Drowsy Water Ranch Colorado USA Enjoy the western vacation of your dreams. For over 70 years this 600-acre ranch, nestled in its own private mountain valley, has provided folks from around the world with authentic western vacations. From the moment you arrive we promise nothing less than real down-home hospitality amidst unforgettable mountain scenery. Most of all, you'll enjoy a sense of total relaxation and freedom from stress. A real ranch! The spread lies nestled in aspen trees on both sides of Drowsy Water Creek and is everything you'd expect a ranch to be. Barns, stables, corrals, log cabins, ponds -- plenty of places where kids and adults love to explore. Everything at the ranch is within walking distance. Guest cabins, the Lodge, children's playground, the fishing pond, swimming pool and games area are all within a stone's throw. The ranch has programs for children from infants to teenagers with plenty of activities for parents and grandparents alike. Singles and couples are welcomed also. We have a complete program of horseback riding, swimming, horseshoes, steak fryes, trout fishing, western dancing, jeep trips, song fests, campfires, hayrides, carnival, pack trips, staff entertainment, gymkhana rodeos, raft trips, children's programs, nearby golf, hunting and much more -- but it is your vacation so you may take part in whatever you like. At Drowsy Water Ranch we have a very special relationship with our 95 or more horses. We've bred, raised and trained them to provide guests with the finest of riding opportunities. The Horse Program is outstanding and geared to every riding ability and age group. Horses are selected to match your own riding skills. Daily instruction, both in the arena and on the trail help to improve everyone's proficiency. Advanced riders have many opportunities to explore and blaze trails while handling their horses from leisurely walks to smooth lopes and gallops. The Main Lodge is the daily gathering place for parents and youngsters alike. The door is always open and the coffee pot is always filled and fresh. A warm and friendly spot to kick-back and enjoy playing cards, browsing in the library or just visiting with new friends. Under the same ownership/ management for 30 years, the ranch has developed a reputation for quality Dude Ranch vacations. Guest Ranch Short Getaway Family Vacation Riding with fishing options Trip with multi activities Suitable for riders over 210 lbs Meeting: Ranch near Granby Airport:   Denver International Airport (DIA) Transfer: -- Trip Brochure (PDF)

Packages and Options

Click here for updated current rates.

Minimum Deposit: ~$650.00 per person

Gratuity: 15 % (to be paid locally)

Tax: 4.2 %  

additional Tax: $16

 

Rates Note:

Daily rate available with minimum of 3 nights stay, discounts for certain weeks, discounts for family of 3 or more, discounts for children -- please inquire.

Transfer and Other Charges:

Weekly from Sunday to Saturday

At Drowsy Water Ranch, we offer our guests a vacation package with a schedule of enjoyable activities for all ages, with an emphasis on service and quality. Meals and horseback riding are our two major scheduled activities. Many of our other happenings are worked out with our guests to truly make it "your" vacation. The following is an example of some of the things that normally take place on certain days in our "regular” season.

Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrival
Our guests arrive in the afternoon after 3:00pm. We let you get acquainted with the other guests and get settled into your cabin or rooms. This evening's dinner gives you your first taste of the ranch's hearty meats followed by some entertainment and introductions.
3:00-5:00pm     Ranch Check-In and Tour
6:00pm             Welcome Dinner
7:15pm             Ranch Orientation and Introductions in the Living Room

Day 2 (Monday): Introduction
Monday is a day for getting paired with your horses and saddling up for the first time this week. We have our first riding lessons and trail rides today. After dinner we have an exciting night of country dance in the Teepee Dancehall, so bring your dancing shoes and your country moves.
7:30-8:45am     Breakfast
9:15am             Meet at stalls for orientation and saddle fitting
10:00am           Range Riders-Meet with wrangler for riding instruction & clinic. Adults-Riding instruction or clinic + slow trail ride
12:30pm           Lunch
1:30pm             First trail ride
1:45pm             Adult loping clinic
2:00pm             Adult trail rides -loping or scenic & slow-
6:00pm             Dinner
8:00pm             Country Dance Night -Teepee Dancehall-

