Playing Cowboy at the Home Ranch and Devil's Thumb Ranch: Nestled in the mountains near Steamboat Springs and Winter Park, respectively, these are two of the state's standout guest ranches, with luxurious perks. At the Home Ranch, expect food from an expertly trained French chef and adventurous horseback rides; at Devil's Thumb, there are all sorts of outdoor activities and geothermally heated lodge rooms and cabins.
Riding an 1880s Narrow Gauge Steam Train: There are two: The Durango & Silverton follows the Animas River from Durango up through the San Juan Mountains to historic Silverton; the Cumbres & Toltec chugs out of Antonito, Colorado; through the Toltec Gorge of the Los Piños River; over Cumbres Pass into Chama, New Mexico. Scenery is stupendous over both lines, and each fulfills every train buff's greatest dream of smoke in your eyes and cinders in your hair.
Exploring Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve: About 40 miles northeast of Alamosa, this huge pile of sand is a great place to explore, camp, hike, or just play in the 750-foot-tall dunes. Rangers provide guided nature walks and campfire programs in the summer, and a hiking/off-road-vehicle trail leads out the back of the monument into the national forest.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
