From the moment you drive through the Aspen canopy at the entrance, there will be no shortage of activities on the ranch for kids of all ages, whether it’s a nature hike on the ranch’s trail system or simply enjoying the view from your deck. Once the lodge is built, it will include a pool, hot tub, fire-pit, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit, and a grassy area for playing Frisbee, soccer, bocce, or croquet. Fishing, swimming and canoeing will also be options on the lake.
After dinner in the evenings, the lodge will be a place to relax and socialize with new and old friends playing pool, ping pong or just putting together a puzzle over the course of several evenings. There will be a large screen TV in the lodge for special events or “movie night”, but it will be tucked away upstairs in a loft so it’s not disruptive to people conversing downstairs. There will also be both west- facing and east-facing large covered porches for relaxing before and after meals.
While Westcliffe enjoys 320 days of sunshine per year, very dark nights are one of its greatest features. There are very few other places in Colorado where one can see as many stars as you can see from Westcliffe, and the Wet Mountain Valley has recently become certified by the International Dark Sky Association as an International Dark Sky Community – the first in Colorado, and ninth in the world. On the darkest nights, the Milky Way can look like a cloud and is so bright that you can see your shadow cast by it!
Just five miles away via paved road is the historic town of Westcliffe (population 455) with its Mennonite bakery, single screen theater, bowling alley, several good restaurants and over a dozen churches. An afternoon in town can include a trip to one of three small history museums, window shopping at the quaint art galleries or antique stores, and ending with an ice-cream sundae.
Minutes outside of Westcliffe is Lake DeWeese which offers plenty of wonderful fishing opportunities. Throughout the summer are numerous events and festivals such as the Bluegrass music festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Fourth of July parade, and the annual Stampede and Rodeo.
With a bit longer drive, one can visit the amazing and unique Bishop Castle, take a stroll across the Royal Gorge suspension bridge or enjoy white water rafting down the Arkansas. A very special trip is to drive over Medano Pass into the backside of the Great Sand Dunes and return all in one day! Numerous four-wheel drive and ATV trails exist within minutes of the ranch. And for those who enjoy hunting, excellent elk hunting exists all around the ranch.
For those who prefer their solitude, the Rainbow Trail trailhead is just about a mile from the ranch and leads to the 90 mile long Rainbow Trail (open to ATVs and dirt bikes) and hundreds of miles of Sangre de Cristo Wilderness where no motorized vehicles are allowed. A hike to any one of dozens of high mountain lakes makes for a great full-day hike. For those hikers with a desire to summit a “fourteener”, Humboldt Peak, Kit Carson, and the Crestones can all be accessed nearby. The ranch is also a great starting point for mountain biking or road biking with numerous trails and paved and unpaved roads to ride on.
Cross Country skiing and snowshoeing are perfect winter activities on the ranch, and just one hour away, skiing and snowboarding are available at the family-friendly Monarch Mountain Ski area.