Travel Review: Ranchland’s Zapata Ranch
Travel Review:
Ranchland’s Zapata Ranch
Zapata Ranch is a historic working cattle and bison ranch located in southern Colorado, USA. With its stunning vistas, rolling plains, and pristine wilderness, Zapata Ranch offers visitors a unique and unforgettable experience that combines adventure, nature, and western heritage.
“The American imagination is full of ideas about ranchers—who they are, who they were.”
Having traveled home to Colorado and after a busy summer of work, I took a much needed walkabout. This year I set out on my own to do exactly what I know would fuel my soul - a wander through New Mexico and southern Colorado.
I made a few calls to my friends at Los Poblanos and Ranchlands and asked if they could get me into Zapata. I had no expectations as it was last minute and high season. Thankfully they were able to make it work for me; at Zapata I could join a horsemanship retreat with Cam Schryver that was going to be in progress.
Ranchlands is a family ranching business that owns and manages livestock operations in the American West. Their mission is to promote the conservation of rangelands, their ranching legacy, and quality of life for people living and working on ranches. They host hundreds of guests each year, with whom they share not only their core principles of land management, but also their love of the arts and community enrichment through unique workshops and hands-on experiences. They aim to immerse guests in the landscape and nature as much as possible whether that’s galloping through the sagebrush or sitting, listening and observing the sounds of the insects, wildlife and life on the ranch.
Slightly nervous as I hadn’t ridden in months, I pulled through the familiar gates of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Driving on these roads always feels like a bit of coming home to me. In my youth, I spent time in southwest Colorado fighting fire for the forest service - the quality of the light, the dust kicked up as you drive too fast, the feel of the impending fall was familiar. Passing tourists going into the park, I hurried to make it into the ranch before dinner at 6pm.
I parked under the old cottonwood trees and walked into the office where Emily kindly greeted me, walked me through my welcome information and my schedule for my stay. She suggested that I head straight out to dinner as it was in progress. I walked out to the main lawn and saw the long tabled ranch dinner underway. I was introduced to everyone as the interloper that I typically am - that I’d participate in some of their activities but explore with a wrangler of my own. I was immediately offered tequila and wine by the group and I knew I’d be just fine.
The family-style dinner was beautifully done and simply prepared with options from light fare like grilled asparagus, spring onions, grilled corn on the cob and salads to heavier dishes like pesto pasta, roast chicken and grilled sweet potatoes. There was something to feed everyone no matter their taste. Small details like wild flowers in bud vases and the varying and beautiful service bowls made it aesthetically pleasing in an unassuming way. It was someone’s birthday and a sheet-pan cake was beautifully presented with edible wildflowers. I craved a cortado and was relieved to know that they were serving American drip-style coffee.
As I sat, I studied the table. They all looked like characters from the movies. Some were foreign, local, young, old - but all were serious riders. They told me that Zapata and Chico Basin were the only ranches that really allowed you to ride freely in the wilderness and understand how to work horses. They said everything else was for tourists looking for a “dude ranch” experience and they typically walk nose-to-tail down a well-known trail. Many of them had been here before or were Ranchlands regulars and had brought their own horses to undergo training.
They had nothing but the best to say about their instructor, Cam Schryver. He was the real deal and no matter the experience level of the rider he could teach you something and get something out of you that you didn’t know was there. I glanced over at Cam - an old cowboy of 70+ years under his belt. He reminded me of so many men in his generation who ranched. His skin was well worn and his clothes and hat looked like they were part of him.
We stayed at the dinner table talking, telling stories and getting to know each other. They were all quite curious when I said I lived in Mallorca. Why was I here, how was I here - as it is about as in the middle of nowhere as one can get. I said that was the plan, to get away and remember a piece of me and maybe find another one. Feeling quite tired and slightly drunk, I excused myself to go find my cabin and get sorted for the next morning's ride. I opened the back hatch of the 4Runner and pulled out what I needed and set out to my room with the Colorado night sky lighting the way.
