Vail might be renown for its brilliant skiing, but it’s also a great place to don your cowboy hat at Black Mountain Ranch and try your hand at herding Texas longhorns on horseback. 

Deep in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, this fully operating ranch offers a real experience of living Western style.

Using this as base camp, guests are set for exploring the trails across the 1,000 acres of private property on horseback

Whatsmore, kids can even learn how to wrangle and brand cattle before seeing whether their new-found cowboy skills are up to the test at the ranch’s weekly rodeo.

Form Guide Wild West in the heart of the Rockies

Yearlings All ages.

Pace There are unlimited horse-riding activities, from simply feeding the horses in their ranch-side setting to adventurous, private overnight trips into the wilderness for your very own cowboy escapade.There is also ample instruction and coaching for anything you are not comfortable with. Days are spent horseback riding, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, canoeing at Jakes Lake and visiting the ranch’s very own rescued baby goats!

Stables There are 8 individual cabins, all decked out Western style and sleeping families of between three and six. There are an additional four studio suites in another large cabin.

Feedbag Eating out under the stars with a campfire barbecue as well as

Purse Family of four (one under 12, one under 6) costs from US$5,088 for 7 nights all-inclusive stay in a standard double. Black Mountain can also provide transfers from Vail Airport and Denver International Airport (additional cost).