This was a our fourth trip to Deer Valley Ranch. We hadn't gone there in a couple years, so were relieved that little or nothing had changed. The majority of guests were people who had been coming to the ranch far longer than we had. Many had chosen the same week and it was like a family reunion for them. Far from excluding us, we soon felt like members of a wonderful club. The ranch is located in a narrow valley and features cabins and rooms in the lodge. There are private residences nearby, but there is way more than ample space for horseback riding or hiking in the wilderness. We've always taken a lodge room as my wife refuses to cook while on vacation! :) The ranch offers horseback riding, fishing, and hiking as well as activities for kids and teens.The great thing about staying at Deer Valley Ranch is that you don't have to do anything! Horseback riding is ala carte and the hikes are optional. My wife's idea of vacation is to read book after book. She could, and did, sit on the expansive deck on the lodge and read to her heart's content. I, as passionate a fly fisher as there is, spent a lot of time at the ranch's huge lake catching score of rainbow and cutbow trout. Brock DeWalt, the general manager of the ranch loves to fish and has a fishing hike to a remote lake every week. It requires a bit of exertion to get to some of them. This time it was a 1/2 mile hike that rose 800 plus feet. Not an easy hike. Others that I've been on had 2+ mile hikes up a mountain. The reward is being the only people (sometimes the only person) fishing a lake above the timberline. But all that you have to do is ask and Brock, or ranch-owner John Woolmington, will take you fishing in the Arkansas River or one of the many other rivers or lakes in the area. I only did one horseback ride, the first of two wrangler's breakfast rides, although I've done more in the past. The ranch's riding program is excellent with horses that range from being easy with kids to requiring an expert touch. You fill out a rider's survey when you arrive at the ranch and they do a superb job of matching you with a horse. The horses are very well cared for and we've been there when the vet made her regular visit. All of the wranglers I met were college kids studying animal care or farming. Or they had lengthy experience with horses. The food! What's a guest ranch without terrific food! We have never had a disappointing meal at the ranch. All meals featured a choice between two, sometimes more, entrees. The meals also went beyond the basics, with some being nearly gourmet! As the ranch caters to families, there was always something for the kids. As the ranch is a family-oriented operation, there is no alcohol served and I don't believe that it is even allowed on the ranch. The swimming pools (there are two of them which sit side by side) are warmed with natural hot spring water are suitable for kids. There are no lifeguards. There are also two hot tubs to tend to your aching muscles after a day of fun. The lodge rooms are a bit sparse, but then you really don't do much more than sleep in them. As the ranch uses hot water from natural hot springs, you have to be pretty careful to not turn it up too high. The ranch sits at 8400 feet above sea level. If you aren't careful you can easily overdo it. It takes a day or two to get used to the altitude. Also, as the ranch sits on a slope, it requires that you hike from one spot to another. Hiking from the stables to the lodge can require some exertion. It helps if you are in good physical shape. However, if you slow down and take it easy you can do it without too much problem. Wear comfortable walking shoes, too! Also, as the ranch is in high desert, the humidity is extremely low. Drink as much water as you can handle to avoid dehydration. read more

Our family of six just returned from a week-long stay at Deer Valley Ranch. Our children range in age from 11 to 21 and all four agree that this was the Best Vacation Ever! We stayed in the lodge on the "Ranch Package". The rooms were simple but comfortable and impeccably clean! Each room had it's own bath. There are several cabins on the property but our family enjoyed the convenience of being in the lodge and we would choose that again. The lodge lobby is cozy and a fun place to sit and talk with other guests. There is a fire going each morning by 6 a.m. and always a pot of coffee, hot chocolate, spice tea, etc. available. This is the gathering place for the guests and staff before each meal in the dining room. All our meals were included in the Ranch Package and the food was AMAZING! We particularly loved the Saturday night buffet with an endless array of desserts. Other meals included a great BBQ buffet, delicious steak dinner, oven-fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. There were often homemade breads--cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and mouth-watering orange rolls! The staff was top-notch! We have been many places that would tell you of fun things to do in the area, and maybe offer you a map. Here, they TAKE you there! They offer lots of fun activities for teens and children--hikes, tubing, bouldering, a hayride, square dancing, swimming parties, sledding (in the early summer while snow is available), campout, etc., and you can do as much or as little of that as you like--it is ALL included (no added fees!). The children's and teen leaders were sharp and fun college students that my family really enjoyed hanging out with! We adults had a great time too! My husband enjoyed a couple of early morning guided hikes, we rafted the Arkansas River (included in the Ranch Package), fished the beautiful lake right on the ranch, and of course, went on daily horseback rides! There was a lunch cookout followed by a family softball game which was great fun. We really enjoyed the Wrangler Breakfasts on Monday and Thursday, when we rode horses out to a beautiful spot and ate breakfast cooked on site. The hot chocolate is SO GOOD and I highly recommend the applesauce doughnuts. The adult hayride and bonfire was really fun, too with "cowboy poetry", guitar and singing, hot chocolate and cookies! There is a fun (and funny) Western Skit night on Thursday. The staff performs and they even involve the children and teens. It was really entertaining and fun! Many of the staff play guitar, piano, violin, and one gal was a really talented yodeler! Even though we were novices, we really enjoyed the horseback riding. My 11 and 15 year-olds had never been on a horse and learned to ride well over the week! We adults were novices but gained a lot of confidence! We did instructional rides, trail rides, and also learned to lope and ride in an arena. The older ones enjoyed an all day Back Country Ride to a remote and beautiful area. The horses were gentle and manageable and the Wranglers do a great job with instruction and supervision! We also appreciated the Christian atmosphere. There was a simple worship service on Sunday morning, a Sunday night hymn sing, and devotions led by the staff at the Wrangler breakfasts. The family that owns the ranch were very involved with the guests and are committed to great service! Enough cannot be said about the well-trained staff who were all so kind and helpful! All-in-all, this was a GREAT vacation for our family! Deer Valley Ranch is on the top of our list for next summer!! read more