The accommodation is quite basic as the lodge is built on the original Zapata homestead dating back to the 1800s. While all of the facilities have been recently renovated, it is in line with strict directives from the Nature Conservancy who owns Zapata. The lodge features 15 rooms between three buildings. Each private room is equipped with either two double beds or a single-king and a private bath. It is not a luxury tourist ranch, but rather a 103,000-acre working bison and cattle ranch. It reminded me of various friends’ family ranches where the focus was experiencing the surrounding environment rather than designer details.
I tucked in for the night and my phone rang. Throughout this much needed walkabout, I’d received numerous unexpected calls from around the world which had led to many sleepless nights. When my alarm rang at 6am, I thought it was a joke. I could already hear movement in the hall and knew that the day was already underway. I sorted myself and snuck out in my men’s pajamas to secure a hot lemon water. The dining staff was busily preparing breakfast and setting out the packed lunches for the day ahead. They all looked like the Rino hipsters that ran my favorite coffee shop in downtown Denver. Luckily everything was included in my stay and so they couldn’t uncharge me for $18 granola.
I ran into one of the nice women from the night before and I accidentally told her she looked like Annie Oakley - in the nicest way. I quickly dressed and realized I looked like a city slicker. With my limited available wardrobe I wore a black bodysuit with suspender tights paired with black cashmere sweater and a faux leopard fur vest and riding coat that I acquired at Sante Fe Vintage. My pristinely taken care of Parlanti Italian riding boots added additional absurdity.
We enjoyed a healthy and hearty breakfast on the porch and having not slept I drank as much coffee as possible. Emily came to alert me that my wrangler was here and that she had the horses in the trailer and was ready to set out when I was. I grabbed my packed lunch which was in a cool metal canteen with my name on it. When I rounded the corner, I saw the ranch truck with a horse trailer and a young woman standing outside. She introduced herself as Sierra and took notice that I took my cup of coffee with me. We headed out and into the deeper part of the park where the Sand Dunes rise against the high mountains.
I asked if they rode out from the lodge and she said rarely as it’s best to not have to ride along the road and rather get right into the wilderness. We stopped in a parking area and pulled the horses out. She had saddled them and I looked at the western saddle and open reins with a bit of a side eye as it had been a minute. I threw my lunch into the saddle bag and tore off a few layers. Sierra had on full suede chaps, a rustler shirt, a bandana and a wide-brimmed palm leaf hat. I told her to be easy on me.
We walked out on the trail and very quickly we were in the river basin of the sand dunes. A treat for the eyes, the contrast of the blue sky against the dunes with pops of yellow flowers made me understand why she chose to take me here. A coyote stopped to sip at the river and we watched him run further along the banks. The horses didn’t scar or seem to care; it wasn’t their first rodeo. We climbed the dunes and I embarrassingly shot photos from the hip because it was so crazy beautiful. You could see ever-inspiring high peaks of the Sangre de Christos in the background.
I asked Sierra about her work for Ranchlands and she said she and her boyfriend have both been there for a couple of years. It was hard work but an unbelievable way to spend one's life. Plus they traveled during the winter season; she asked me about Mallorca and Africa. As we crossed the river she said that we should give it a go for a bit. We started trotting and I instantly felt at odds. The sound of the saddle bags moving and the horn of the western saddle felt strange. I pushed through and she looked back and said, “ready” and took off in a full gallop. My horse started to follow and we darted and weaved through the pine and sagebrush up winding on a soft path of sand ideal for the horses. Sierra looked back at a full run and told me to kick. I kicked and the horse obliged and did exactly what I asked for and we ran for a while.
A smile came to my face because this is exactly what I needed. To run in the wild and remember what life was really about - this connection to natural environments for conscious and considered encounters, shaping rare and indelible travel moments.
This is my preferred version of luxury - the luxury of time and the luxury of connecting to an experience. We moseyed up to a higher point and tied up the horses and sat under the shade of the ponderosa pines for lunch. I opened the tin and was surprised to find homemade trout dip and crackers with crudité. It was my kind of picnic - good food in the middle of nowhere with a view that won’t soon be forgotten.
