Saddleback Ranch
Saddleback Ranch
5
Ski & Snow Tours • Horseback Riding Tours
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About
A 8,000 acre fourth generation working cattle ranch 15 miles west of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Escape to Saddleback Ranch to enjoy a relaxing day of riding, working cattle and seeing some gorgeous scenery. It is a day you will never forget! Saddleback Ranch is a located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Family Owned and Operated!In the winter we offer:2 hour Photo Opportunity Horseback Rides, Snowmobile Tours and Dinner Tours, Dinner Sleigh Rides YEE-HAW Tubing Hill. In the summer we offer:Cattle Drives- a 4 hour ride moving cattle2 hour Photo Opportunity Rides- Afternoon Horseback or Wagon Dinner Rides ATV Tours
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
978 reviews
Excellent
841
Very good
90
Average
19
Poor
20
Terrible
8
Jessica M
2 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
This is a must while in Steamboat! They pick you up at the Gondola Transit Center (to get there is an easy & free bus ride from anywhere in town), and drive about 20-30 min to get to the ranch. The entire staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, beginning with the shuttle ride. I came with my 3 year old (who moves at her own pace), and they were all so patient with us. They have 3 runs, one easy, one medium, and one for the adrenaline junkies. My toddler rode on my lap for the first 2, but the last one might have been a little too much for her. I rode that one alone, head first. If you can get away from the kids for a quick 10 min, I highly recommend it! They have a small cabin to warm up and buy some snacks/hot chocolate or to use the restroom. Just a heads up, it’s a $10 minimum for snacks if you use a credit card. The time went by fast, but it was a perfect time slot to have just enough fun before needing to defrost. My kid won’t stop talking about the time we had at Saddleback ranch. We will be back!
Written December 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lori P
Orlando, FL12 contributions
Feb 2023
The whole trip was amazing. We were a party of nine and took the morning bus trip from Steamboat Springs on Saturday, 2/19/2023 for tubing. First off, I accidentally booked the wrong day in the evening on Thursday and immediately reached out to correct the date and they responded that same evening to let us know they switched reservation to the correct day! Our bus was full but we were the only ones there pretty much for the duration of our visit. We were all able to do all the runs while we were there. I even convinced my 77 YO mom to go down one of the runs with us and she LOVED it. 7 of us are from Florida and my mom had never seen snow. It was beautiful and the best experience of our trip! The person in the little shop/concession area was wonderful and nice and accommodating.
Written February 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather L
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Family
We had a wonderful snowmobiling experience with our family of 5 (my husband and kids -10, 13,16). The views and riding through the trails were amazing! It was a perfect amount of time (2 hrs) on the actual snowmobile. We really enjoyed the free time riding around in the huge open snowy field! Joe, our guide, was friendly, patient and knowledgeable! We felt very safe in his hands. Deb, our shuttle driver, was also great. She was very nice and informative about the area during our shuttle ride to and from our condo. We would highly recommend Saddleback Ranch for any outdoor activities! This will always be one of our top memories as a family! Thank you! 😊😊
Written March 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelBunnyScarlet
Steamboat Springs, CO52 contributions
Mar 2022
I am a longtime Steamboat local and finally took the opportunity to visit Saddleback Ranch with a visiting couple as a birthday celebration for the 2 hour horseback ride.
The ride itself was beautiful (we were able to see our former ranch on the adjacent hill from the top of the mountain - a surprise vista for us) and the day was a Steamboat Bluebird at its finest.
The negatives were the size of the group (14+) with a guide that may not have been having her best day. She was short with some of the riders, rolled her eyes in our eyesight after a rider asked a simple question and due to the length of the lead guide to the rear of the pack, we could not hear most of her commands. We have horses of our own so this was not an issue for us however the rider directly in front of me was a novice and having a very hard time motivating her horse causing a gap in the line. Neither of the guides gave her any personalized assistance but rather exacerbated the situation with comments that discouraged rather than encouraged her performance. On the return trip one of the riders in the back expressed fear of the downhill slope. When her comment was not addressed by either guide (the front guide could not have heard) my husband gave her pointers on how to comfortably ride down a slope.
Overall the experience was average, not spectacular and not a total failure.