Day 3 (Tuesday): Rafting Trip & Ranch Activities
Tuesday morning offers a guided raft trip on the Colorado river! We also have half day trail rides for the kids and adults that depart throughout the day. After a full day of excitement the adults can enjoy a quiet and relaxing dinner while the kids go on a hayride and have a campfire.
7:30am         Raft Trip Breakfast
8:00am         Bus leaves for river float trip
9:00am         Adult mountain bike ride
9:45am         Range Riders – Trail rides
10:00am       Adults – Trail rides
12:30pm       Lunch
1:55pm         Range Riders – Area work and trail rides
2:00pm         Adults – Trail rides
6:00pm         Kids Hayride and campfire
6:15pm         Adult Dinner

Day 4 (Wednesday): Ranch Activities
Wednesday is a day full of various activities for everyone. We have all-day and half-day rides, yoga, and guided fly fishing. We end the night with a grand carnival in the Teepee Building, bringing everyone together again after a day of adventures.
7:30-8:45am     Breakfast
9:30am             Adult – Loping practice
9:40am             Range Riders – loping practice. Adults – All day rides
10:00am           Adult half day rides
10:15am           Range Riders all day rides
12:30pm           Lunch
2:00pm             Adult trail rides
4:30pm             Guided fly fishing (extra cost) -kids fishing hole-
4:45-5:45pm     Yoga -Teepee Building- (mat provided)
6:00pm             Dinner
8:00pm             Carnival -Teepee Building-

Day 5 (Thursday): Breakfast Ride & Ranch Activities
Thursday starts the beautiful Colorado summer day with a breakfast horseback ride to the top of the mountain, overlooking the Rocky Mountains. After breakfast we have a professional photographer take family photos. The afternoon comes with options to mountain bike, hike, grow your horseback riding skills, setting out to one of the surrounding golf courses, or just simply relaxing at the ranch. At night, it is the adults turn for a hayride while the children have an epic game night.
7:45am         Truck departs for breakfast ride
8:00am         Horses leave for breakfast ride
9:30am         Family photos after breakfast
11:00am       Family photo viewing -Living Room-
11:30am       Guided hike departs
12:30pm       Lunch
2:00pm         Range Riders – Trail rides. Adults – Trail rides
2:15pm         Ranch penning -Ages 13+
3:00pm         Adult mountain bike ride
6:00pm         Dinner
7:30pm         Adult Hayride & Kids Games

Day 6 (Friday): Ranch Activities & Optional Zip-Lining
It’s FriYAY! Today is the day to get your adrenaline pumping. We have zip lining 290 feet over the top of Drowsy Water Ranch (extra cost). We also have rodeo practice in our arena with an obstacle course to really test the horseback riding skills you have been learning all week. To end the exciting day, we have our Staff Talent Show in our theatre, including music by The Drowsy Players. The show ends with Awards given to guests after the week spent at our ranch. You don’t want to miss this!
7:30-8:45am     Breakfast
9:00am             Zip-Lining, Group 1 (extra cost)
9:45am             Adult all day ride
10:00am           Adult half day ride
10:15am           Range Rider half day ride
10:30am           Zip-Lining, Group 2 (extra cost)
12:30pm           Lunch
2:00pm             Adult – trail ride. Range Riders – rodeo practice & obstacle course
6:00pm             Dinner
8:00pm             Staff Show & Awards Night -Teepee Theatre-

Day 7 (Saturday): Departure
We have reached the last day of your vacation at Drowsy Water Ranch. The kids get to show off their new skills with a rodeo and horse show before departing back home. Our hope is that you had as much fun as you can have in seven days, that you got to spend time with people you love, that you made new friends, learned new things, and that you will come back and see us again! We truly love to share our home and heritage with all of you.
7:30-8:45am     Breakfast
9:30am             Adults optional trail ride
9:45am             Range Riders Gymkhana Rodeo & Horse Show -arena- 
12:00pm           Lunch
After Lunch Departure



