Facing the Conejos River in the spectacular Conejos Canyon of the southern Colorado Rockies, this wonderful all-inclusive ranch has been welcoming guests for decades. The delightfully comfortable wood-paneled 2- and 3-bedroom log cabins are decorated in western themes and offer private bathrooms, fireplaces and front porches. The huge, historic main lodge features a lovely living area, dining room, library and a vast porch with rocking chairs and great views, plus there's also a rec room, and an outdoor pool and hot tub. Ranch activities include excellent horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, kids' and teen programs in the main summer weeks, trap-shooting/archery, horse-drawn wagon rides and fun evenings. And there is ALWAYS a great staff who add so much to your stay! Whitewater rafting is offered as a day trip to Taos, NM during the main season. There are adult-only weeks offered from mid-August into Sept. Most everyone comes back- -- come and see why. COME LIVE THE WEST WITH US!
I try to go every year- it's always so hard to leave. I have been going since 2017 and it gets better every year. I dont know how the Van Berkums do it but they hore the best people, have the most excellent horses and really truly want each guest to have an incredible stay. They succeed at this in overwhelming excellent fashion.
The accommodations from registration to paying the final bill are beyond amazing. The cabins while rustic are beautifully appointed with excellent linens, comfortable beds , wonderfully stocked fireplaces and great views. The meals are out of this world good comfort food for every single meal and all served by happy charming staff.
It's just a great place to reboot.
Activities range from excellent horseback rides almost every skill level on healthy, well taken care of horses to beautiful places to great fishing or beautiful hikes. Evening events are fun and optional but I highly recommend s'mores around the campfire and game night. All this is surrounded by the most amazing staff ever- people who are happy to be there, energetic, fun, helpful and just nice.
The price includes horseback riding, three amazing meals everyday ( more than most can eat at each meal) a ton of activities each evening if you wish, a beautiful well maintained pool, fly fishing with guides and gear and accommodations all of the highest order.
Whether you go with family or friends, you will leave with a happy heart and memories for a lifetime.
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Date of stay: September 2023
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:take layers of clothes- it can be hot then rain and you need a sweater
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.
Response from Rainbow Trout Ranch, Owner at Rainbow Trout Ranch
Responded Sep 18, 2023
Ah Judy - what a wonderfully kind review! Thank you! We feel pretty good about ourselves after reading that :) -- and it is truly because of great guests like you that we can keep doing what we are doing. And loving it! Keep well and can't wait to see you here again. Happy Trails, always ~~ David & Jane, and all the folks at the ranch
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A peaceful and adventurous retreat in the mountains! Every morning, coffee could be delivered to your porch as early as 5am. My dad and I would sit on the porch, overlooking mountains, sip coffee and read/write. Staff was extremely friendly; even events that I thought would be hokey (like singing cowboy songs) were super fun! We formed genuine bonds with the staff and other people at Rainbow Trout. Horseriding was adventurous; also enjoyed a sunrise hike. Would love to do this again. We miss Doug and his coffee pot! There is WiFi at the big house, but not at the cabins, which allowed us to disconnect every morning and evening.
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Date of stay: June 2019
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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.
The location is unique. Nestled in the mountains at 9,000 ft, you feel removed from the hustle and bustle of "real life" and you can just relax. Food? Oh yeah. Accommodations? So comfortable. The best part for me is the warm welcome from the staff and Van Berkum family including the animals alike! No other ranch treats their horses as well as Rainbow Trout Ranch. Some ranches lease out horses, not here. They are a happy, healthy herd. That means so much to me as a returning guest. Even in this crazy covid-world, Rainbow Trout Ranch took every precaution and made sure we felt comfortable.
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Date of stay: September 2020
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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.