Best family vacation in years! We took advantage of a Living Social deal to stay here and weren't sure what to expect. Wow, were our eyes opened to the magnificent beauty of Chalk Creek Canyon in the midst of the awe-inspiring Collegiate Peaks! It's truly breathtaking. Deer Valley Ranch is situated in a prime location amid all of this beauty. Herds of deer literally walk through the ranch, peacefully enjoying their home. The cabins are rustic and cozy with massive stone hearth fireplaces and floor to ceiling windows with commanding views. Our 3 bedroom cabin was super clean and had everything we needed to cook our meals for our 3 day stay. Our kids LOVED the bunk beds and fought over which one they wanted to sleep in. There's an old west play town for the kids to play in and my three young ones didn't want to leave it! There are horses corralled as you enter the ranch and are there for the petting, as we went in March, which is the off-season and horseback riding was not available at that time. But that was perfectly fine with us, as we took advantage of the complimentary tickets to the nearby Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and LOVED it! The temperature was 30 degrees the day we went, but the water was 100 degrees, which made for a lovely soak in the river. Thank you Deer Valley Ranch for offering us such an amazingly fun vacation spot at such a great value for our family! We also drove up the road to the ghost mining town of St. Elmo, which our kids loved to walk around and explore. We made it just fine on the snow-packed road driving our minivan with snow tires. No 4WD needed. We also dined in nearby Buena Vista and skied at Ski Cooper and walked around Leadville. Made for a perfect Colorado Spring Break if I say so myself. The ranch afforded us a fabulous opportunity to see parts of Colorado my children hadn't seen and now we are planning to head back in the summer! read more

If you're looking for a place to completely relax or to have an active vacation, Deer Valley Ranch is for you. As an avid hiker, I especially enjoyed the guided hikes led by experienced guides familiar with the mountains and terrain. The packed breakfasts and lunches provided by the ranch when taking a longer hike will not leave you wanting for more. When our children were younger, knowing the ranch had children's activities and childcare available allowed my husband and I special time together during our "family vacation". Because Deer Valley Ranch is a Christian dude ranch, it provides an extra spiritual dimension that you will not find at other ranches. For example, every Sunday morning during the summer months, they have a church service on site followed by a hymn sing in the evening. Monday and Thursday mornings at the wrangler breakfasts held off site at a clearing in the forest, a short devotional is offered by one of the wranglers. The entire 40+ summer staff are carefully screened and served as role models for our children as they were younger. Horseback riding, square dancing, river rafting and a family cookout are just a few of the other activities you can look forward to when you spend a week at Deer Valley Ranch. If you are wanting to relax and take it easy, the two hot tubs and two hot spring filled swimming pools will help you do just that. If you're a history buff, the ghost town of St. Elmo is just down the road with many interesting buildings still standing. A history talk given on one of your evenings at the ranch will also serve to help you learn more about the area. So, although this was not our first time to the ranch - I can honestly say that over the past 25 years, I've never been disappointed with our accommodations, food or service. read more

