There are places on earth that can amaze and inspire outdoor enthusiasts, and the 4UR Ranch is this kind of destination. The ranch, surrounded by the southern rocky mountains and nestled in the valley of beautiful south-central Colorado, is located seven short miles from the historic mining town of Creede. The centerpiece of the ranch is Goose Creek, with over seven miles of private stream that will stun even the most devout fly fishing enthusiasts.

4UR Ranch boasts top-quality horses, a renowned children's program, majestic vistas, legendary hot springs, superb dining, and sweater-cool weather well into August. Each lodging option, named after one of the local mines that spurred one of the last great silver mining rushes in Western history in nearby Creede, includes spacious and inviting areas, lush and comfy beds, and extra perks like turned-down beds and the kind of deep sleep that comes after a vacation in the great outdoors.

The cozy main lodge greets guests each morning with a blazing fire, and all of the comforts of home like newspaper and wi-fi internet access are always available. The inviting bar and game room, with inspiring views of the valley, offer a great resting stop after a long day in the Colorado sunshine.

Their mission is to provide an outstanding vacation experience to all guests of the 4UR Ranch. This encompasses giving personal care to each and every person with exceptional service and focusing on every little detail. Their goal is to keep their guests returning to visit us year after year because the experience was fulfilling in every way.

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Colorado's legendary summertime weather and beautiful snowy winters make it an ideal vacation for outdoor enthusiasts, and 4UR Ranch puts visitors right in the middle of the action. Aside from the legendary fishing opportunities, there are plenty of other ways to soak up the Colorado sunshine and bring back a suitcase full of memories on this vacation.

4UR Ranch offers plenty of family activities like horseback riding, shooting some trap or sporting clays, swimming, hiking, jogging, and mountain biking. There's also private golfing on a spectacular 18-hole championship golf course at the nearby Rio Grande Club, available by special arrangement to guests of the ranch. Explorers can take a quick trip into nearby Creede, one of the very last miner’s boom towns that sprung up in Colorado. Today, visitors can mine this charming town's shops for local crafts, or catch a musical at the renowned Creede Repertory Theatre.

Not all the activities at the 4UR are quite so active. Guests can feel free to soak in the famous hot spring spa. At the turn of the century, people took the railroad to this Colorado haven of sublime soaking. Word then was that a little time in the hot springs could cure anything. Today, most people have more realistic goals like profound relaxation, which is why another activity could be a soothing massage right at the ranch.

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Not all guest ranch fly fishing is the same. The 4UR Ranch waters into 20 "stations." Each evening as dinner winds down, ranch manager and fly-fishing guide Aaron Christensen takes a bottle from table to table for the evening fishing lottery, and the lottery winner chooses the 1/3 mile station that they would prefer for the next morning. Other anglers follow until the lowest lottery draw selects. In the afternoon the order is reversed which ensures that every angler fishes with privacy on prime water almost every day.

Fifteen fly fishing stations are marked off along Goose Creek as it twists its way through the valley. Four stations are on the famed Rio Grande River and "Beat 20" is in the Weminuche Wilderness. The waters hold a myriad of trout: rainbows, browns, snake river cutts, cutt-bow hybrids and even brookies. Anglers can also take a guided fishing trip above timberline to Lost Lakes for rare Rio Grande cutts, or fish Station 21, a trophy pond in the ranch valley. All waters are catch and release fly fishing only, except for Walton Pond, which is ideal for kids.

Southern Colorado's Goose Creek drainage is quite unique. Flowing from the Weminuche Wilderness, it passes through only two pieces of private property, both 4UR and the neighbors, before reaching the Rio Grande. The neighbor's reservoir feeds the creek from its cool waters via an 80-foot dam, making this creek one of only a handfull of "private tailwaters" in America. Years of astute stream management and rigorous catch and release practices make for some surprisingly big, well-colored trout. 4UR Ranch has all the hot, local fly patterns plus rods, reels, waders, etc. in their ranch store. Guides and group casting lessons are also available.

