We followed a recommendation last year to check out Winding River Ranch in Grand Lake, CO on a whim and were able to book 2 nights last minute. Little did we know what a destination we were to discover. This place is WONDERFUL for families with kids. There are so many amenities and activities to keep everyone entertained. They also have a few tent sites, cabins and covered wagons for those without RVs. It’s a great place to plan on visiting with friends and family groups!
As you roll in with your rig, you will be greeted at the kiosk by a friendly host who checks you in and hands you a full schedule of activities that are available during your stay. By the time you are ready to proceed, there is a golf cart and runner waiting to escort you to your campsite. They hang out until you get parked in your site to answer any questions you may have and help you get situated.
As for the campsites, unfortunately, not all campsites are created equally. The campground has been around for over 50 years and they clearly took time in planning the first loops of campsites. All of the sites at the front of the property have mature tree cover and lots of space. Moving further back on the property, the sites around the Lily Pond are spacious but don’t have tree cover. As the ranch grew in popularity, they decided to add about 30 sites in a traditional row style in what they call “the Meadow”. These are the smallest sites available and there are absolutely no trees in this area. Unfortunately, due to lack of planning and changing schedules, this is where we have had to camp for the past 2 years. This being said, we still love this campground.
First thing you will notice as you roll onto the property is the horse barn and corral off to your left. They have a wonderful horse program including about 40-50 horses that are available to ride 6 days a week. You can book ½ hour pony rides for the littles 3-5 years old where the parent is entrusted to walk the pony on an unguided tour around the expansive property. They also offer 1 hour and 2 hour guided rides for anyone over 6 years old. All of these rides of course are at an additional charge but the prices are competitive and well worth the experience. All of the guides are very nice, clean cut, professional and knowledgeable. Any horses that are in between trail rides are available for free petting until the evening when they are all unsaddled and herded by cowboys/girls through one of the common area lawn areas into their meadow for the night.
Behind the horse barn, you are welcome to wander through the petting zoo at your leisure and visit with pigs, jersey cow calves, goats, ducks, chickens, and more. Off to the corner of the petting area is a unsuspecting river access to the Colorado River. Depending on the water level, this can be a very welcome oasis on a hot day for cooling your feet.
The schedule often includes wagon rides, ice cream socials (with homemade ice cream), square dancing, chuckwagon breakfasts, cowboy church, cornhole tournaments, and more! There is also a playground, frisbee golf, lighted bocce ball, horseshoes, softball diamond, basketball and pickleball courts.
They also have an onsite ATV and snowmobile rental company with over 130 miles of groomed trails through beautiful Colorado wilderness to explore.
Other amenities include, showers, laundry, general store, dump station, free Wi-Fi, event pavilions, and more. The ranch does have pretty stringent cancellation policies for campsites and activities to protect them from losing money on last minute cancelations but they are also very accommodating about rescheduling within the calendar year if needed. Everyone we have interacted with at the ranch has been extremely helpful and friendly. The property borders both Arapaho National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park and was almost completely surrounded by wildfire back in 2021 but thankfully the ranch only lost one building which they were able to rebuild bigger and better within 6 months. Sadly, the wildfire left the surrounding area charred with many tree bones and burn scar. It will take many more years for the area to fully recover from the fire but thankfully, Winding River Ranch has been left as an oasis of green trees and life in the middle of such devastation. We are already looking forward to booking again next year!