Majestic Dude Ranch

Majestic Dude Ranch sits at about 8,000 feet near Mancos in southwest Colorado, about 35 minutes from Durango. It hosts up to 55 guests from May through October, with six-night stays in summer, and is built around a packed daily schedule for families.

Guided horseback rides cover a huge sweep of country, with beginner rides, horsemanship and private lessons, cattle work and team penning; trail riding starts at age 6. The list of other activities is long: mountain biking, fly fishing for rainbow trout, kayaking, archery, skeet and target shooting, rafting, gold panning, hiking up to a 13,000-foot summit, plus paintball, laser tag, karaoke, line dancing and a mechanical bull. Children’s programs cover ages 2 to 17, babysitting is available, and some weeks are adults-only.

Guests stay in climate-controlled western cabins with a king primary bedroom, mini fridge and rocking-chair porch, or in lodge rooms. Meals are homemade and often locally sourced. Durango-La Plata County Airport is about 46 miles away and the ranch offers airport pickup. Ask the ranch for current rates.