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Horseback riding in the Colorado mountains may be the ultimate Western experience–one that travelers are not likely to forget. Wranglers at the 4UR are accomplished in Natural Horsemanship and can share the special insights of this approach to riding with guests. Between their arena and extensive trail system, visitors will find many opportunities to improve their riding skills or simply become comfortable in the saddle.

Damon Gibbons, the Head Wrangler at the 4UR Ranch is a horse whisperer in his own right. An advocate and practitioner of Natural Horsemanship, Damon applies the principles of that holistic approach in a way that makes 4UR riding far more than just plodding along the trails. Whether the visitors are old pros or true greenhorns, Damon and his wranglers can teach things about horses and horsemanship that most probably don't know.

4UR Ranch also has a junior wrangler program for kids. There is even a weekly "rodeo," where children show off their newly-learned skills with a series of fun contests in the horse arena, complete with rodeo clowns. With the fresh mountain air, and the chance to meet new friends, kids will learn to love horses and the great outdoors.

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The team at 4UR Ranch are meticulous about satisfying their guest's sophisticated palates. They recruited their chef, Wray Warner, from the Four Seasons, in Jackson Hole. His specialties include rack of lamb and seared ahi tuna, plus fine wines and delicious desserts made daily. Evening menus include two specialty dinners plus a core menu featuring favorites such as smoked beef, pan roasted chicken and a pasta selection. Lunches are as light as a salad or as ambitious as a hearty bowl of soup and a sandwich.

But not all eating is done in the dining room. Beyond their Tuesday morning chuckwagon breakfast, which takes place in a beautiful meadow behind the main lodge, there are several other opportunities to dine "al fresco" mountain-style. Each week 4UR Ranch hosts a Mexican poolside luncheon and evening steak ride. Some anglers prefer a box lunch so they can stay on the stream all day, which can be provided if requested. But the tradition that is most loved by returning guests is the Friday lunch fish fry, which is located streamside at station 15 with freshly cooked trout and cold beer. Childrens menus are available for all families.

For more information about dining at 4UR Ranch, click here.

The Goose Creek Valley at the headwaters of the Rio Grande River was formed 40 million years ago by one of the largest volcanic eruptions to occur on the planet. Over the millennia, as the land cooled and settled, what was left behind were natural hot springs and mineral pools, as well as 6 miles of mountain stream brimming with trout. The lush valley floor surrounded by cliffs and mountain peaks, became abundant with wildlife, natural grasses, and wildflowers.

So rich was this valley that when it was discovered by the Ute Indians a thousand years ago, they deemed it "sacred" and guarded it as zealously as they guarded their horses and hunting lands. They referred to the hot springs and mineral pools as "Little Medicine" and used them for healing as well as the performing of ceremonial and religious rites.

In the 1800’s, silver was discovered in the surrounding area and miners and homesteaders moved forward building a railhead and hotel near the hot springs as a commercial venture. Located along the Rio Grande River, the Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Hotel began welcoming visitors in the 1880’s and quickly became known throughout the region for the therapeutic properties of its waters.

As the clock rolled over into the 1900’s, a Civil War hero and railroad baron named General William Palmer purchased the property. The timing coincided with the a popular "spa era" in Europe and Palmer’s vision was to create a grand and elegant resort capable of attracting the finest of European society as well as those enthusiasts throughout North America. He hired Thomas MacLaren, a member of the Royal Academy of Architecture in London, and the vision and Wagon Wheel Gap Development Company was launched.

By 1906 the "palatial bath house" was built along with a hotel, three long Adirondack-style bedroom cabins, and a livery stable. The property quickly became a popular stop for those traveling on the Denver and Rio Grande Rail Line.

By the 1930’s, those visiting the resort were becoming attracted to additional recreational benefits of the area and, while clients still came to "take the baths" for healing their ills, the stunning trout steam meandering along the valley floor was increasingly taking their attention. Then, with the discovery of antibiotics and the advancement of modern medicine, people ceased using spa resorts as hospitals and treatment centers. The "golden spa era" quickly died leaving the Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Resort out of fashion as a therapeutic destination. Relying and building on its enduring reputation, Wagon Wheel Hot Springs became Wagon Wheel Ranch and a trout fishing destination was born.

