Fun Filled Vacation Activities at Colorado Mountain

BBQ and Cookouts

Everyone will enjoy eating lunches and dinners outside when the weather permits, breakfast in our lower meadow, and snacks by the pool. It’s important to note, that our BBQ is finger licking good!

Basketball Courts

Located in the middle of camp, the basketball court gets a ton of use. You will be square dancing and line dancing here, enjoying games of basketball or “lightning”, joining in with the chalk art, or peacefully sitting in one of the log swings watching everyone else run out of breath.

Bible Studies

Each week the ranch has a new guest speaker. The adults, and Teens if they wish, can attend a morning bible study from 9:30 – 10:20 am, Monday thru Friday on the Ranch House deck or in the Library. The speaker will talk about encouraging and challenging topics for the family. The lessons will help refill your spiritual batteries.

Hootenanny

What is a hootenanny? Let’s just say, you will laugh until your sides hurt, that’s why we only do this once a week. This is a talent night filled with skits performed by the staff and maybe a lucky guest or two. Popcorn provided.

Horseback Riding

Wind River Ranch has one of the best horse programs in the nation. Cowboy Nick and his wranglers will accommodate you and your families’ every need. Our herd of 65 horses is owned by WRR ministries or private owners, and each horse has been properly trained. The wranglers will teach you how to ride correctly during our horse orientation on Monday, and they will also go out on each trail ride to visit with the guests and make sure the ride is enjoyable and safe.

If you wish to learn more about horses and want to try trotting or slow loping, please sign up for an afternoon lesson starting on Tuesdays.

Kids and Teens Program

Wind River has wonderful counselors that love to hang with your kids. Every day from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, there will be opportunities for such things as crafts, skits, scavenger hunts, Bible stories, horseback riding, and nature hikes. Parents love to use the free time to attend the morning Bible studies, go on a horseback ride, or just have a few moments to relax.

Kids Rodeo

The kids will participate in a variety of fun filled horse events and challenges. Parents will be able to watch, laugh, and applaud from the sidelines. Our ranch MC will provide play by play updates of all the festivities. This is truly one of the most unique ranch rodeos in the entire West.

Ranch Olympiad

Get excited to see the Olympic torch as we jump right into the Olympic events. This is an opportunity for kids and adults to participate and go for the gold. The MC will be there to keep everyone updated on the competitions that range from a watermelon spitting contest to the classic egg toss and so much more!

Recreation Hall

Down near the barn, this is where the kids (of all ages) enjoy shooting pool, playing foosball, ping-pong, air hockey, shuffle board, and the like. Most mornings Kids Club will start their day here, and on Thursday evening it will host the Hootenanny.

Square Dancing

Monday evening is square dance night! Pack your best square dance gear, and come ready to enjoy an exciting night. Cowboy Don will lead you in a mix of line and square dancing, two stepping songs, and tons of fun. It will be a great evening of learning and trying some new dancing steps!

Swimming Pool & Hot Tub

There is nothing quite like a swim in our beautiful, heated swimming pool under a blue, Colorado sky. We also have a hot tub to enjoy and ease those muscles after a long hike or day in the saddle.

Volleyball

Our sand volleyball court stays pretty busy. It’s a huge sand box for the kiddos and a great spot for a friendly game of volleyball or “nukem” among the staff and guests.

Wrangler Breakfasts

Start your day with a horseback ride to breakfast, and it’s sure to be a good day. At Wrangler Breakfast, you will be able to enjoy coffee and hot chocolate around the wood burning fire pit, and fill a plate with sausage, hot cakes, fresh fruit, biscuits, scrambled eggs, our classic gut busters (powdered sugar donuts) and so much more. You also don’t want to miss Cowboy Don flip the giant pancake, or Cowboy Nick reciting his favorite cowboy poetry.

Evening Firesides

Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday evenings after dinner we have a fireside in the lower meadow looking out to Long’s Peak and the beautiful mountains of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Everyone is able to enjoy a pleasant fire in the fire pit as we sing songs and praise God. The speaker will share a short sermon, and then we will roast some marshmallows! AMEN!

Family Reunions

Wind River Ranch offers the perfect place for families to gather for a once in a lifetime reunion. This mountaintop getaway offers ideal accommodations for large groups to reside for the week. We are happy to orchestrate family tables at meal times and cabin arrangements that facilitate our ranch house library as a communal gathering place in the evenings. Please speak with the director, Don McIntyre pertaining to a group discount. This is quite an investment in your family, but one that each member will inevitably cherish for many years to come. Don’t be surprised if everyone begs to come back here the next year too!

