Dates:

Flexible dates

Duration:

6-night minimum

Riding Level:

All levels welcome

Horses

Bring your own horse - Stalls are available on-site for riders bringing their own horse. Please read the Guest Horse Guidelines if you plan to bring your horse!

Ride a Ranch Horse - available at no additional charge.

Riding Level

All levels welcome

From beginners to advanced riders, rides on the ranch can accommodate everyone in between.

Accompanying non-riders welcome as well.

Tack

Riders of all disciplines are welcome.

Riders riding ranch horses will be in Western tack.

Terrain

Terrain varies - from sweeping, grassy plains on the 100,000+ acre ranch to soft sand along the dunes to semi-rocky trails up into the Sangre de Cristo mountains as riders explore the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Accommodation

Maycamp: We have two rooms in a renovated historic adobe building, which makes the experience on the Chico very intimate with 2-3 guests on site at one time. Each of these two private rooms have a twin bunk bed and queen bed and there is a shared bathroom and kitchen.

Dining

Guests prepare their own breakfast and a sack lunch in the kitchen in their facility with provided groceries, and dinners are shared and prepared by staff in their personal homes, or brought down to Maycamp and enjoyed together.

Itinerary

Because the Chico is a professional working cattle ranch, days can be long and varied. A typical day includes heading out on the ranch for part of the day, either on horseback or in a vehicle, and then spending time doing other activities in the afternoon. Guests are invited to join in on everything that it takes to make the ranch work: checking fence, monitoring grass growth and water, fixing pipeline leaks, working in the leather shop and machine shop, moving cattle, welding, grazing planning, and more.

We recommend that guests take time to ride at home before coming so that they can fully enjoy the adventure of working on a horse with cattle when it does happen. We do not recommend that people with less than strong intermediate to advanced riding skills or low physical fitness participate in our programs as riding days can include trotting for long hours to reach cattle. Every day will not include riding, but when we do ride, guests need to be ready to ride long distances at a steady trot. In addition to horses, Ranchlands uses aircraft and motorbikes to move livestock and check conditions and water across the ranch. This allows us to be as efficient and nimble as possible, often cutting a job time in half by using a helicopter or bike as opposed to a horse. Guests should be prepared to be alongside all means of transport during their stay.

It is important to note that even though the Chico is a serious working ranch, we do not expect guests to work more than they want. We can leave ample time for relaxing or other self guided activities such as: fishing, swimming, hiking, and birding as requested.

Planning and Packing

Dates

• Minimum 7-day / 6-night stay, with arrivals on Sundays

• 10% discount for booking multiple weeks

Rates

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