I could have napped under the trees and my horse did; I slowly made my approach known as I saw he was having a good dream. We saddled up and made our way back trading between cantering and galloping when the path allowed. I snapped some shots and continued to inquire about life and work at Ranchlands. When we came to a road, I knew our time was soon to be over. A jeep passed us and you could hear and see them taking pictures and talking about us. I asked Sierra if she got a lot of looks and she said yes, the novelty of seeing a wrangler in real life always turns heads.
We trailored the horses and headed back to the lodge. I joined a yoga class to stretch out my legs before hitting the road. I asked Emily to open up the Mercantile for me because I loved the Ranchlands products. I embarrassingly bought too many things including a new yellow leather clutch, some natural mosquito spray, a horse plate and lunch canteen. I already owned one of their red scarves and palm-leaf hats with several different leather bands.
I settled up and threw my duffle in the back of the 4Runner. The chef walked out and handed me a to-go portion of trout dip and crackers for the road hearing that I had raved about it.
I said my goodbyes and apologized for the quick and last minute visit but that work and life only allowed as much. I drove out at sunset having in mind that one must travel with conviction and that I can only hope to create extraordinary experiences that celebrate and conserve what is beautiful, endemic and rare in world cultures.
Ranchlands is rare. Over the past two decades it has grown from a family cattle ranching business to a grass-roots movement that demonstrated how landscape-scale conservation in the American West can enrich both the ecosystems and communities we live in. They believe in a philosophy of land management that looks not only to the end product, but to the process that is used to get there. Foundational to this way of life is a deep abiding work ethic, a love of land and community, a sense of open-mindedness, and a deep interest in the cultivation and sharing of ideas, simultaneously evolving and perpetuating our ranching heritage.
Their efforts are as diverse as they are impactful. They manage 380,000 acres of land in four western states. They live and work on the land with their boots firmly grounded in the realities of the present, but with an eye towards the future and the health of the land and communities which they rely upon to sustain them. Over the past two decades they have trained and developed a generation of land stewards and ranch managers who are now working across the West. Each year they work to expand the urban-rural interface by providing on-ranch educational events to thousands of students, sharing their philosophy of land management and ecological stewardship through first hand experiences. While they are proud of these efforts, they know that they have only just begun to understand ranching’s potential for significant, lasting impact across the West.
To experience Ranchlands, Roov serves as a partner booking all-inclusive ranch vacation packages as well as extensive programs based around horseback riding and nature. It’s also the opportunity to participate in life on a working cattle and bison ranch while enjoying comfortable amenities and gourmet food. The stays we book include all meals, lodging, and activities on the ranch, such as leather working, guided hiking, and naturalist tours. Other possible activities during your stay include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, ecological tours of the ranch, photographic safaris, fly fishing, bird-watching in Colorado’s most important migratory corridors, soaks in hot springs, massages, and more.
Drop us a line to book your Ranchland’s stay.
WHERE:
7,950 feet above sea level
4 hours from Denver and Albuquerque
3 hours from Colorado Springs and Sante Fe
30 minutes northeast of Alamosa; bordering the Great Sand Dunes National Park
Daily flights from Denver to the San Luis Valley Regional Airports
Car rental services from the San Luis Valley Regional Airport or private transfers
WHEN: The lodge is open from the beginning of March through the end of October
WHO: I recommend this for the serious rider who is still willing to learn a few new tricks.
WHAT TO PACK:
Well-fitting jeans
Boots with a riding heel
Wide-brimmed hat or ball cap
Hiking boots
Backpack: They provide a saddle bag for you but you may want a backpack for hiking.
Jacket: At 7,950 feet in elevation, you may want to dress in layers throughout the day.
Lip balm
Lotion
Bug repellant
Water bottle
Camera
Swimming suit: The ranch does not have a swimming location, but you may want to visit a local hot springs.
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Bandana: Bandanas are also available for purchase at the on-ranch Mercantile.
Gloves: To protect hands while riding.
Bicycling shorts or yoga pants: Often, wearing a pair of spandex under your jeans eliminates rubbing while riding.