ladies were very accommodating and we rode from 9am - 12:30/1pm. This was the first time anyone in the group had the freedom to direct their horse where to go and to trot. We had all only been horse back riding when you ride in a single file line which is... fine. This was SO much better!! They give you a lot of training before you ride so you feel comfortable directing the horse on your own. 5/5 stars definitely recommend! The ladies were also fun to talk to while riding! And the kitties at the barn were cute.

We've stayed twice now at Yellow Pine Ranch. Once 3 summers ago at "Guest House" and the second…read moretime last weekend at "Bunkhouse". The cabins are very homey and quaint. My husband and I preferred Guest House for the seclusion/Privacy. It's off by itself near a pond. The check in process is easy and the owner is very professional and nice. We had actually forgotten our checkbook (they accept cash/check only) to pay our remaining balance and she graciously allowed us to pay once we returned home. In the summer months they have horseback riding on property and chuck wagon suppers. We've always stayed in the autumn months, so haven't been able to comment on those amenities. If you're looking for a week or weekend away in the mountains, I'd highly recommend Yellow Pine Ranch.

INTIMIDATING Dog Policy…read more I understand - some previous visitors felt "intimidated" by a 50+ pound Dog so now the rest of us can't stay here as large Dogs aren't allowed. So unfortunate. Yellow Pine Ranch is where I learned about nature in the 1980s: "Cocklebur" the donkey who lived in the grassy field outside our cabin - he happily ate our hand-fed carrots. Horseback riding with my ol' friend "Taco," the great white horse with brown spots. And hummingbirds that would happily sit on your finger. My Senior Retrievers have traveled to Italy, the Texas Coast, and are possibly more well-behaved than some humans. It saddens my heart that a place nestled in what my Dad called "God's Country" doesn't welcome God's creatures. The management here could benefit from a reality check. So I don't meet their reservation requirements. I'm fine with that. SPECIAL NOTE ~ When I spoke to Diane today she could have *not noticed less* when I told her my family stayed here at Yellow Pines 40 years ago. How sad that is.

This ranch is absolutely amazing. From the accommodations, to staff, to the view and location this…read moreplace is 5 stars! I hope to be able to go back soon. Highly recommended!

From the owner: Zapata Ranch is a 103,000-acre ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy of Colorado where guests can…read moreride through and learn about our conservation herd of 2,500 bison, integrate themselves into daily life on the ranch and participate in extensive nature programs. Managed by Ranchlands, Zapata Ranch in nestled at the base of Southern Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains and shares a border with the United States' tallest sand dunes: The Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve.

This is a reputable rescue ranch run by a woman who is dedicated to her animals. There is plenty of…read morespace for them to graze and enjoy life in retirement once they are brought to this lovely setting. I highly recommend it

5 stars all the way! As a veterinarian and someone who travels ALL over the country with 2-10…read morehorses at a time....I feel like I can say this to be a FACT. Clean and solid faculties Well lit, easy to get a BIG rig in and out of. Plenty of space for 20-30 horses. Stalls, stalls w runs, and outdoor pens available. Hook ups for RVs and LQs. Owner, Gay, is a very nice and helpful. Make reservations because this place is popular! Also, don't forget to try the Three Sisters Cafe just south one exit.

From the owner: Horse motel, overnight stabling. RV/Trailer Hook-upsread more

My kids "wow! camping is so fun!" While this may be marketed as The Broadmoor's Wildnerness…read moreExperience it's far from camping. It's even a few steps above glamping as it should be for the steep price. However, if you want to experience a few days in a great outdoors The Ranch at Emerald Valley is perfect. After 4 nights at the Broadmoor resort (also amazing) we took the 2pm shuttle up a rocky mountain road to the Ranch. We were greeted by Aaron, a fellow Northwestern alum (go Wildcats) and his incredible staff. There were 38 people total our first night there, which the told us was a record for the Ranch. It didn't feel very crowded though (especially after the craziness of the resort) and most of the people had kids the same age as ours which was a lot of fun. They showed us to our cabin, Hills Cabin, which I realized was the "presidential cabin." It was a huge 2 bedroom cabin that had enough room for 6 kids up in loft up top and a beautiful master suite. + 3 bathrooms and a ginormous kitchen/dining room that we didn't really put to use. It also have a big TV with Netflix and a lovely fireplace. There's a 3rd bedroom that's attached to it, although the 2nd night we were there it was rented by another couple with a separate entrance. There's plenty of fun to be had at the ranch: horseback riding, paddleboats/kayaks, archery, fishing, hiking etc. And if you get a rainy afternoon there are plenty of board games to play both in the lodge and in the cabin. We spent 2 nights here, although with the rain wish we had an extra night to enjoy some of the activities we didn't have a chance to squeeze in. The food was absolutely amazing. My picky children were even in heaven and my little guy has been asking for lobster ever since trying it as their Wed night cookout. Dinners besides the twice a week cookout involves ordering off a menu with plenty of choices for all. I do wish they did a better job with labeling the buffet with food allergies. My son has a serious nut allergy and almost ate a brownie with walnuts because it wasn't labeled and I had to constantly ask if things had nuts and/or gluten in them. They asked for our dietary restrictions ahead of time so assumed they'd be better about this. This really was a very special experience that I think our kids will remember for a long time. I heard this coming week a big family is renting out the entire ranch and I'd love to do the same with family and/or friends at some point, although it was fun getting to know some lovely people from around the country as well.