I stayed in two different cabins at Deer Valley Ranch in the spring of 2013 before it opened as a dude ranch and had a great time. The cabins were comfortable with full kitchen, fireplace and parking, all things I want on my outings. With no wireless and sporatic cellular connections and no TV, I think many would rule this place out, but my friend who is glued to these conventions for business found that she could really relax when unplugged and felt renewed by the stay. I like to get away from it all, so I was in heaven. Those who like to view wildlife should drive 3 miles west of the ranch to Love Meadow, where we often saw bighorn sheep and the properties along the drive almost alway had deer. Deer & rabbits were often seen right outside the cabin. History buffs will like St. Elmo, an old mining town, at the end of the road. Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, one mile east of the ranch, offers two pools, a little dated, and river access to the hot waters. Rock hounds will want to visit the Chalk Cliffs, a short hike from the ranch to find quartz monzonite. There's also a nice fishing pond and wetlands nearby. My friends and I were there before the summer "duding" season began, but I think this would be a great place to bring the family. Get your kids nose off the cell phone and their butts on a horse. Activities are scheduled from early morning to twilight. read more

Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. We first discovered Deer Valley Ranch by searching the internet for a ranch we could begin taking our grandchildren to. We went for the first time in 2005 with our two oldest grand boys and since then have been back four more times with two grands each time! The accommodations are rustic but superb, the program for teens is the best, the staff all have a warm willing spirit that makes you feel immediately at ease and welcomed! We always choose the American Plan and eat 3 meals a day in the lodge. The food is well prepared, served hot (or cold) and so very good. No matter your appetite - there is always plenty to eat. The house-keeping crew comes in every morning to make up the beds and to make sure you have plenty of linens and toiletries. The horseback riding, hiking,and fishing are all well planned and executed as well as informative regardless of your level of expertise. The value and quality you receive far exceeds the money you pay for this vacation and leaving a generous tip for the staff is always easy because they all serve so well! read more

Our 2nd visit was just as good as our first visit. My husband says, "When we're at Deer Valley I feel like I'm in a dream; it's just so peaceful." If you just want to sit around and do nothing all week, Deer Valley is the place for you. BUT, Deer Valley is ALSO for you if you want to hike the beautiful mountain trails of Colorado (all levels of hiking ability is available from easy to advanced), ride horses (all riding levels available), fish, go white water rafting, learn about the local floral and fauna, participate in teen or children's activities, eat INCREDIBLE homemade delicious food, be entertained and waited on by quality Christian college students, and meet wonderful people from all over who return again and again for the best vacation ever! We have vacationed many different places from Hawaii to Florida to Canadian adventures to well-known amusement parks but my family (my husband, three boys ages 13, 10 and 8 and I) all agree that Deer Valley is our FAVORITE and a place where will we continue to make memories for years to come. read more

We've been going on and off for years. Treasured family memories! Now our girls work there! Perfect for little kids (and their parents) because it is ABSOLUTELY SAFE for them to run around on their own (And staffers babysit if you want a date night!). Kids and teen activities run by fun college students - all participation optional. DVR also equips guests with a half day of water rafting courtesy of partner Noah's Ark. We've gone many times and loved it. Other reviews are accurate, so read those. Many families have reunions here and some business associations host their conference here because they can bring their families and a large meeting room is available for talks/presentations. Because of the clientele DVR attracts, you don't have to worry much about noisy, rowdy neighbors or fowl language around your kids. It is not fancy or equipped with the Latest and Greatest, but it's a wonderful atmosphere in a beautiful place staffed by awesome people! read more

What an amazing place for a vacation. My family of 6 spent 4 days there in June of 2014 for a family reunion. It is truly a spectacular destination and vacation location. We were interested in building lasting memories and legacy with our four children, and this is the perfect place to do it. The entire Woolmington Family and the staff at Deer Valley are amazing, and they understand what a dude ranch vacation should look and feel like. The food servers and preparers are excellent at their craft as well, my family enjoyed some excellent Colorado home cooking with some of the most amazing and attentive service I have ever received. We are intentional about vacations and Deer Valley Ranch is intentional at making your experience a lifelong memory, one that you will want to reproduce year after year. If you are looking for an excellent vacation in the mountains of Colorado, look no further than Deer Valley Dude Ranch. read more

I love This Place! We stayed in a cute little cabin named Chipeta. Surrounded by beautiful nature with gorgeous mountains and only a 2 minute drive to Mount Princeton Hot Springs. The Deer valley staff who are very friendly offer discount tickets for only $11 to the M.P. Hot Springs which normally cost $18 The Deer Valley ranch also a has hot spring pool with several very nice, clean Jacuzzi's all free for guests Our nice little cabin had a small kitchen. The bed was very comfortable and the cabin also had a set of bunk beds. The front porch of our cabin was wonderful to star gaze at night . We even saw the Milky Way -How Awesome!. Deer valley also had a full horse ranch for guest to enjoy with several riding packages. I would Highly recommend this wonderful Ranch to everyone. To The staff, Thank you for running such a beautiful and quite property. We will definitely return. :) read more

