Hiking

• Rainbow Trail. One of the areas best know hiking trails, the Rainbow Trail runs horizontally along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at around 9-10,000 feet. The trail can be accessed by one of the many roads that head up into the Sangre range.
• Other hiking trails. The Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountains offer a variety of hiking options, too many to include here. We have several hiking trail books and maps at the ranch and local merchants also offer information on hiking in the area.

Antique Shopping in Florence Colorado

Located just 30 minutes from the ranch, Florence is fast becoming known as the best Antique Row in all of Colorado. Get a small group together and visit the more than 20 antique stores in this quintessential Colorado town. While shopping, don’t miss out on a great lunch at one of the many restaurants located in Florence. Directions located in guest book at the ranch.

Royal Gorge and the Royal Gorge Bridge, Canon City, Colorado

Known as Colorado’s Natural Wonder, the Royal Gorge is a vertical canyon along Colorado’s Arkansas River. The park offers tours of the Royal Gorge Bridge, an aerial tram, thrill seeking “SkyCoaster”, narrow gage railroad dining cars, and much more. Learn more by visiting www.royalgorgebridge.com or calling (888) 333-5597.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, San Luis Valley, Colorado

Although it takes about 2 hours to get to, Great Sand Dunes National Park is an amazing example of what mother nature is capable of. Located between 7,000 and 9,000 feet along the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, these sand dunes are the largest sand dunes in North America. For information, go to www.nos.gov/grsa.

Cripple Creek, Colorado

One of 3 towns in Colorodo that offers gambling in the style of the old west. About 1 hour and 45 minutes from the ranch. For information, go to www.visitcripplecreek.com

Dark Skies

Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley was started in 1998 with the goal of protecting the valley’s pristine night skies for future generations. Working with local ranchers, businesses and local government, the organization’s 17-year campaign included educating a wide section of the valley’s population as to the many benefits of a preserved night sky. As a result, in 2015, Westcliffe and neighboring Silver Cliff were recognized by the International Dark Sky Association as the 9th International Dark Sky Community in the entire world, the first in Colorado, and the closest to the stars at nearly 8,000 feet. Now people come from all over the world to view our valley’s amazing night sky. www.darkskiescolorado.org

Local Skiing: Monarch Mountain Ski and Snowboarding Area

Monarch Mountain Ski area, located 22 miles west of the town of Salida near Monarch pass, is just 1 hour 15 minutes from Red Rock Ranch. A day use ski area, known as having the best powder skiing in the state, this ski area has 54 trails, two terrain parks, and an extreme terrain area called Mirkwood.

Top 10 Reasons to Live in Westcliffe

• Most West Mountain Valley residents agree that the number one reason to live in Westcliffe centers on all all of the recreational activities within close proximity.
• There are many books that have been written about the amazing hiking, fishing and hunting in this region of Colorado. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you could spend a lifetime exploring the hundreds of miles of trails and 370 miles of streams that converge into rivers and lakes, and create this lush mountain valley.
• There are over a million acres of national forest with trails leading to 52 high mountain lakes and streams, which are filled with trout. Even if you are just hiking and not fishing, most of the lakes are at tree line and the natural beauty of these lakes nestled into the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo’s will take your breath away. Wildlife including elk, deer, antelope, big horn sheep, mountain lion, bobcats, and eagles abound in this national forest land. Many different hunting seasons in the fall provide ample opportunity for the hunting sportsman.
• The Arkansas River, only a 25 minute drive north of the ranch, is a plethora of recreation all unto itself, with white-water rafting and fly fishing topping the list. Only 45 miles east from Westcliffe, the Arkansas River pours into Lake Pueblo, which is Colorado’s largest recreational lake, with two marinas, boatslips, sailboating, water-skiing, jet skiing, pontoon boating, fishing, kayaking and windsurfing.
• Horseback riding is probably second only to fishing in popularity in terms of recreation in and around the valley. There are numerous stables and opportunities to ride on private land. BLM land, National Forest Land, or even do a pack trip over the Sangre de Cristo range and into the San Luis Valley and Great Sand Dunes National Monument.
• This is a full service town with restaurants, grocery and health food stores, liquor stores, bakery and butcher shops, lumber yards and hardware, banks, bowling alley and family fun center, tennis courts, movie theater and repertory company, and a thriving local health care facility known as Custer County Clinic with local ambulance serviced by reverse directory 911 calls.
• The Silver West Airport is located only 10 miles south of town and provides private jets and planes with hangar facilities, and 1.5 miles long paved runway, making access to the valley easy for residents who their own plane or jet.
• There are only about 4.200 residents in the whole of Custer County. It wouldn’t be unusual to see real cowboys anywhere around the valley, as cattle ranches still thrive with the best meat and steaks right in the local butcher shop.
• A set of very active community leaders provides a great school system, many local organizations, a weekly farmers market (except winter) and the “Artist Culture” that dominates the community, provides a wide variety of arts and crafts year round. There are numerous festivities and festivals that run from May through Christmas. To name a few: Memorial Day Parade, Shakespeare festival at the outdoor theater, and incredible Fourth of July weekend, complete with a professional fireworks show over Lake De Weese, the Blue Grass and Jazz Festivals at the Bluff Music Festival Grounds, Westcliffe Stampede, Rodeo Weekend, Western Days, The Art Hullabaloo, San Isabel Art Auction and the list goes on and on with something for everyone in this quaint little old west town that truly makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time.
• Known as the “Friendliest Town in Colorado” it isn’t unusual on a drive down any of the valley’s hundreds of miles of roads to have complete strangers give you the “Westcliffe Wave”, which is just to say “howdy” and have a good day!

What is the history of Westcliffe?

