Experience Your Next Ranch Getaway Next to a Dark Sky Park in Colorado

The Dinogo Perspective

Zapata Ranch offers such a serene atmosphere that you might just miss its unassuming gravel entrance while traveling along a quiet highway leading to a remote national park. This is intentional: the true luxuries of this all-inclusive ranch lie in its seclusion, spaciousness, and stunning location. Nestled among towering cottonwoods in Colorado's expansive San Luis Valley and surrounded by mountains reaching heights of 14,000 feet, Zapata Ranch is a working establishment with cattle, bison, and horses spread across over 100,000 acres. Guests can ride horses, hike, fly-fish, or simply soak in the picturesque surroundings. If your accommodations have north-facing windows, you'll enjoy breathtaking views of the majestic Sangre de Cristo range, often snow-capped in late March, along with the golden slopes of Great Sand Dunes National Park just a few miles away. Additionally, The Nature Conservancy manages the ranch, prioritizing land conservation and stewardship, making “green” practices more than just avoiding single-use plastics (although they do that too).

Who Is It Suitable For?

Nature enthusiasts seeking a peaceful escape from city life will find this ranch a perfect fit. Ideally situated for adventurous travelers, it serves as a gateway to Great Sand Dunes National Park, famed for its towering dunes—some reaching 750 feet, the tallest in North America. Visitors can explore the dunes on foot, sandboard, sled, or even camp (with a backcountry permit). While Zapata Ranch caters to horseback riders, it also provides various activities for those who prefer alternatives, featuring a lineup of events from spring to fall (see “Things to Do”). The ranch thrives on word-of-mouth referrals from returning guests, which has allowed it to grow and diversify its special events.

The Setting

The lodge is situated next to a national park that also holds the title of an International Dark Sky Park. At an elevation close to 8,000 feet, far from urban areas, guests can relish the night sky in peaceful isolation. (The nearest major city, Colorado Springs, is approximately a three-hour drive away.) This high altitude brings frigid winters, leading to the ranch being closed to guests from November through February.

The Guest Rooms

The ranch comprises three buildings that offer 15 guest rooms within the main lodge and bunkhouse (both dating back to the 1920s) as well as the more contemporary Stewart House. These comfortable accommodations include inviting deep clawfoot bathtubs and premium toiletries from Los Poblanos lavender farm in New Mexico. Tech lovers may want to look elsewhere, as the rooms lack TVs and phones, and Wi-Fi can be unreliable. My room in the rustic log bunkhouse was generously sized (even bigger than my apartment) with original wooden beams, a cozy rocking chair, and a wood-burning stove. During my stay, the ranch was at capacity for a sandhill crane viewing event nearby, which still only meant about 30 guests.

Stewart House, just a five-minute walk from the main lodge, is perfect for group retreats, featuring five bedrooms with options for one, two, or three beds.

Limited single-night stays are available (excluding riding), while a minimum stay of three nights is required for ranch vacations.

Activities Available

Programs range from weekend getaways to week-long experiences. The 2023 lineup includes two one-week writing workshops with Pam Houston (author of the bestselling short story collection, Cowboys Are My Weakness) scheduled for July 23–30 and September 3–10. Each September, two Harvest Weekends highlight local produce, featuring bison tenderloin, river trout, and wood-roasted vegetables enjoyed outdoors. Additional offerings this year include natural fabric dyeing workshops, horse-focused art classes, and horsemanship lessons for varying skill levels. The program “Women, Horses, and the West” delves into literary works from authors like Willa Cather and Annie Proulx. For those interested in wellness, relaxation and yoga retreats are also available.

Spring bird-watching tours may feature experts from the Bird Conservancy, providing insights into water issues impacting the wetlands that migrating birds depend on. March is the optimal time to see hundreds of sandhill cranes. Bi-weekly tours of Zapata’s sister ranch, Medano, allow visitors to observe a herd of approximately 2,000 wild bison roaming across 50,000 acres of high plains desert, scattered with cottonwood groves and nourished by two springs. These tours include a visit to the specialized facility where the wild herd is annually assessed through vaccinations, DNA testing, and microchipping.

Culinary Offerings

All meals are included and showcase the ranch’s own beef, bison, and vegetables, along with produce from the nearby Valley Root Food Hub. Dinner is accompanied by red or white wine, and if you fancy a martini or old-fashioned, it’s BYOB. While meat takes center stage, as a vegetarian, I enjoyed fresh salads and creative dishes featuring mushrooms and potatoes. Lunches are packed in reusable tins and paper bags. When the weather is pleasant, diners can enjoy their meals outdoors at picnic tables on the wooden deck shaded by cottonwood trees; otherwise, meals are served in the sunlit dining area of the main lodge.

Staff and Service

Friendly, knowledgeable staff are eager to assist guests and share insights about the ranch and its surroundings.

Commitment to Sustainability

The collaboration with the Nature Conservancy is distinctive: the Nature Conservancy owns both Zapata and the neighboring Medano Ranch, as well as the bison herd. Zapata is managed by Ranchlands, a family-run ranching business dedicated to preserving rangelands. (Their other ranch, Chico Basin, located about 160 miles away closer to Colorado Springs, offers more hands-on ranching experiences for skilled riders.) Both ranches are recognized in the National Register of Historic Places.

To enhance land stewardship in the American West, Ranchlands launched the Collective this May, a membership program featuring three tiers. Collective members gain exclusive access to Ranchlands and connect with a community of passionate individuals dedicated to learning about ranching, collaborating, and fostering meaningful environmental change. Benefits include stays at the Paint Rock Canyon Ranch in Wyoming and other properties that are not yet available to the public.