The ride itself was beautiful (we were able to see our former ranch on the adjacent hill from the top of the mountain - a surprise vista for us) and the day was a Steamboat Bluebird at its finest.
The negatives were the size of the group (14+) with a guide that may not have been having her best day. She was short with some of the riders, rolled her eyes in our eyesight after a rider asked a simple question and due to the length of the lead guide to the rear of the pack, we could not hear most of her commands. We have horses of our own so this was not an issue for us however the rider directly in front of me was a novice and having a very hard time motivating her horse causing a gap in the line. Neither of the guides gave her any personalized assistance but rather exacerbated the situation with comments that discouraged rather than encouraged her performance. On the return trip one of the riders in the back expressed fear of the downhill slope. When her comment was not addressed by either guide (the front guide could not have heard) my husband gave her pointers on how to comfortably ride down a slope.
Overall the experience was average, not spectacular and not a total failure.
Written March 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fharb
Fort Lauderdale, FL28 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
There are several snowmobile operations in the area. But non compared to the experience at Saddleback Ranch.
With literally hundreds of trails, our guide took us through pristine trails (we had a great snowfall the night before), allowing us to really explore the great outdoors.
The snowmobiles themselves were in great shape, modern and easy to drive.
Our guide was informative, looked for the best possible views and photo ops, and knew a lot about the area, trees and wildlife.
We got our full two hours worth, including an area where we were allowed to"run" free to feel the power of these machines.
When in Steamboat Springs, you have to try Saddleback Ranch!
With literally hundreds of trails, our guide took us through pristine trails (we had a great snowfall the night before), allowing us to really explore the great outdoors.
The snowmobiles themselves were in great shape, modern and easy to drive.
Our guide was informative, looked for the best possible views and photo ops, and knew a lot about the area, trees and wildlife.
We got our full two hours worth, including an area where we were allowed to"run" free to feel the power of these machines.
When in Steamboat Springs, you have to try Saddleback Ranch!
Written April 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bailey
1 contribution
Aug 2022
We had a work group (about 15) people come to this. To begin, online you can only book up to 12. I called and got phenomenal l help in getting the others added. This was no problem for them! I then had to cancel a few people and again, they were so helpful in getting this taken care of. We showed up the day of and had a few members late. They were patient and waited on those members to show up and helped provide direction over the phone to them. Deb was chatty and made it so there was not an awkward silence, which is always appreciated. She was helpful when a horse would stop or telling you how to sit better. Overall, this was a good experience for our group and everyone had a really good time! Also, the view at the top was gorgeous and very worth the ride.
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joel
Spring, TX3 contributions
Jun 2022
Our trip to Saddleback Ranch for the horseback dinner was supposed to me the "big" surprise we had planned for our kids on this trip. However, we made a mistake when buying the tickets on the website, which was a little confusing and not very clear. We inadvertently purchased wagon tickets ($100/each) rather than horseback ($130/each) and didn't realize it until we were at the ranch.
At the ranch we asked if there was anything they could do to accommodate us if we paid the difference. We were told they had no horses available. Admittedly there were 8 of us so it's understandable that we could not be accommodated that evening and we completely understand. However, when we asked if we could come back the next day instead, we were told that we could not since the food for the evening had already been purchased. So basically we were told to enjoy our wagon ride because there was nothing else they could do for us.
The wagon ride isn't bad... it's beautiful scenery and the handler was super nice and informative about the ranch, but the cost of the wagon ride isn't worth it when compared to riding on horseback. To make matters worse, you get to see everyone ride by on horseback while you're on the wagon, so while it wasn't done on purpose, having everyone ride by us made it sting that much more.
Since we were told we couldn't reschedule since the food had already been ordered, we presumed it would be high quality and worth the cost. It wasn't. It's pretty basic steak / chicken, with baked beans, bread, side salad, and desert. Very similar to what you would normally expect at a church dinner. Good, but nothing special or spectacular about it. One of the ranch hands did take all the children outside for a little while to show them how to lasso. The kids did enjoy that activity and it was probably the highlight of the evening.