The Spanish explorers “discovered” the valley, although the north end of the valley was for hundreds of years prior, a summer home to the Ute tribe of Indians. After the Spanish exploration for gold in the Sangre de Cristo range in the 1500’s and 1600’s, the hearty pioneers moved west looking for a better life.

In the late 1700’s, a large group of German settlers who escaped “Dirty Factory Life” in Chicago, took advantage of this lush valley for cattle ranching. In the 1870’s and 1880’s came a huge influx of miners finding both gold and silver. It is said that there were about 10,000 people who lived in the area and that Silver Cliff, Denver and Leadville were all in the running to be voted as state capital.

Finally, the Rio Grand Railroad came to town in the early 1900’s bringing more settlers, and more commerce. By the 1920’s silver became too expensive to get out of the ground versus what it was worth, and the population dwindled to the simple, but rewarding ranching life that dominated the valley until the late 1970’s when real estate became the primary economy.

What is the history of Red Rock Ranch in Westcliffe?

Although documented factual history concerning the original homestead of the settlement at Red Rock Ranch is limited, it appears that it was originally named “Red Rock Ranch”, with a homestead claim for the original home site, named “MacKenzie Ranch” in approximately 1874. This is also when the hand-hewn log, Homestead Cabin was built as a one room structure which is still a room of the current day structure.

The main portion of this home was built on to the original cabin in the 1890’s, and around the same time, a booming “Smelter Operation” was run on the property, and was one of a handful of smelters in the valley for miners to bring their ore for smelting.  The ruins of this operation, as well as the main ore oven, are adjacent to the current “Sand Volleyball Court”, which lies east of the “Homestead Cabin”.

The stable, corral, and portions of the current day “Ranch House” comprised of the”East Wing” (Game Room, Bunk Room, Gym/Sauna), were all built in the late 1940’s. What is currently known as “The Ranch House” was completed in 2004, which provides 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

The Ranch House was built using Architectural Antiques that were salvaged from old Victorian era homes in Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Pittsburg. The doors throughout the home for instance were all from a convent in Pittsburg that was built in the 1890’s and each nun did a “Faux Oak Grain” staining treatment to these Fir doors, using a technique from Germany using a mixture of lacquer and beer.

Many of the architectural details in the “Ranch House” including the main fireplace, staircase, back bar, kitchen cabinets, and doors and hardware throughout are all original antiques, which all contribute to the structure having the real feel of an original, early 1900’s “Railroad Baron Mansion”.

By completing this final home in 2004, the ranch was finally ready for what it has become over the last 18 summer seasons: A guest ranch that sleeps 50 people, with a thriving summer season of Family Reunions and small Destination Wedding rentals.

What recreation is available in the area?

There are many books that have been written about the amazing hiking, fishing, and hunting in this region of Colorado. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you could spend a lifetime exploring the hundreds of miles of trails and 370 miles of streams that converge into rivers and lakes, and create this lush high mountain valley.

There are over a million acres of national forest with trails leading to 52 high mountain lakes and streams which are filled with trout. Even if you are just hiking and not fishing, most of the lakes are at tree line and the natural beauty of these lakes nestled into the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo’s will take your breath away.

Wildlife including elk, deer, antelope, big horn sheep, bear, mountain Lion, bobcats, eagles abound in this national forest land. Many different hunting seasons in the fall, provide ample opportunity for the hunting sportsman.

The Arkansas River, only a 25 minute drive north of the ranch, is a plethora of recreation all unto itself, with white-water rafting and fly fishing topping the list. Only 45 miles east from Westcliffe, the Arkansas river pours into Lake Pueblo, which is Colorado’s largest recreational lake, with two marinas, boatslips, sailboating, water-skiing, jet-skiing, pontoon boating, fishing, kayaking, and windsurfing.

Horseback riding is probably second only to fishing in popularity in terms of recreation in and around the valley. There are numerous stables and opportunities to ride on private land, BLM land, National Forest Land, or even do a pack trip over the Sangre de Cristo range and into the San Luis Valley, and Great Sand Dunes National Monument.

What is it like to live in Westcliffe?

This is a full service town with restaurants, grocery and health food stores, liquor stores, bakery and butcher shops, lumber yard and hardware, banks, bowling alley and family fun center, tennis courts,  movie theater and repertory company, and a thriving local health care facility known as Custer County Clinic with local ambulance serviced by reverse directory 911 call-ins.

The Silver West Airport is located only 10 miles south of town, and provides private jets and planes with hanger facilities, and a 1.5 mile long paved runway, making access to the valley easy and simple for residents who own their own plane or jet.

There are only about 4,200 residents in the whole of Custer County. It wouldn’t be unusual to see real cowboys anywhere around the valley, as cattle ranches still thrive with the best meat and steaks right in the local butcher shop.

A set of very active community leaders, provide a great school system, many local organizations, a weekly farmers market (except winter), and the “Artist Culture” that dominates the community, provides a wide variety of arts and crafts year round.

There are numerous festivities and festivals that run from May through Christmas. To name a few: Memorial Day parade, Shakespeare Festival at the outdoor theater, an incredible Fourth of July Weekend, complete with a professional fireworks show over Lake De Weese. The Blue Grass and Jazz Festivals at “The Bluff Music Festival Grounds”, Westcliffe Stampede Rodeo Weekend, Western Days, The Art Hullabaloo, San Isabel Art Auction and the list goes on and on with something for everyone in this quaint little old west town, that truly makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time.

Known as the “Friendliest Town in Colorado”, it isn’t unusual on a drive down any of the valley’s hundreds of miles of roads, to have complete strangers give you the “Westcliffe Wave”, which is just to say “howdy” and have a good day!