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Last Update: 28 Dec 2011

Riding Holidays | Colorado

One of the Four Corners States, Colorado is famous for its mountains and outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, horse riding, fishing and hiking. Most of central and western Colorado is taken up by the Rocky Mountains which are split into two halves by the Continental Divide. Covered with high meadows and forest this area offers stunning wilderness scenery to explore.

Colorado’s western history includes Buffalo Bill (William Cody) who hunted buffalo in the state before his death in Denver and Butch Cassidy's first bank heist was in Telluride! The world's first rodeo was held in Colorado in 1869 and many local rodeos still take place during July and August.

In the mountainous west we find quite a number of guest ranches. Keen horse riders can enjoy trail blazing along mountain creeks, leisurely walks through Ponderosa pine or Aspen forest, or faster paced lopes and gallops across open grassland areas. Many ranches also offer wagon rides, evening campfire cookouts and separate childrens activity programmes.

The eastern side of the state is home to the Great Plains. These are flat open grassland prairies ideal for raising cattle and interspersed with crop farms. The whole of Colorado is at quite high altitude, with the lowest point around 3,281 feet above sea level. Head into the north east towards the border with Nebraska where the open plains are dotted with cattle and horses are still the best way to cover these large areas. The most authentic ranch experience to be found is at Colorado Cattle Company in the Pawnee National Grassland. An authentic working ranch, guests may stay for a week and experience cowboy school, learning how to ride western style, herd cattle, reining techniques, team penning and how to rope from horseback. Great care is taken matching the horses to each rider’s ability and the ranch horses are all well trained. Colorado Cattle Company is an adult only ranch, no children are allowed.

Colorado has a temperate climate and the weather can be unpredictable. Summer days can be warm and sunny but the mornings, late afternoons and nights can be cool. Be prepared for changing conditions and plan to dress in layers. May and June can be rainy (mostly late afternoon thundershowers). July and August are normally dry and dusty with cool evenings. September and October can also offer moisture and be unpredictable but also offer great crisp days and nights. The State is easy to get to with Denver having a big international airport serviced by many airlines.