By the 1940’s, a new wave of popularity struck the country – "The Dude Ranch Vacation." At this point, the Wagon Wheel Ranch was in a perfect position to fit the bill. Horses had long since been replaced as modes of transportation but, like the trout in the stream, they quickly became part of the vacation experience and part of the fun. Children learned to ride, overnight pack trips were taken to the high country, and as with any ranch of the time, cattle were worked.

At this point in the story cattle became an integral part of the valley landscape. And, as with any working ranch cattle, they all needed branding. The name Wagon Wheel Ranch, however, posed a problem in designing a brand. Two W’s were a bit much to work with. The present owner, Arthur Sharp, more attached to the ranch than the name, came up with a solution that worked for the cattle. Given that the name "Wagon Wheel" had "two" double U’s that were essentially 4 U’s, why not just rename the business the 4U Ranch and brand the cattle 4UR. So, after 100 years of "Wagon Wheel" the property became known as the 4UR Ranch and its devoted clientele, many who by this time had been coming for 30 years, unruffled by change, continued to return yearly to the same rooms built at the turn of the century.

In the late 1950’s, the 4UR was purchased by the Denver-based Phipps family, owners of the famous Denver Broncos football team. The Phipps also owned the nearby La Garita Guest Ranch but had enough energy and personality to manage the two successful properties at once. Historic family films show the Phipps entertaining their guests with costume parties, elk hunts, and even arranging for a pheasant hunt which, given that there are no pheasants in the area, was a feat in itself.

By 1970, the Phipps family decided to concentrate solely on La Garita Ranch and instructed their manager, Chuck Davlin, to find a buyer for the now named 4UR Ranch. Chuck knew that Charles Leavell, a Texan who owned one of the world’s largest construction companies, made a hobby of buying and selling ranches, as well as fly fishing. Thinking it was a perfect fit, he called Mr. Leavell with the offer of the 4UR, which by now was one of the most desirable properties in all of Colorado. Mr. Leavell told the manager in no uncertain words "No!", he was not interested in owning another ranch and ended the conversation. However, the thought of that beautiful six miles of trout stream started working on the mind of the gregarious contractor and by early the following morning Davlin’s phone was ringing with a call from Leavell. "Damn you, Chuck!" Leavell said. "I didn’t sleep a wink all night thinking about that place! I’ll take it!"

Today, the 4UR is still owned by the Leavell family. Pete Leavell, along with his wife Lindsey and sister Mary Lee, continue the traditions and legacy of this history-rich valley. While the "palatial bath house" is no longer in use, the hot springs pool and larger swimming pool heated by the hot springs is still central to the ranch experience. The horseback riding of the dude ranch days has been replaced with a program of Natural Horsemanship, still covering the almost 4000 acres of trails.

The fishing along Goose Creek is still enjoyed on the traditional "British Beat " system, where the 6 miles of stream is divided into 15 private stretches ranging in length from 1/3 to ½ a mile. Evenings in the dining room, a lottery is held for the following day’s allotment of private stream. Every room is awarded a stretch, but the lottery determines the selection order.

The Leavells have been passionate about maintaining the history and traditions of this spectacular piece of the West. Preserving such a long and varied history is no small task, but it’s one the Leavell Family relishes. From the sacred land of the Utes, the grand European vision of the General, the adventuresome spirit of the dude ranch, to the stories of families returning for five generations, the Leavells and those they work with, enthusiastically continue the legacy. They are privileged to share the 4UR as not only a sense of place, but a place in history, and invite you to join them.

American Museum of Fly Fishing, American Qtr. Horse Assn., Official Member of the Colorado Dude and Guest Rancher's Association, Member of the Dude Ranch Association, National Western Stock Show, Trout Unlimited