From the beginning we felt like family! Some how we got pulled from the waiting list and the dates worked out perfectly! Jane was very responsive and a joy to talk to on the phone when making the reservations. I think we talked for 1/2 hour about the ranch and only a few minutes were spent talking about the reservations. When we arrived Doug greeted us and instantly we felt at home. We let the kids run free all week and never worried about them. The staff that Doug, Linda, David & Jane hire are beyond top notch. They all work their tails off and always have a smile on willing to help with anything at anytime. I was very impressed with the orientation and safety brief Jane gave the first day. It set the tone for a fabulous week, giving us the reassurance that the staff were always looking out for us and our needs, which takes away all the concerns that one may have. The activities are non-stop, and you can not accomplish all of them in one visit. Multiple trips are required to accomplish everything the ranch has to offer. We took guided fly fishing trips, amazing trail rides, forest hikes, white water rafting trip... just to mention a few. The meals were phenomenal, served by a professional and caring staff. Doug, the owner, served us multiple meals from the grill and he and Linda were always ready to fill coffee cups at the end of each meal. I am an early riser and got to see “behind the curtain” a bit and the amount of work the staff puts in before the guest wake up is monumental, with Doug leading the way at the main lodge and Jane and David leading the wranglers in the barn and pasture. I am pleased to say my family has found an annual vacation that we plan to take for years. Already booked for 2022!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
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.
Response from Rainbow Trout Ranch, Owner at Rainbow Trout Ranch
Responded Mar 8, 2022
Thank you so much for this lovely review. We really appreciate your taking the time to do it - and for your choosing our family ranch for your family vacation. We truly love our guests! Keep well, you and yours, and Happy Trails, always ~~ The Van Berkum Family
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RTR is truly a gem, I recently visited with my family and had an amazing experience. Three generations of the same family run this ranch and make you feel like part of the family from the moment you walk through the double doors to the beautiful lodge where you will relax, meet life-long friends and enjoy home-cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hummingbirds buzz around the porch all day as you sit, relax and plan your day of riding or fly fishing. I could not imagine a more relaxing holiday. We are all novice riders but the wranglers challenged and looked after us perfectly and by the end of the week we were trotting, loping and enjoying the stunning CO outdoors like seasoned cowboys and girls. My iPad addicted tweens switched off completely and got back to a nature, friends and new experiences. I cannot recommend this ranch highly enough .
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Date of stay: July 2020
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We just returned from a week at RTR. Five stars does not do this place justice. The Van Berkum family is truly special and one can see that they love what they do. From riding horses to fishing to the great program for kids and teens, RTR has it all. Having stayed in some of the finest hotels in the US, the personalized service at this ranch beats all of them. From the moment you arrive, they treat you like family. Jane and her staff at the barn know not only your name, but which horse you are riding. The cabins are rustic but well-appointed. The food was great and there was something for everyone. No review would be complete without mentioning the hospitality of Doug Van Berkum and his penchant for filling your coffee mug and making "the perfect s'mores" - according to my kids. We are already planning our visit next Summer and now understand why families return to RTR year after year.
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Date of stay: June 2022
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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 are six guys who decided to have an adventure to celebrate our friend's wedding. Rainbow Trout Ranch was an ideal place to go. It's a bit off the beaten path, but that's part of the point. The views and the setting were incredible. The facilities are rustic but more than comfortable, as long as you're not expecting a TV or wi-fi in your room. Again, I think that's part of the point. Unplug yourself for a week!
None of us had much experience with horses, so we figured we would have a pretty tame experience. But in the course of the week we learned some of the finer points of handling horses and were given a surprising degree of freedom and challenge in terms of climbing, maneuvering through dense trees, and even a taste of rodeo events like cow sorting and barrel racing by the end of the week. We were all blown away by how much we learned. This is not a kiddie ride where your horse just follows the horse in front of it. There was plenty of opportunity to learn how to interact with your horse.
Horse riding might be the main event, but there were plenty of other activities to keep you busy. Fishing, whitewater rafting, hiking, disc golf, line dancing, etc. etc. We took advantage of all that and more.
The food was hearty, plentiful and varied. A real foodie might be disappointed, but they served up exactly the kind of food you would expect--things like pancakes or French toast for breakfast, hamburgers or fajitas for lunch, steaks or Chilean Sea Bass for dinner. The chefs made an extra effort to accommodate dietary restrictions, and in my case they often made a special fish or vegetarian meal just for me.
But the thing that really distinguishes RTR from other places we've been is the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. From the wranglers and chefs to the cleaning and wait staff, everyone was incredibly friendly, dedicated and hardworking. Everyone who works there is treated like family and you feel like you are being invited into the family. Often they would have staff come and sit with you at table, which gave us a chance to get to know them better and eliminated the separation between staff and guest. Their philosophy is that no one is better than anyone else, and to me that also means the guest is not better than the employee. That is a philosophy I can get behind.