Buckaroos Program (5 and under)
This program is for the littler kids ages 5 and under. It is the perfect way for parents to be able to enjoy their guest ranch vacation. These young children are taken care of and entertained by our counselors, while the parents take part in the various ranch activities throughout the week.  The Buckaroos participate in a number of activities including horseback rides around the ranch, games, crafts, and picnic hikes.  The counselors can take care of any individual needs such as naps, baby feeding, etc.  Since our Colorado dude ranch is heavily family oriented, families eat meals together, parents can partake in any of the children’s programs and riding, and our evening entertainment also includes the kiddos and encourages them to get out of their shell with talent shows and line dancing.



Range Riders Program (6-13 years old)
Our Range Rider program, for kids 6 – 13 years old, is built around an instruction based horseback riding program where they practice basic riding skills in our arena first before setting out to the backcountry on their morning and afternoon trail rides.  These young riders advance to loping and all day rides as their abilities improve.  Before and after the rides our counselors have other group activities to do such as an obstacle course, horse brushing, zip line course for age 10+ years old, swimming, hiking, archery, rafting, lassoing a steer head, and other fun and engaging group activities.



Non-Riding Activities
Other possible activities include fishing, use of heated pool and hot tub, and ranch activities (hayrides, dancing, river float trip, carnival, staff shows, campfires, hiking, mountain biking, sing-a-longs, and more).
Golf fees, guided fly-fishing, massages, and zipline course are extra costs.

River Float Trip (5+ years old) - included
The Ranch is located just a couple miles away from the gorgeous Colorado River. Located near the headwaters of the Colorado River and the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Upper Colorado rafting trips are perfect for those who want beautiful Canyon scenery and easy-to-navigate whitewater. You’ll see spectacular wildflowers, sheer granite canyon walls, and forest of blue spruce and Douglas fir trees. First-time boaters and families with children give trips on this river rave reviews. Don't forget to bring sunscreen, swimsuits, shoes that can get wet and a positive attitude!

Zip-Lining (10+ years) - extra cost
The Ranch offers a unique zip lining experience, with 3 different zip line courses. Just one of our lines is the longest and highest zip line in the United States. Replace your cowboy hat and chaps with a harness and helmet for a few hours of scenic zips and hiking across the ranch. This Colorado mountain thrill is sure to capture your excitement.

                                                Granby area

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°F)	28	33	41	50	61	72	76	75	68	56	41	30
Average Low Temperature (°F)	2	3	12	22	31	37	43	42	35	26	17	7
Average High Temperature (°C)	-2	0	5	10	16	22	25	24	20	13	5	-1
Average Low Temperature (°C)	-17	-16	-11	-6	-1	3	6	6	2	-3	-8	-14
Average Precipitation (days of rain)	6	5	5	6	7	5	7	7	6	5	5	5

Source: NOAA


Seasons
The ranch has on average has 245 days of sunshine. Summers are sunny and mild and winter usually sees the ranch transforming onto a winter wonderland with over 100 inches of snow each year.
The warmest month of the year is July, while the coldest month of the year is January.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be relatively big during summer and moderate during winter.

The annual average precipitation at Granby is 13.98 Inches. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is July with an average rainfall of 1.67 Inches.

On the ranch dress is casual with blue jeans, boots, western or sports shirts being normal ranch wear. Long sleeve cotton shirts will keep you cool and protect you from the sun, along with a broad brimmed hat. Remember that we are in the mountains at an elevation of 8,300 ft. above sea level, so the nights are cool with the early morning temperatures around 30 to 50 degrees F and mid-day temperatures 60 to 85 degrees, depending on the time of the summer.

Bring flashlight with fresh batteries, hand lotion and bug spray. Also a rain poncho can come in handy with rain showers. Riding boots with heels are best for riding (no cleated hiking boots, please). There is a small western store in Granby called Grand Mountain Trading Company with a selection of clothing and boots.

We do have some items folks can borrow or we provide for the week and also offer a few items in our gift shop.
We provide riding dusters/rain coats for riding.
We have a very large selection of cowboys boots that we rent for $18 for the week.
We have cowboy hats in our small gift shop that are reasonably priced for kids and adults.

