Explore Zapata Ranch
Ride horses with two thousand bison or in Great Sand Dunes National Park, hike the wild Sangre de Cristo Mountains, join in with the daily ranch work, and enjoy gourmet meals. All riding levels welcome.
Open March – October.
Activities & Programs
Zapata Ranch offers extensive programs based around horseback riding and nature programs, and also the opportunity to experience life on a working cattle and bison ranch while enjoying high-end amenities and gourmet food. Guests who desire a working ranch experience are welcome alongside our wranglers and ranch staff on various ranch projects. For those seeking to just experience the ranch and its surroundings, horseback rides through the herd of 2,000 wild bison or the neighboring Great Sand Dunes National Park are favorites.
Other possible activities during your stay include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking in the nearby mountains, ecological tours of the ranch, fly fishing, massages, and more.
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Accommodations
Accommodations are in the ranch’s historic 17-bedroom Lodge, the original ranch homestead built in the 1800s.
Rooms are beautifully furnished with elegant southwestern decor, include private tiled bathrooms, and views that are private, peaceful, and beautiful in any season.
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Food & Drink
The dining experience at the Zapata is second-to-none. Using local produce and meats, including bison from the ranch’s herd, our chefs craft an unforgettable and uncommon take on traditional comfort foods with a modern twist. With dishes like bison tenderloin, wild caught trout from the Arkansas River just a few miles away, and herb roasted carrots from local farmers cooked over wood grown on the property, our kitchen provides a more organic encounter to cuisine seldom displayed elsewhere. Enjoy made-to-order breakfasts of pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon, fig and cheese toast, and frittatas, and bagged lunches to slip into your saddlebag and enjoy on the trail.
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About The Ranch
The Medano-Zapata Ranch is owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by Ranchlands in a partnership model that emphasizes environmental conservation practices. Located on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, the ranch borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the newest national park in the United States.
Home to a conservation herd of bison that run in a single 50,000 acre pasture, the ranch also runs a herd of Angus mother cows. Additionally, the ranch has a 17-bedroom Lodge that welcomes guests from around the world who are interested in exploring the ranch’s scenic and ecologically diverse meadows, wetlands, sand dunes, and cottonwood groves and learning about ranching’s role in preserving and protecting these natural landscapes.
Learn More About the RanchRates & Availability
Our all-inclusive ranch vacation packages include all meals, lodging, and activities on the ranch, such as horseback riding, guided hiking, and naturalist tours. All packages are priced per person. Taxes and gratuities are not included.
There is a 3-night minimum for ranch vacations.
Limited overnight stays are available at the ranch. These rates include lodging and meals only. No ranch activities are included in overnight rates. Additional rooms may be available over the phone if you call us at 719.257.3043.