Bottom line, you go to the ranch for the horseback riding. The meal is kind of an added bonus and unless you physically can't or don't want to ride a horse, the wagon ride isn't worth the cost. If you do decide to go, make sure you purchase the correct tickets from the website, otherwise the ranch that uses two dollar signs ($$) as their branding logo is not willing to work with you.
At the ranch we asked if there was anything they could do to accommodate us if we paid the difference. We were told they had no horses available. Admittedly there were 8 of us so it's understandable that we could not be accommodated that evening and we completely understand. However, when we asked if we could come back the next day instead, we were told that we could not since the food for the evening had already been purchased. So basically we were told to enjoy our wagon ride because there was nothing else they could do for us.
The wagon ride isn't bad... it's beautiful scenery and the handler was super nice and informative about the ranch, but the cost of the wagon ride isn't worth it when compared to riding on horseback. To make matters worse, you get to see everyone ride by on horseback while you're on the wagon, so while it wasn't done on purpose, having everyone ride by us made it sting that much more.
Since we were told we couldn't reschedule since the food had already been ordered, we presumed it would be high quality and worth the cost. It wasn't. It's pretty basic steak / chicken, with baked beans, bread, side salad, and desert. Very similar to what you would normally expect at a church dinner. Good, but nothing special or spectacular about it. One of the ranch hands did take all the children outside for a little while to show them how to lasso. The kids did enjoy that activity and it was probably the highlight of the evening.
Bottom line, you go to the ranch for the horseback riding. The meal is kind of an added bonus and unless you physically can't or don't want to ride a horse, the wagon ride isn't worth the cost. If you do decide to go, make sure you purchase the correct tickets from the website, otherwise the ranch that uses two dollar signs ($$) as their branding logo is not willing to work with you.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marilyn A
Peoria, IL100 contributions
Feb 2022
Great time Snowmobiling and Tubing - we did the Sunset Tour that combined the activities.
Pick up at the Gondola transit center was smooth and the Snowmobiling was beautiful.
Danny our guide was able to take us out and catch a beautiful sunset and stopped enough for us to get great pictures along the way. Our trail was not too difficult for the rookies in our group. Machines were in good shape so that made it a comfortable ride.
Tubing was a new experience for some of us - but fun while it lasted.
Out return to the transit center was as smooth as the pick up.
Pick up at the Gondola transit center was smooth and the Snowmobiling was beautiful.
Danny our guide was able to take us out and catch a beautiful sunset and stopped enough for us to get great pictures along the way. Our trail was not too difficult for the rookies in our group. Machines were in good shape so that made it a comfortable ride.
Tubing was a new experience for some of us - but fun while it lasted.
Out return to the transit center was as smooth as the pick up.
Written February 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richmond M
Loveland, CO10 contributions
Feb 2021 • Family
Saddleback is easily one of the best run operations my family has ever come across. The reservation process was simple, their communication leading up to our full day was timely and the experience was amazing. The three hours touring through the mountains and pastures varied dynamically allowing us to see all types of terrain. Our guide was very experienced and had a great sense of humor making the time well worth the price. The snowmobiles were well maintained. After the tour, we were offered a nice, hot lunch then two hours on one of the best tubing hills we had ever been on. We look forward to another winter adventure and hope to visit during the summer for their horseback tours!!
Written February 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian
10 contributions
Jun 2022
I have been on many guided horseback trips in my life, but this by far topped them all. I had visions of a tired guide, a tired ranch and tired horses, but none of that was truth. Pulling up the the ranch with the pristine natural Colorado backdrop was the start of a great morning. But then the staff greeted us in the parking lot with excitement and humor that set the tone for the day. EVERY person we interacted with was top-notch from the phone call, to the staff onsite, to our handlers and especially our guides. Debbie made the trip so informative and authentic that I felt like I was roaming the 8,300 acres of the ranch as a frontiersman. Oh, and we saw a bear and two coyotes which was a great bonus! I cannot leave out the stars of the show, the horses. They were paired up for me and my two kids perfectly for both experience and weirdly enough, personality.
We had such a wonderful experience at Saddleback Ranch and will come back again the next time we are traveling through!
We had such a wonderful experience at Saddleback Ranch and will come back again the next time we are traveling through!
Written June 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We would love the opportunity to take you out again!! Thank you so much for this review!