There were many, many staff people who made an impression on us, too many to cite. What's clear is they hire the best people and treat them well so they stay a long time. The real gem behind the operation is Jane, one of the owners. She gets to know every guest and spends time with you every day, in addition to her meticulous handling of the horse operations. Her dedication, spirit and hard work trickles down through all the staff, so that you never get the feeling that anything is being done halfway.
I highly recommend Rainbow Trout Ranch, as it was one of the best travel experiences I've had, and would have a hard time believing there is a better operation of its kind.
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Date of stay: June 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Be aware there is only wi-fi in the lodge so communicating with the outside world is more...
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.
Response from Rainbow Trout Ranch, Owner at Rainbow Trout Ranch
Responded Jun 12, 2024
Wow - Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about the ranch. It must have taken you a long time to write all that, and we so appreciate it. We really enjoyed having you all here at the ranch. Thank you so much for choosing us! Keep well, and Happy Trails, always ~~ Jane and all of us here at the ranch
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Looking for the perfect family or couples vacation? Check out the Rainbow Trout Ranch in southern Colorado.
My wife and I have been to the RTR for the past five years and planning to go again in 2020. The RTR has everything you’d want in a dude ranch experience. Wonderful mountain location. World class trout river on the property. Well trained horses that allow this one year a week rider to feel like a real horseman. Hiking. Great food. Evening family entertainment. Daily cabin service.
But the best part? The people. The ranch is owned and run by three generations of the Van Berkum family. The chef comes back year after year. The staff are generally college age young adults, each of whom you’d be proud to call your child. We’ve made friends there from all over the world and we plan our trips there to meet up again for our heavenly week.
Beautiful scenery. Great horses. Fantastic fly fishing. Wonderful owners. Making lifelong friends. Join us at the Rainbow Trout Ranch. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
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 visited RTR in June 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and this was the perfect trip to be outdoors with the family. Linda and Doug and Jane and Dave made sure all of the guests were comfortable with whatever arrangement you preferred and accommodated guests to their liking with socially distancing and other measures to assure our safety. We absolutely loved the staff - everyone from the wranglers to the fly fishing guides to the waitstaff were a great group of kids. We were so happy our children had them as role models for the week. We all loves the horses and their focus on safety made everyone feel comfortable whether they were first time riders or experienced on the saddle. he fly fishing was awesome too. There was so much to do for all of us, and it truly felt like we were on vacation. We were so sad to leave and cannot wait to return again soon!
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Date of stay: June 2020
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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.
This was my family’s 5th visit across 14 years, and every single time has been a dream come true. We can’t say enough good things about Rainbow Trout Ranch, the views, the food, the horses, and the welcoming staff are all examples of just how this ranch excels. Everyone cares SO. MUCH. The horse program is excellent; kind horses and knowledgeable wranglers. The fishing guides are great, they even convinced my parents to try fly fishing for the first time! As always, thankyou to the Van Berkum family for sharing you home with us, thankyou to the housekeepers that do so much work behind the scenes to make everything so beautiful and spotless, thankyou to the waitstaff and kitchen crew for preparing delicious meals, thankyou to the fishing guides for sharing your knowledge and putting us onto the best spots on the river, and thankyou to all the wranglers for keeping us safe and entertained on all our rides :)
As our many visits can attest to, we highly recommend RTR!
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
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.
Response from Rainbow Trout Ranch, Owner at Rainbow Trout Ranch
Responded Jun 15, 2024
Thank you so very much for taking the time to write such a kind and thoughtful review. It was, as always, lovely to have you here and we missed you all when you left! We love that our guests become so much a part of our ranch family! Happy Trails, always, and thank you again. David and Jane and all of us here at the ranch.
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It is remote but I am sure that you can work something out with them - just give them a call. I drove there since it was just a little over 8 hours for me.
Yes, but one day you'll find yourself in a high meadow with a 30-mile view above 10,000 feet. You'll pull out your phone to take a photo and discover "I've got four bars." And you'll want to send that photo to everyone you know just to make them jealous.
There are more places to choose from in the Antonito area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
rainbow trout ranch hotel antonito
LOCATION
United StatesColoradoAntonito
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
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