Lost Valley Ranch — Hotel in Four Corners States

We are no strangers to Lost Valley Ranch. My daughter and I have visited off seasons a half dozen times since she was very young. But this is our first summer season ever. ||||Riding : ||During off seasons, the kids ride with adults. There is good and bad aspect of that. The bad: you will have to tune it down to your kids level so if you want to ride advanced, and your kids are walkers, you can't do that. The good: You get to ride with your kids. The summer program is led by dedicated wranglers and the kids are split into different groups. I am so happy my 9 year old nephew who hasn't done much of riding was able to build confidence slowly with the program. He finished the week by completing the Rodeo competition! I was so proud of him and so appreciative of the kids riding program. Big shout out to Logan this week for the 8-9 year old group. The bigger kids group was consist of experienced kiddie riders this week. So they got to do a lot of cool rides with faster speed. Hats off to Chris for leading the 10-12 year olds. I would say if I had to choose again, it's the best to have kids in kids programs. The biggest plus is parents get to do some cool rides ourselves. There are way more rides offered during summer than off season. I have also been to other ranches. I would say, LVL riding program for adults is by far the most exciting one. I jumped right into Intermediate group on the first day and we were loping away. Be prepared to ride at Wrangler level if you participate Advanced group. So know your limits. The current head Wrangler Evan is fantastic at managing the corral. Don't miss the clinic with foreman Nolan. Very helpful!! ||||The food;||OMG, let me just say you will need to drink juice for three days after being fed by the ranch for a week. I came off season for many years and we didn't do that much of cookouts, picnics, buffets etc... With the pandemic, buffets were extinct until we got here. We love the family meal aspect of it and we love all the outdoor cooking. Reception with gourmet cheese meat is also Summer only. So if you have never done a summer week, you should do it just for the food aspect of it. ||||The crowd:||We had two large family reunions and quite a few smaller groups/families. Our kids instantly bonded with our neighbor cabin kids. I found three sisters who love wine! I am an introvert by nature, so having to hang out with people day in day out is a bit tiring for me. But most guests I encountered are very pleasant folks. I didn't mind hanging out with any of them at all. Although some lone time would be nicer. I do like to eat with the staff members. It's very rare for guests to mingle with staffs in any luxury hotels, but on this ranch, you get to do a lot of mingling with the staffs. And they are so talented in so many different things. I won't spoil for you. You just have to come to the ranch to see for yourself. ||||Services:||My family is no strangers to some of the most distinct brands such as Four Seasons, Fairmont and Ritz. The services you receive here is no less by any measurement. I am totally blown away by how good the staffs are at their jobs. From the cabin girls who clean your cabin twice a day, to the maintenance crew, the kitchen and dining room staffs, they never miss a beat and they anticipate every move of yours to make your stay pleasant. I have a very picky eater this week. He won't have any hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken of sorts. It's super headache for me. The kitchen staff absolutely has no issues of making special meals for him everyday. They even ran back to the ranch to bring him a cheese pizza on our BBQ night. I feel really bad about it. But the staffs are doing it with a huge smile every day. I truly appreciate their efforts. ||||Overall, I know this is not a small chunk of changes to bring family here. But you do get what you paid for. It's really worth...

WOW!!! I loved this ranch. it is my favorite overall. it rates very high when it comes to location. It is remote but yet, it is not that far from either Denver or Colorado Springs but it is "lost" and it is hidden, tucked away from all civilization. I give it a score of 10/10 for location. You won't believe the views from on top of a horse!||The cabin we stayed in was called Durango. It also rates a 10. It has a large comfortable bed and bedroom with a thermostat on the wall, great storage for clothing and a window to watch for wildlife. The living room is also nicely furnished with comfortable loveseat and sofa as well as a wood burning stove and electric heat. It had good lighting, two closets (one in living room and one in bedroom), hooks outside in the entry way so you could hang your hat! Durango was close to the main lodge which was important to me but you can also get a cabin high up on the hill where the views are spectacular. This is a ranch that offers everything. It has a really nice pool and multiple hot tubs.||The food was an 11/10. From fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning to yummy deserts at night and everything in between, it was all amazing. You get both quality and quantity. It was way too much food for me. The dining room was huge which allowed me to eat inside without any covid worries.||Service was excellent. All employees were kind, friendly, efficient. There were many people working at this ranch and any thing you wanted, you received. It was refreshing after our July stay at a Wyoming ranch, which I will be reviewing soon.||The riding was also beyond expectation. It was very, very professional. You could choose your ride based on whether you wanted to go slow or go fast or you wanted to be learn how to ride fast. There were maybe 8 wranglers and everyone was catered to. The horses were matched to you and I loved my horse. The rides were spectacularly scenic and never repeated unless you requested it. ||There is one problem I have. I want to go back in 2023 and it doesn't appear there is any space but is it any wonder when you have such a quality ranch. Thank you, everyone, for making the week so...

Lost Valley Ranch is an extraordinary place that I wish everyone could experience at least once. The only word I can think of for a place that feels like a mixture of a family reunion, a spiritual retreat, a sleepaway camp, a working ranch, a luxury resort, and a gourmet restaurant is... Magical.

Bring whatever expectations you have and I will wager that they will be exceeded by the beauty of the surroundings and the genuine warmth and sincere, caring nature of every staff member. Further, while the week is structured and filled with optional activities, the staff makes you feel as if each one is brand new and done just for you.

The focus of the ranch is on horseback riding and the assignment of a horse to each guest for the week allows even a novice like me to build confidence in the saddle. I never progressed beyond walking, but never felt pressured to do so. While I enjoyed every ride, I took the opportunity to go on the fishing excursion (which should not be missed) and to go on numerous hikes on the surrounding acres of land.

A few tips:. Be prepared for high altitude and all that comes along with that. Know that alcohol is to be consumed in your cabin only (my family made a Costco run in Denver for this purpose) and only water, tea, juices, and lemonade will be served with meals. The incredibly cozy and well-appointed cabins (with VERY comfortable beds) have small fridges but no tv or wifi. Last, be open and friendly and I guarantee that your fellow guests will provide you with awesome conversations and shared experiences which serves to complement the absolutely outstanding interactions you will have with the staff.

I hope you get to experience the magic that a week at Lost Valley with its incredible...