Family-friendly adventure awaits at historic Colorado guest ranches | The Denver Post

Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch, Cortez, Colorado
The Denver Post / Travel

Located in the heart of Mesa Verde Country, the historic guest ranch is at the edge of Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, hence its name.

Nestled within verdant McElmo Canyon, the property is surrounded by Ancestral Puebloan archeology sites and cliff dwellings, with Sleeping Ute Mountain looming in the distance.

From the ranch, it’s less than an hour’s drive along the Southwest Colorado Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway to either Mesa Verde National Park, Four Corners Monument, Canyon of the Ancients, or Hovenweep National Monument and Sand Canyon.

Once an open cattle ranch in the late 1880s, the vast spread belonged to Elden Zwicker, a legendary local cowboy. A few of the original buildings remain. The old stone house where the Zwicker family lived, the cowboy log cabin, and the pioneer house.

When ranch owners Garry and Ming Adams bought the property, they restored and renovated the remaining buildings to preserve the western heritage.

“An award-winning documentary, ‘American Cowboy, ‘ was filmed 28 years ago about Elden and his family’s ranching lifestyle. It is a timeless piece that witness how ranchers worked so hard on their land. We put it at each guesthouse so guests can have a chance to see and understand the history,” said Ming Adams.

Onsite guests can experience a blend of the Old West and Ancient Puebloan culture.

When not touring the nearby sites, guests can roam the grounds, visit the animals (dogs, cats, the incredible non-edible heritage pet sheep group, pet cows and chickens), go on an archeology tour of the property’s small ruin site with Indigenous rock art, or pitch in with farm chores with Garry and Ming, who enjoy meeting and talking with guests.

A two-night minimum is standard for rentals.

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