There is so much to do at Snow Mountain Ranch that the easier (and much shorter) blog post to write would be about the things that aren’t available here.
Snow Mountain Ranch, a YMCA of the Rockies property, is a year-round playground for kids and adults. Whether there’s two-feet of snow on the ground or it’s 80 degrees outside, this place has an activities sheet as long as my arm (and I’ve got long arms for a short girl).
I’ve written about Snow Mountain Ranch’s winter activities in this past post.
We tried to do as much as possible during a 2-night stay in Yurt Village this past June, but we only scratched the surface of what’s available here.
Biking at Snow Mountain Ranch
On our first morning, we set out on bikes from Yurt Village towards Rowley Homestead. We’re not hardcore mountain bikers – not even a bit. Thankfully, SMR has plenty of easy biking and their roads have very little traffic, although you might run into a horseback riding group from Sombrero Stables, located at SMR.
In late June, the lupines and other wildflowers were just starting to pop around SMR and the aspens were deep green.
We dismounted at Rowley Homestead to look around. There were several volunteers available to answer any questions we had about the historic ranch. Of course, I was more interested in capturing a photo of a hummingbird. They were as thick as thieves around the homestead’s many feeders, but despite having one buzz my head I didn’t manage to get any good shots.
Rowley Homestead is one of several historic sites at Snow Mountain Ranch and is definitely worth checking out, especially if you enjoy history, and the beauty of the place makes it a photographer’s dream.
We literally flew back to the Buckboard Grill for lunch. This long downhill stretch of dirt roadway had me feeling exactly like a kid again.
Bike rentals are available at the SMR Program Building.
Frisbee golf at Snow Mountain Ranch
If you’re staying at SMR, you can pick up free disc golf frisbees at the Program Building. Don’t forget to to grab a map of the 18-hole course. We headed out from and made our way through the course back towards Yurt Village.
Disc golf (also known is frisbee golf) involves throwing a small frisbee into a series of metal baskets located on an outdoor course. Like golf, the goal is to complete the course using the fewest possible throws.
The disc golf course at SMR is not easy, especially for someone like me who throws a frisbee like a three-year-old, but it’s a nice hike through effervescent pines and across fields of wildflowers. So even if you’re a frisbee golf hack like me, disc golf at SMR is a lovely nature hike with a little frisbee distraction.
Summer tubing hill at Snow Mountain Ranch
Tubing isn’t just a winter activity at SMR anymore. Visitors can tube in the summer and fall at the Summer Tubing Hill. And if you’re staying at SMR, you and your family get one free session.
For those of you with kids, this is a must-do activity. For those without kids, like us, it was worth the free session we received with our stay.
Fishing at Snow Mountain Ranch
Did you know that SMR has their very own reservoir? It’s true, and guests can fish the reservoir without a fishing license.
On the last morning of our SMR yurt trip, we visited Gaylord Reservoir and threw in our lines without much success. A friend just visit SMR last week and caught the biggest trout of his life so you can be sure that there are fish to be caught in Gaylord. We should have inquired at the fishing counter in the Programs Building about what fish were biting on in late June.
I grew bored and decided to explore the slope behind us in search of wildflowers and I found bunches to photograph. While we didn’t catch any trout, we did scare up a mamma duck and her six ducklings, which for me was a better “catch” than a fish.
If you need to rent fishing equipment or would like to sign up for fly fishing lessons or rent a canoe, just visit the Program Building. For more information fishing at SMR, click here.
New at Snow Mountain Ranch
Many of SMR’s lodging options are dog-friendly, including Yurt Village, and now there’s a big, brand new dog park just a hop and skip away from the village. Our dog is too old for dog park outings, but if you’ve got an energetic dog, this is a wonderful place to let him or her play while staying at SMR.
Thank you to Snow Mountain Ranch for hosting us during this stay!
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