Black Mountain Ranch

My review of BMR is a bit tardy… our weekend visit was back in May. We were invited to join the Mayfest celebrations, and what a time it was!
All I can say is that the folks at Black Mountain Ranch are overflowing with warmth and hospitality. Cabin was comfortable and great and the property is absolutely beautiful. Our horseback ride was excellent! We did a little bit of shooting, and for a city-​slicker like myself, they patiently had me shooting clay pigeons in no time flat.
I can’t wait to go back!

Always a fantastic summer week away with family. Great food, great views, great riding, amazing staff.

Amazing, amazing, AMAZING!
This was one of the best vacations my family and I have ever been on! Great people, great horses, great staff, great food, and amazing accommodations! I can’t wait to go back!

What an amazing vacation! My (new) husband and I chose Black Mountain Ranch for our honeymoon. It might seem a bit crazy to spend your honeymoon on a Dude Ranch but it was exactly what we were looking for and I can’t recommend it enough!
During our week on the Ranch we met families and independent travelers — the Ranch can handle any group of travelers, all you have to do is bring your adventurous spirit.
The staff are so warm and truly lovely. They are great with kids, great with adults who are kids at heart and great with adjusting city folks to life on a working cattle ranch.
The setting could not be more stunning. Every day you’re surrounded by horses and landscapes as far as the eye can see. Your daily schedule is really up to you! Trail riding, arena riding, a trip to the shooting range, learning to rope, playing horseshoes, shooting pool, take a swim in the pool, go rafting, fishing, canoeing… see what I mean!
One night dinner is served at the lake, you ride there and back. One night everyone sleeps out at Pack Camp, and you ride back the next day. You pick the difficulty of your ride (easy, medium, hard) and once you arrive at Pack Camp your tent is set up and hot food is waiting for you. Plus campfire songs and the most beautiful night sky and stars you could ever imagine.
The food is so delicious with lots of options for your whole family. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-​style and most days you order breakfast at dinner from a few options. Plus endless cookies on hand fresh-​baked daily.
I love vacations like this — limited decisions! All you have to do is pick a few things every day and the rest is taken care of.
Your wrangler is your guide for the week but anyone on the property will help you with questions and everyone has skills they’re really great at and willing to share their tips and tricks from practicing roping to learning to Texas 2-​step in the saloon in the evenings. Kids included!
Your horse is your best friend for the week. You’ll be shocked at how much more comfortable you feel on a hose by the end of the week. This goes for both experienced and non-​experienced riders.
Not having a cell phone was a blessing and we didn’t miss it one bit. What a treat to really be on vacation and not be attached to your phone. There is limited wifi, but we didn’t use it and didn’t miss that either. There are of course phones on the property and ways to check back in with work/​family if you have to.
Towards the end of the week, I mentioned to some of the families that I was surprised not to see one single kid meltdown or anyone not smiling all the time — the parents all agreed that since there were endless options and activities the kids were always occupied and that left everyone happy and tired at the end of the day. Same goes for adults!
As for us, it was a really romantic trip. We had tons of time to spend alone in the wilderness but also time to get to know some really cool families and some amazing staff, cowboys, cowgirls and wranglers.
Thank you to the May Family at Black Mountain Ranch for over 20 years of service. It was absolutely a vacation we’ll never forget and will be telling friends about for years and years to come.

Amazing experience. Black Mountain Ranch is run by a friendly, caring family and staff, and do everything they can to make your time at the ranch a wonderful experience.
Beautiful setting for a range of adventures: horseback riding (on trails in the mountains or in the arena for barrel racing, etc.), trap shooting, lassoing calfs, cattle driving (on Saturdays), hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, swimming, hot tubbing, and more. The setting is great, but it’s the people that make it a great experience.
When you arrive, you meet your wrangler for the week, meet your horse, and start to outline your week. Your schedule is up to you: while there are some activities scheduled throughout the week (whitewater rafting, camping out one night, dinner rides into the mountains, cattle driving), you have the opportunity to create your own schedule. Want to relax, nap, read, hot tub? Go ahead. Want to go ride your horse hours into the mountains? Your wrangler will help make it happen.
Every day starts with a great breakfast, and every day ends with a great dinner. And on most nights, dancing, drinking, and playing pool with the cowboys at the saloon on the ranch.
In short: go.

The vacation was amazing. There are so many things that contributed to its success…
The wranglers/​staff — Their number 1 goal [outside of ensuring your safety] is to make sure that you have a good time.
The location — every view was even more breathtaking than the next. It was such a perfect location.
The food — Chef Kris is a graduate of California Culinary Academy [a Le Cordon Bleu school]. Her number one goal is to make sure that you eat well and never go hungry.
The activities — so much to do! Horseback riding, camping, fishing, skeet shooting, hiking, napping, roping, white water rafting, dancing, the possibilities are endless. Do as much as you want or as little as you want to do.

The first discussion my girlfriend and I had after leaving the ranch was «when can we come back.»
My gf is from Manhattan and is about as far from cowgirl as you can possible get. The wranglers, staff and relaxed schedule made her feel comfortable riding horses, lassoing calfs and driving cattle. When it was time to eat, the food was prepared by a chef who got her experience at some of the finest restaurants in Boulder. Let’s just say that the food, and especially the desserts, were amazing.
Every single thing you do on the ranch has a view. Seriously, the ranch might be on the most beautiful 50k acres of alpine meadows and forest that I’ve ever seen.
If you are looking for an unforgettable vacation, and something that isn’t the standard cruise or hotel stay, this is about the best you can get. I guarantee you will not forget it.

Whether you’re looking for a Western adventure, a taste of a different lifestyle, breathtaking mountain views, a chance to fulfill a childhood dream of roping cattle and riding horses, or just a chance to say, «I know it sounds crazy, but I know it’ll be great,» this is the place for you.
Five stars go to the helpful and accommodating staff who are only concerned with your having an unforgettable and fun-​filled vacation.
I came here not knowing what to expect, and was hesitant at first by the thought of herding cattle on horseback, but nothing could stop me from making this an annual, if not bi-​annual, vacation in the future.
Many thanks to the May family and staff for all of their hard work and hospitality!

Black Mountain Ranch is about as close to heaven on earth as one can get for a local weekend trip.
BMR is a family ran and owned ranch located in McCoy, Colorado about halfway between Steamboat Springs and Vail so as you can imagine the views are breathtaking in every direction. There are no main highways or road near the ranch so it is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.
So what can you do at BMR? You could spend your weekend horseback riding, hiking, trap shooting, white water rafting, fly fishing, or learning to round up cattle and BMR has a knowledgeable and helpful staff to assist you in everyway possible. But if you desire a more relaxing weekend you could sit back and read a book or pet the obnoxiously adorable baby goats or the donkeys.
The Black Mountain Ranch provides three meals per day, they have a salon, a pool, hot tubs, and boots /​chaps for you to utilize during your stay.
Really your time spent there will be relaxing and amazing no matter what you choose to do.