Written July 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ubsmall
Morrowville, KS48 contributions
How expensive is it for the horseback riding in August??
Good afternoon! We have a few different options available in August as far as horseback riding goes. If you would like to give us a call I would be glad to help you with pricing. 970-879-3711 We look forward to hearing from you
Cheryl M
Lowell, AR1 contribution
If we do the snow mobile adventure package what time should we plan on being back at our hotel In steamboat (locates not far from city center)?
Saddleback Ranch
Steamboat Springs, CO
The pick up would be at 8:30 and then returning back to Steamboat Resort around 3pm.
Cheryl M
Lowell, AR1 contribution
If we do the snow mobile adventure package what time should we plan on being back at our hotel In steamboat (locates not far from city center)?
The transportation leaves the ranch back to town around 2:30, you would be back to your hotel between 3:00- 3:30
DoreExplorer
Charlotte, NC58 contributions
I would like to book the SleighRide dinner for Christmastime. It would be our first time out. We know for sure we will have 4 guests, but we may have 2 more. I would like to book all 6, and change the reservation a couple weeks ahead if the 2 cannot attend, but am concerned that cancellations must reach a live person- Has anyone had to modify or cancel a reservation- Is it fairly easy to get a person on the phone to do so? I would give plenty of notice, but do not want to risk losing $200+ if I cannot cancel successfully, if needed.
pennymum55
Broomfield, CO31 contributions
We changed last minute from hay ride to horseback. They are nice people. Leave a message telling them , they will let you know
Crystal L
Westford, Massachusetts, United States228 contributions
My family is participating in the tubing and sleigh ride dinner. If we wear our snow pants etc. for tubing, is there a place to change before dinner? Is there a place to put our bag, when we get there?
kimmysue42
Minneapolis, MN1,504 contributions
There is a building with restrooms and snacks. I’m not sure if they have lockers or storage but you will have a place to change. Only stipulation is if the dinner is somewhere else. I haven’t been on their sleigh ride. Not sure where they hold the dinner.
Crystal L
Westford, Massachusetts, United States228 contributions
My family is participating in the tubing and sleigh ride dinner. If we wear our snow pants etc. for tubing, is there a place to change before dinner? Is there a place to put our bag, when we get there?
Yes, there is.
JM
Denver, CO195 contributions
Do you have minimum age limit or height for snow tubing? Also for the tubing and sleigh ride package, do you drop off back at hotels after dinner? Thanks.
Hi! We do not have a minimum age limit or height requirement for tubing. Children under the age of 5 are free, but need to ride with an adult. And yes, for the dinner sleigh ride and tubing package we pick up at the Gondola Transit Center, but will drop you off at your condo or hotel at the end of the evening. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else. Have a great day!
Cara
shprt
Houston, TX
Are there lockers or any place to put the bags when doing the snow tubing? Where do people normally put the bags/cameras etc during the tubing?
jwt1234
Stuart, FL95 contributions
No lockers or anything. Really it was leave in your car. There were saddle bags for horse riding time.....not sure about Tubing.
Gigi F
La Crosse, WI2 contributions
What do you have in the schedule for Thanksgiving week?
During Thanksgiving week we will be offering horseback rides. We will start all of our other winter activities mid-December.
Thanks!
Is there a weight limit or do you have big horses? Do you have specific days for trail riding?
G C
6 contributions
There were several on our trip that were 250+.... My husband is a big man (6' and 225lbs), so I called before we booked. Their answer was that they had accommodated "much bigger". Hope this helps :).
Saddleback Ranch (Steamboat Springs) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Saddleback Ranch
- Hotels near Saddleback Ranch:
- (8.84 mi) The Porches
- (7.71 mi) Nordic Lodge of Steamboat Springs
- (8.67 mi) Holiday Inn Steamboat Springs, an IHG Hotel
- (8.07 mi) Rabbit Ears Motel
- (8.70 mi) Homewood Suites by Hilton Steamboat Springs
- Restaurants near Saddleback Ranch:
- (7.72 mi) Laundry Restaurant
- (7.72 mi) Creekside Cafe & Grill
- (7.89 mi) Winona's
- (9.25 mi) Cafe Diva
- (7.96 mi) Mahogany Ridge Brewery And Grill