At Colorado Trails Ranch, we offer families a chance to go on horseback riding vacations that they'll never forget. Before you head to Colorado for your ideal dude ranch vacation, however, you should educate yourself a little about the Western saddle. Western Saddles vs. English Saddles You may be aware that there are two main riding styles ... [Read More]

For guests of the Colorado Trails Ranch, there's a lot more to explore than horseback riding and fishing or rafting. One of the most interesting is the opportunity to tour the ruins of the ancients nearby. Mesa Verde National Park is the finest example of Ancient Puebloan dwellings. These Puebloans were formerly called Anasazi. Mesa Verde ... [Read More]

It certainly has nothing to do with today's younger crowd referring to each other as 'dude'. It's also doubtful that they coined the name after anything connected to a guest ranch. So where did this ranch classification come from? As it turns out, credit is due mostly to Theodore Roosevelt and people like him. How Theodore ... [Read More]

Dude ranch vacations have been considered some of the very best family vacations ever since dude ranches and guest ranches first burst onto the scene in the late 19th century. The Romance with the American West Why did folks from “back East” start heading to Western dude ranches in the first place? If you remember any of ... [Read More]

There's a reason that cowboys of both past and present wear cowboy boots. Far more than fashionable footwear; cowboy boots by design are the best footwear for riding horseback. As a matter of fact, at Colorado Trails Dude Ranch, we require all of our guests who plan to go horseback riding to have smooth-soled footwear ... [Read More]

The Durango Melodrama is a little piece of the Old West that's still alive and well. At Colorado Trails Dude Ranch, visiting the Durango Melodrama & Vaudeville at the Henry Strater Theatre for one night during their stay is one of our guests' favorite activities. Here's a look at what's on-tap at the Durango Melodrama ... [Read More]

If there's one thing we love at Colorado Trails, it's horses. From old to young, we love them all. That's why it's very upsetting for us to think about horses being abused, misused, neglected, or starved. If you understand how Colorado Trails Dude Ranch staff feels about horses, then you'll also understand why we host the ... [Read More]

If you haven't had the chance to spend a lot of time around horses, they might seem a bit mysterious. Getting comfortable with them can begin before you arrive on our dude ranch on adventurous all inclusive family vacations at Colorado Trails. Did you know that horses have frogs? Not the kind that croak and hop ... [Read More]

Did you know that you and your horse are supposed to work as a team? That's the secret to a truly enjoyable experience on any type of horseback riding vacations. Here at Colorado Trails guest ranch, we understand that spending a week in the saddle having a great time begins by matching each guest to ... [Read More]

There's one thing about summer in the Colorado mountains that you won't find at lower elevations. It's a rare evening that temperatures remain uncomfortable. Something one can't say about so many locations across the country. Anyone planning a family reunion knows that July and August are the months to hold these events. The hottest months ... [Read More]