Absolutely incredible. Breathtaking location, the food was amazing, the lodge is so cute, rooms are…read moresuper nice and so many fun activities and amenities. Staff is incredible. One of the most memorable two days with my family and we can't wait to go back.

I have to admit - being a Texas resident these days I was a little skeptical when my sister…read morementioned wanting to visit the Flying W Ranch for a chuckwagon dinner. And I gotta say, this ended up being one of my favorite experiences during this recent Colorado trip. There's truly something for everyone to enjoy and the experience begins well before your bbq buffet dinner does! We arrived about an hour before the dinner/show time and spent time wandering the ranch and exploring what all there was to see. There is a petting zoo, a little train ride through a "mine", hiking trails, ax throwing, Native American demonstrations, and so, so much more. Now as for the dinner, you'll be sat family style and then section by section you'll go up and make your way through the buffet line. I was surprised by how tasty everything was (the brisket wasn't Texas worthy but the bbq chicken was super yummy). As soon as everyone had gone through the line, it was open for anyone to go back through the buffet line for seconds (or thirds). But wait there's more! While you dine, you'll also enjoy a live musical show with a band singing old Western and spiritual songs. And as if the visit couldn't have been any better, towards the end of the show a herd of wild bighorn canyon sheep made their way down from the surrounding hills and wandered through the rach outside the dining hall. All in all I'll definitely be back to Flying W Ranch if ever get the chance and so should you if you ever find your way in Colorado Springs!

One of my favorite things I did in Colorado Springs! This family friendly show is perfect for…read morepeople of all ages. And I love the Christian values that this venue sticks by. Make sure to get there early so you can enjoy the multitude of things around the ranch. There are many farm animals that you can look at and learn about. There is archery and axe throwing. There is a train ride and a wagon ride. There is even a Native American show where you can learn about their traditional dance and culture. Later in the night, you get herded into their dinner building. You are assigned a table number from when you check in. They release tables one by one to go get food. And there is a ton of food to grab. You just carry your metal plate and people place food directly onto your plate as you walk down the line. There is more than enough food, I definitely could not finish it all. You get brisket, chicken, baked beans, baked potato, applesauce, biscuit, and spice cake. Could have used a vegetable to round out the meal but thats ok, I'm not complaining. After everyone gets food, you can grab seconds if you want. There are also plenty of drinks like water, lemonade, and iced tea. And finally, the show begins. The Flying W are a talented group of musicians that can sing and play instruments. They sang classic cowboy Western songs but also some Christian songs. It was extraordinary and made for a great way to round out the night. You certainly get your moneys worth between the food, show, and experiences. Highly recommend, I don't think you will be disappointed!

Amazing restful and relaxing house in the middle of nowhere. Common rooms on each floor provide a…read morelot of space for spreading out. The kitchen was simple, but definitely great to have space for food and a place to cook our own meals. A few places to hike and lots of access to places just a short drive away. Definitely a place with visiting and the price was just right for our budget needs.

My best friend and I had so much fun here! Everyone was so friendly and our guide was so nice on…read moreour ride. The horses and the view were beautiful. Clyde was my horse and he was the best lol. I will definitely come back next time I am in Colorado!

So glad we found this place. A beautiful scenic ride that would be hard to beat somewhere else…read more Friendly and helpful staff. Bit of a drive, but definitely worth it.