Winter Ranching!

When snow blankets the Rocky Mountains, many of Colorado’s ranches are still open. The region is famous for its powder, making it a veritable playground for snow sports: ice fishing, back-country skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and, of course, horseback riding.

Sylvan Dale Ranch is transformed in wintertime – try a Bunk and Breakfast weekend of winter sports and cozy fireplaces nights. The individual cabins are clustered beneath the giant cottonwoods which sprinkle snow on you as you walk underneath them. Nearby Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park provide miles of trails for crosscountry skiing or hoseback riding.

We especially like Sylvan Dale for their commitment to sustainability and conservation. In 1995, the Jessup Family created a master plan that will eventually result in preserving 90 percent of their 3,200 acres under a conservation easement, and in 2008 the ranch was named “Conservationist of the Year” by the Big Thompson Conservation District.

Check out the activities at the Ranch here