Our first visit to the ranch was in 1969 and our 13th visit in July of 2015. We have never been disappointed!! From our first meal at the Saturday night buffet, to the last one at the Friday night steak dinner, the meals have always been wonderful. The activity options throughout the week are many and give all the family members things to look forward to. We love riding the horses, hiking and sledding in the high elevations, swimming in the hot spring pools, seeing the wildlife, playing games, enjoying family time around the fireplace in the cabin, and so much more. The staff has always been very accommodating, making sure all of our needs are met, from diet requests to keeping the cabins clean. This is a great family oriented, Christian ranch. It is our family's favorite vacation spot!! read more

Great family vacation for us and our 3 grandchildren! I know of know other place you can let your kids "run free" in today's world and feel that they are totally safe! Also great to "unplug" everyone for a week. The kids thrived on the outdoors with absolutely no TV or video games for a week! We enjoyed unplugging as well. The DVR staff is absolutely amazing! So kind, polite, helpful and conscientious.The food is home-cooking great. The other guests are all wonderful and was very nice to have Europeans there this time soaking up western culture! It's fun to let the kids play in the program, adults hike or fish, then all gather back together for family fun. Please visit this place with your family for a wonderful time!. read more

Deer Valley Ranch is gorgeous! The staff is amazing and helpful. The cabins are neat, clean and comfy. We loved the deck outside our cabin. My 10 year old daughter thought she might miss TV, but the scenery outside swept us away. The drive to St Elmo's was breath-taking and when we got to the top, the highlight for these Texans was 'playing in the snow.' We even saw a few chipmunks scampering around. The town of Buena Vista is clean and friendly. There were lots of great restaurants and an antique store my elderly parents enjoyed as well. It was a wonderful place to stay and I would highly recommend it. DVR is a really great place to unwind and find peace. :) read more

We came back this year after not coming for 10 years, it is the same charming place as we experienced 10 years ago. Both the owners and staff are amazing! Young people from all over the country, we knew them all by the end of the week and enjoyed the personal involvement. Hiking, horse back riding, white water rafting, square dancing, good old fashioned hymn sing....so many things, not enough time! The food was amazing! From a mother of 33 years it was a pure joy to not have to think, plan, shop, prepare, or clean one dish in 7 glorious days! Exactly what a vacation should include! Highly recommend Deer Valley.......we will be back! read more

Deer Valley offers a wonderful guest ranch experience. There are plenty of activities for all ages at the ranch from nature walks to rafting to spending the evening in the hot tub.The lodging strikes the perfect balance between cabin and hotel, the food is remarkably good, and the staff are all delightful and helpful. The kitchen staff went out of their way to accommodate my food allergy and were very open to understanding my restrictions. My kids loved the children's activities and and the teens in our group loved their activities and excursions. This is an excellent vacation destination for a quintessential Colorado experience! read more

This place is an incredible deal- charming, very clean cabins in a beautiful setting just a mile from the mount Princeton hot springs. I decided to take my 6 year old on a last minute weekend getaway (we live in denver) and wanted to visit the mt Princeton hot springs but when I called their resort the only rooms available were 600.00 a night cabins so they referred me to deer valley. They have their own pools on site and we also got discounted passes to mt Princeton. There is a play area for kids, the cabin was incredibly clean and appointed with the basics. Staff was helpful and friendly- we will definitely be going back!!! read more

The first time my family stayed at Deer Valley Ranch was in the late 1950's or early 1960's and every time we have been there it has been a wonderful experience. I have lost track of how many times we have stayed at Deer Valley Ranch but, the most recent was in September 2016. We usually stay for a week to 10 days and will be returning again, I hope, in 2017. We have stayed in many of the cabins and each one is great. Tin Cup and Turrett are probably our favorites. The staff and everything else at the ranch are top notch. You can look further but, you won't find a better place for a mountain vacation. read more

Loved everything about this trip. The food was great, the views are stunning, activities for everyone. The staff is super friendly. I love how you sit with different people at every meal and get to know everyone throughout the week. I also love how there are no TVs in your room! There is so much to do, you don't miss it and it forces you to get away from "real life" for a week. The pools are great, horse back riding is fun and safe. The programs for teens and kids are outstanding and give parents time to do some activities on their own! This is a vacation worth repeating! read more

All of our family loves Deer Valley Ranch, and I've had the added priviledge of staying over night once in the fall of last year and once in the spring of this year. It's a time when you can enjoy the stillness of nature and snow on the Collegiate Peaks that surround you. So, I've had the pleasure of the off-season as well as the fun time of the summer season. All of the staff are the same, happy, gracious people that serve their guests no matter what time of the year you visit. Deer Valley Ranch is a place that I will return to as often as I can. read more