Summer / Ski Season Lodge

Thinking about taking a Colorado Mountain ranch vacation with your family or a group of friends? We have a place you are bound to enjoy.

Located in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, San Francisco Creek Ranch was established in 1876. Bordering the Rio Grande National Forest, our 8500' elevation at the ranch headquarters provides for very cool summer nights with daytime highs in the 70's.

The Lodge (two-story, 4 bedrooms) and the Cabin (two bedrooms) are fully equipped for housekeeping and available year round for weekly rentals. No dude-ranch atmosphere here! No schedule to follow; create your own from the many attractions in this area of high-country ranches, historic mining and ranching towns and millions of acres of National Forest lands.

Some of the most notable attractions include The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, the Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Wolf Creek Ski Area and fishing in the Gold Medal waters of the Rio Grande River. Miles of good high-country National Forest roads in the area are easily traveled by car in summer and offer endless opportunities for adventure.

Visitors to the shops and restaurants of nearby mountain towns find them friendly and uncrowded. Local museums and mine tours offer insight into the colorful history of the mountains.

Kids will enjoy swimming in the heated indoor pool in nearby Monte Vista with its outdoor-to-inside water slide. Swimming in the Sand Dunes swimming pool near the National Monument is also a unique experience. The naturally warm artesian water cascades into the outdoor pool as you enjoy fantastic views of the 13,000-foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Fishing for trout in our private pond is a favorite pastime of all our guests. Bring your own fishing tackle or use ours. Guided whitewater rafting, "mild to wild", is also available nearby.

If fishing the Rockies suits your fancy, you can enjoy just about every variety of cold-water challenge within easy reach of your comfortable accommodations at the ranch. Alpine lakes and streams, small and not so small, including the crystal clear Rio Grande River as well as area reservoirs, all hold trout; and forget crowds - you won't find them! Ice fishing for Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow and Brown Trout, is popular in winter.

The Lodge and Cabin are also available as a comfortable base for your Rocky Mountain elk or mule deer hunt. The Middle Frisco and West Fork Trail Head are 4 miles from the ranch headquarters and offer foot, horse and 4-wheeler access into the Rio Grande National Forest.

Guests are welcome to bring their own horses. Guests may rent horses by the day, subject to availability. Since our cattle run on twenty-two thousand acres of high-country range, there are opportunities in the summer to ride along with your host for an honest-to-goodness cowboy experience. A day in the saddle in the Colorado Rockies is a true adventure.

Whether you come for the peace and quiet of a Rocky Mountain winter with its awesome scenery, an elk or deer hunt in the San Juans or wish to enjoy the refreshing coolness of a high-country summer, we are ready for you. So, don't wait, give us a call and let's reserve a week for you!