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"Discover Your Inner Cowboy!" at our historic working cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Cattle drives, overnight pack trips, western riding instruction, scenic trail rides, fishing, hay rides, western cookouts, evening entertainment, supervised youth program, terrific home baking and legendary Jessup Family hospitality keep folks returning year after year. Activities are planned to maximize a feeling of home and family participation. The food is plentiful, homemade and delicious.
The Jessups invite you to saddle up and experience the authentic cowboy culture of America's historic West. We'll help make your summer vacation the best ever! When you'd like more information or you're ready to visit, please let us know by calling toll-free at 877-667-3999 or by sending an e-mail.
View our Ranch Video
Click here to print our Dude Brochure
Family Vacations are Important for Two Reasons
Many families will take a vacation this summer, and that’s a good thing. Vacations are important. Some families don’t take family vacations because they view them as an extravagant luxury. This does not have to be the case; there are many low-cost options for vacations, from staying home and taking a week going to local sites (no work allowed), to finding travel bargains on the internet. ...
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1. No need to buy new games and toys to keep the kiddos busy on vacation! Our ranches have fun outdoor activities and games to keep them going all day long and then some. And the kids programs are all included in your vacation! Whether it's panning for gold, rock .....
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Summer 2009 Guest Survey:
Staff Friendliness Rating: "100% Excellent"
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- PACKAGES
& RATES Six-night packages for adults,
teens and children include lodging, meals and most activities, except for rafting
trips, fishing guides, massages and special week programs. Tax and gratuity
is extra. Non-rider packages available.
Shorter stays sometimes available. Our rates
are mid-range in comparison to other dude ranches
- way above rustic but not a luxury resort. (Prices are subject to change.)
- YOUR
WEEK’S PROGRAM Lots to do, no pressure
to do it! Guests check in after 3pm on Sunday
and say adios before 10am the following Saturday (six-night
package).
- YOUTH
PROGRAM Our supervised youth programs (ages
3-12) include ranch chores, horseback riding instruction,
horsemanship, trail rides (for children 6+), roping, and colt care. Non-horse activities include river tubing,
archery, Nature Center fun, guided hikes, crafts,
rock climbing, fishing, skeet shooting & more! Adults and
teens are welcome, too!
- FOOD
& BEVERAGE All meals are included in
your vacation package. Food is plentiful and some meals feature our own Heart-J
natural beef. There's lots of home-style cooking with an emphasis on locally produced and organic ingredients.
We are happy to accommodate most special diets.
While we feature the best from Colorado wineries and breweries, your own choice of wines, beers and liquors may also
be ordered in advance. Under state law, all
wine, beer and bartending services must be arranged
through the Ranch.
- NEW
THIS YEAR Check out what was new in 2009 and stay tuned to see what's coming in 2010!
- TESTIMONIALS Our guests love us! See some of the nice things they have had to say.
- SUMMER
CALENDAR Summer dude ranch season starts
in mid-June and lasts for ten weeks, ending in late August. Six nights, check in Sunday,
check out Saturday.
- CATTLE
DRIVE WEEKS All weeks feature cattle work of some kind,
but the two big drives occur early in late June and early July (see our summer schedule). Guests return year after year
to help move the herd from the main ranch up to the
back country. We also have
Special
Cow Hand Weeks in June when the ranch hands need some
extra help! As with any real working ranch, cattle work depends on weather and range conditions. Additional fees apply.
- NATIVE
AMERICAN WEEK Popular with all ages, this
special week is our 11th annual and is hosted by Gray
Wolf and guest historians. It includes hands-on crafts, games,
storytelling, tomahawk throwing, history, philosophy and more.
Additional fees apply.
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- HORSEBACK
RIDING Adults, teens and youth ages 6+
receive daily riding instruction with our friendly
wranglers, plus plenty of time in the saddle!
Enjoy trail rides, a breakfast ride and gymkhana.
The overnight pack trip to Cow Camp is often the highlight
of the week. Our "High Steaks" Poker Ride is an option for those not heading to Cow
Camp.
- FISHING
Supervised spin-cast fishing for adults and kids,
plus catch-and-release fly fishing for teens and adults
in our main ranch trout ponds, bass ponds and river
is included. Guided fly fishing for trophy-sized
trout in our Big Valley lakes and on the river as
well as lessons for beginners are available for an
extra charge.
- WHITE-WATER
RAFTING Take the plunge! Enjoy a
thrilling ride down Class II and Class III rapids
of the the nearby Cache la Poudre River. Additional
fees apply.
- BIRDING
AND NATURE A guided nature walk and a birding
session are part of your week. There are miles of
hiking trails on 3,200 acres with plenty of wildlife.
We protect our land with conservation easements and
practice low-impact cattle grazing.
- HAYRIDES
Meet Howdy and Kid, our Belgian draft horse team,
when you arrive on Sunday. They’ll take you
on an unusual orientation tour!
- EVENING
ENTERTAINMENT Evening activities are designed
for all ages and include Western dancing, a rollicking
Ranch party, cowboy entertainment, campfires, family
softball, an ice cream social ... just good ol' fashioned
family fun!
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- LODGING
All
26 lodging units have private baths,

comfortable beds
and country-western decor. In
keeping with Ranch
tradition as a haven from city life,
there are no
TVs or phones in rooms, but these new-
fangled contraptions
(along with wireless high-speed
internet access) are
available in the Heritage Building.
Total capacity:
50-60 people in cabins, guest houses
and lodge rooms.
- RECREATION Hot tub, heated outdoor
swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball,
horseshoes, basketball and game room with board games,
foosball, ping-pong

and billiards.
- FACILITIES
Ample gathering rooms for large family groups and
reunions, as well as outdoor picnic areas. Business
Center includes computer, printer, fax and color copier.
Telephones and high-speed internet access (cable and
wireless) available in several areas.
- MASSAGES
Take the kinks out of those new-found muscles with
a relaxing massage, by appointment only (additional fees apply).
- NEARBY
ATTRACTIONS Golf courses, white-water rafting,
Rocky Mountain National Park, Loveland Museum Gallery, Benson Park
Sculpture Garden, historic downtown Loveland, Estes Park Village, Roosevelt National
Forest, Fort Collins, Boulder, Gold Rush towns and
much more.
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- LOCATION
AND DIRECTIONS: Sylvan Dale is one hour and fifteen minutes
from Denver International Airport - in the foothills
on US Highway 34 between Loveland and Estes Park,
twenty miles from Rocky Mountain National Park.
Altitude is a comfortable 5,200 feet on the main ranch
to 7,200 feet at Cow Camp; on 3,200 acres.
- TRAVEL
TIPS What to Wear, Vacation Insurance,
One-Stop Travel planning, Additional lodging, Car
rentals, Airport Shuttles and more.
- SERVICES
& POLICIES Laundry, Pets, Tips, Smoking,
alcoholic beverages and more.
- PHOTOS
"Friendliest Holiday - A Week on a Western Dude Ranch." - James T. Yenckel, Washington Post travel writer, from "The Best and Worst...the Fearless Traveler rates the ultimate in travel."
Named "Best Family Vacation" by Frommer's Colorado Guidebook and rated among the "top ten Colorado dude ranches" by True West Magazine.
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Happy Trails,
The Jessup Family and Staff at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
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