Fishing

Stocked yearly with rainbow, brown and brook trout, fishing is accessible daily right here on Wind River Ranch property-with a record catch at 22 inches long. Fishing equipment is available for you usage, but bringing a rod or two and some glitter power bait may increase your chances of surpassing our current catch record. Note that you will NOT need a license if you plan to fish on property.

Free Time

The ranch is packed full of fun family orientated activities. Please note that all activities are optional. You have the opportunity to get involved in all ranch events offered or to just sit back and relax on your cabin porch with a good book. Don’t forget-this is YOUR vacation!

Frisbee Golf

Wind River Ranch is outfitted with a one-of-a-kind challenging par 3 Frisbee golf course. Designed by the legendary Kyle Ford in 1997, the current course record is 13 under. Local high altitude calibrated Frisbees will be provided so each player will be equally challenged. Please note that summer rules allow a free drop should your Frisbee land in elk poop.

River Rafting

We use the Cache La Poudre River which is a Class 1-5 river that is north and west of Ft. Collins, Colorado. When you arrive on Sunday, you will be able to sign up for the Wednesday river rafting excursion. It is an hour and forty-five minute drive from the ranch to the A-1 Wildwaters headquarters and then a bus ride to the river. Transportation to and from rafting is the guests responsibility.

There will also be age and weight requirements. You can call A-1 Rafting Company at 1-800-369-4165 with any questions.

Shopping in Estes Park

7 miles down the road from the ranch is the beautiful, quaint mountain town of Estes Park that comes alive in the summer. Main Street is full of antiques, souvenirs, Starbucks/local coffee shops, ice cream shops, and candy/chocolate stores everywhere. It is definitely worth an afternoon journey!

Don’t forget to visit the ranch gift shop for your custom ranch gear, and ice cream and coffee from the malt shop.

Fishing

Colorado offers some of the best scenic and most opportune areas for trout fishing. If you are an avid fly-fisher or just starting out, we can steer you to the honey holes of the area. Please visit with Don McIntyre pertaining to the St. Vrain River, Wild Basin area, or the Big Thompson River hot spots. You are also welcome to line up a local fly fishing guide at your expense and enjoy a wonderful half day or whole day of fly fishing in the mountains through Estes Park Anglers located nearby in Estes Park.

Golf Courses

Golf in Estes Park is breathtaking. Each Tuesday, a group of Wind River Ranch guests play 18 holes of golf at the beautiful Estes Park Golf Course surrounded by panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains on every hole. This 6,700 yard layout is challenging yet unique, with a local rule allowing a free drop should your ball land in elk poop or hoof prints. Although it is true that your golf ball goes further due to increased altitude, it is still up to you weather it is further left or further right. Rental clubs are available for those not traveling with their own. Upon your arrival on Sunday, be sure to sign up for the Tuesday golf outing. Also, please note that golf, rafting, and off property fly-fishing are extra activities not included in the all-inclusive price.

Hiking

Very few activities in Colorado match the exhilaration of hiking in the Rocky Mountains. The ranch provides a booklet found in your cabin with recommendations for various hikes that will match your skills and preferences. This is a great time to explore the beautiful Rocky Mountains with your family or on your own. Thursday afternoon is a great time for hikes, and mornings provide a stunning opportunity to experience a sunrise climbing Twin Sisters. On days you plan to hike, please let the kitchen know at breakfast and they will put together a box lunch for all members involved in the excursion. We are very fortunate to have numerous beautiful trails near the property such as Twin Sisters, Lily Lake, Eugenia Mine, Aspen Brook, etc.

Kayaking

This is included in the price per week. Just 10 minutes from the ranch, Lake Estes provides some of the best views of Rocky
Mountain National Park and what better way to take in the beauty of the mountains than by a lake kayak? We have two person and one person lake kayaks and a canoe. These are the kinds of kayaks that provide exterior seating on top of the kayak, similar to a canoe. Our staff members will provide transportation down to the marina, kayaks, life vests and a brief training session so you and your family can spend a leisurely Tuesday or Thursday afternoon exploring the town’s most scenic lake.

Jeep Tours

These excursions are also an additional expense and an adventure you can choose to do with your family by contacting one of the tour companies located in town.

Take a sunset tour through the Lower Valley National Park or cruise down Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the country, for views that can’t be beat.

On and off-road tours are available and allow you to experience the grandeur of the Rockies in an open-top excursion vehicle at a pace and excitement level of your choosing.