Essential Items
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Bathing suit
- Sandals
- Refillable water bottle
- Rain jacket
- Lightweight fleece or vest
- Hiking boots or sturdy athletic shoes
- Daypack
- Jeans or hiking pants

Cowboy Gear
- Cowboy hat
- Cowboy boots
- Button-up shirts
- Camera

 

Average ratings from 4 tour feedbacks (see details below) (5) Excellent (4) Very Good (3) Good (2) Satisfactory (1) Not Satisfactory Accommodations: Meals: Host/Guide: Name Date dinova fogg 9/7/2018 carol strommen 7/2/2007 michelle aaronson 7/2/2007 valerie palluzzi 7/2/2007

Accommodations
This is a stationary ride, so all nights are spent at the same location.

Description
Accommodations are top-drawer and carefully cleaned everyday: snug, comfortable, Western-styled and decorated. With the smell of clean fresh, mountain air, you'll never get a better night's rest -- anywhere! One of our guests was caught saying, "Our accommodations were so cozy, I almost hoped it would rain so that I could have an excuse to stay indoors."
There are 9 Cabins and Lodge guest rooms, all of which have been newly remodeled and refurbished. Whether you’re visiting with your whole family, your friends, or as a solo party, you’ll have just the right accommodations for your group: We offer a variety of one, two, three, and four bedroom cabins. Several are ideal for larger families and friends wanting to be near one another. 
Laundry is available onsite for $5 per load to wash and dry. WIFI is accessible in the main lodge.



Rooms Amenities
- Bed
- All rooms have private bath
- Small fridge and coffee maker

Room Occupancy
Triple occupancy is possible.
No single supplement fee will be charged for a single room.



Meals
All meals are included from dinner on Sunday to lunch on Saturday.

We take great pride in our food, which is lovingly prepared from recipes handed down for generations. Sometimes gourmet and sometimes hearty western...but always delicious. "I've never had as many healthy, hearty and delicious meals in my life," we've heard someone say. Most meals are served family style in our dining room but outdoor meals are highlights such as breakfast on a mountain top, open hearth barbecue, chuck wagon lunches, or right out of your saddlebag. Each day is different. We aim to please. Even our breads and pastries are made from scratch.

Alcohol is not included, so please feel free to bring your own!

Meal Times
7:30am- 8:45am: Breakfast
12:30pm:             Lunch
6:00pm:               Dinner

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to most dietary restrictions if given prior notice. 

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Tack:		Western
Horses:		Quarter, Paints, Draft cross
Pace:		Any - 2 to 7 hrs per day - Persons weighing over 215 pounds may be limited to walking rides
Level:		(1 to 4 out of 5)    All riding levels
Age:		Min 6
Weight:		Max 225 lbs / 100 kg
Riders:		Min 1	Max 8

Riding Level
Our riding program is outstanding and geared to every riding ability and any age group. Daily instruction, both in the arena and on the trail help to improve every guest’s proficiency. Advanced riders have many opportunities to explore and blaze trails, while handling their horses from leisurely walks to smooth lopes and gallops.

Horses
Each of our 100+ horses has a unique personality, just like every one of our guests. We send out a questionnaire prior to arrival to gauge every guest’s level of riding. Once meeting each guest we pair them with the perfect horse for their personality and riding level. Throughout the week, you will create a special bond with your horse that is lasting beyond your vacation. By doing a thorough personality match, it fosters a fun-filled week for each guest and the horse.

Restrictions
Persons over 225 lbs are limited to slow riding.

Passports

Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).

Passport Note

(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.

(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.

(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).



The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.

ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

 

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:

1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.

Visa Note

(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.

Validity

Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.

Applications to:

Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).

Working Days Required

Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.

Passport Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	N/A
Other EU	Yes
Visa Required?
British	No/2
Australian	No
Canadian	No
USA	N/A
Other EU	1
Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	No
USA	N/A
Other EU	Yes