Location
Clark, Colorado is the closest town and the ranch sits on 540 acres in the middle of Colorado’s Routt National Forest. Nearest stoplight is 25 miles away in Steamboat Springs.
Elevation
7,720 feet
Open
June – October and December – March. Closed April/May and November
Guest Capacity
Family times: ~50, Adult-only times: ~30
Staff to Guest Ratio
With 65+ staff in the summer months and 50+ staff in the winter months, the ratio is greater than 1:1.
Accommodations
12 private log cabins with hot tubs on each deck and 3 lodge rooms. All are named after local mountains, lakes, and rivers.
Summer Activities
Horsemanship clinics, trail riding, hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, paddle boarding, archery, photography workshop, yoga, cooking class, and wine tasting.
Winter Activities
Cross country skiing (track, backcountry, skate), snowshoeing, horseback riding, sleigh rides, tubing, photography workshop, yoga, archery, ice fishing, beer tasting, cooking class, and wine tasting.
Kids’ Programs
Children (6-10) and Tween (11-13) programs are available in the summer and winter months, except during adult-only weeks. The fully supervised programs include hayrides, horseback riding, treasure hunts, campfires, panning for gold, painting horses, and swimming and then in the winter skiing, sleigh rides, sledding and more. Teens (14-17): Extensive horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, teen-only movie night and camp out. Teen program offered only in the summertime, but teens are welcome to join the kids activities in the winter months.
Guest Profile
Families and couples from all over the United States, with concentrations from California, Texas, Florida and New York. Numerous guests from overseas, largely from the U.K.
Guest Return Rates
~45%
Special Facilities
The large indoor riding arena allows for more intensive clinics and riding instruction, summer and winter.
Cuisine
Vista Verde’s talented chef redefines typical “cowboy cuisine’ with made-to-order meals that range from breakfast burritos and honey wheat pancakes topped with caramelized apples to vegetable, steak and shrimp kabob lunches and three-course, candlelit dinners with wine.
Average Annual Snowfall
350 inches
Stars
The night sky is filled with millions, but also Vista Verde is one of only 3 ranches in the US to be awarded the AAA Four Diamond rating. There are currently no ranches that have been awarded a Five Diamond ratting.
Horses
Vista Verde is home to a herd of over 100 horses. The horses are fed roughly 360 tons of hay every winter, and dine on fresh grass all summer. We go through over 1,300 horse shoes each summer!
Other Critters
Besides horses, the ranch is home to cats and dogs, but you have a good chance of seeing some of the other more elusive residents such as moose, elk, coyotes, deer, fox, marmots, bald eagles, and even a bear if you’re really lucky.
In the summer, a pair of Sand Hill Cranes call the ranch their home. They have a nest near the creek that runs through Homestead pasture.
Wine List
Chef Jonathon has a list of over 150 wines that has been recognized by Wine Spectator with the Award of Excellence for several years running.
Getting to Vista Verde
Fly into Denver and drive about 4 hours or fly to Steamboat/Hayden for complimentary transfer to Vista Verde. Winter roads can be unpredictable: Flying to Steamboat/Hayden is recommended.
Tidbits
Vista Verde Ranch’s name translates to “Green View Ranch” which perfectly describes the property in the summer months.
Originally part of the Homestead Act, the main hub of ranch was proved up, and Loren Blair and John Hay received their deed to the property in 1919. From then it has grown and today Vista Verde Ranch sits on roughly 600 acres. It is surrounded by the 1.1 million-acre Routt National Forest. Most of our hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and summer horseback rides explore these remote areas.