Fodor's Escape to Nature–without roughing it
Fodor's chose Smith Fork Ranch as one of it's "handpicked" special places in the U.S.A. with "amazing natural settings" for its 2004 edition of Escapes to Nature.
Smith Fork Ranch
Family Hideout
Colorado's southwest quadrant sees far fewer visitors than do areas closer to Denver. Around the ranching community of Crawford, a 1 1/2 hour drive from the Montrose airport and a 5 hour drive from Denver, the climate is milder than in higher altitude locations like Aspen or Vail. To the east are the Elk Mountains, and to the west lie acre upon acre of rolling ranch- and farmland. This is where you'll find 260-acre Smith Fork Ranch.
Homesteaded in the late 1890s, the spread has undergone extensive restoration with an eye toward Western-style elegance. Many of the furnishings were crafted by local artisans, and the leather used in some furniture and accessories is supplied by Ghurka, Marley Hodgson's high-end leather company. You'll stay in one of four cabins, each with a gas log stove or fireplace, or in one of four guest rooms in the ranch house.
Every part of the ranch, including the dining room, draws on the best of the surrounding area. Head chef Bob Isaacson, who worked at Aspen's renowned Little Nell hotel, turns out exquisitely flavored fivecourse dinners that may include smoked game or fresh trout, organic vegetables (the nearby North Fork Valley is one of Colorado's most prolific growers), and desserts made with peaches or cherries from the valley's orchards. The organic meat is from neighboring farms, wines from nearby Paonia are included in the extensive cellar, and even the ranch's drinking water comes from a spring halfway up nearby Saddle Mountain. Lunches and dinner are usually served on the main lodge's Jog-beamed, open-air dining porch (with fireplace), so you can take in both the restorative mountain breezes and the view out to Mendicant Ridge. There's also a weekly breakfast cookout, and you can arrange for a trailside picnic or dinner on the deck of your cabin.
Almost completely surrounded by Gunnison National Forest, the ranch abuts West Elk Wilderness, so hikers and riders have innumerable trails to choose from. You'll ride the ranch's own horses, who are available for lessons, short trail rides, all-day rides, and breakfast or sunset rides. You can cast for trout (catch and release) in one of five stocked ponds on the property or along 2 1/2 mi of private frontage on the Smith Fork River. Ranch staff customize children's activities according to your kids' age and interests. Your little ones can learn fishing, horseback riding, and roping and have fun with Frisbee golf and arts-and-crafts classes. One evening they might hear a mountain man tell stories of the Wild West, and another they might sleep over in one of two tepees behind the lodge. While they dream of cowpunchers, you can peek through the ranch's telescope at the clear night sky.
Tip Book one of the ranch's overnight pack trips to a wilderness camp in the Elk. Mountains. You'll "rough it" in style, with platform tents and a camp chef.
4 rooms, 4 cabins, American pIan. dining room, bar. Recreation: bird-watching, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, billiards, horseshoes, Ping-Pong, library, recreation room. Nearby: mountain biking, rafting, sporting clays. Services: fly-fishing equipment provided, gym, outdoor hot tub, massage, guided fishing trips, tackle shop, dry-cleaning service, laundry service, shop, airport shuttle, business services, meeting rooms. Classes and programs: guided hikes, guided nature walks, fly-fishing and horseback-riding lessons, children's programs (ages 6-12), concerts, sing-alongs. In-room data ports, some in-room fireplaces; no a/c, no room phones, no room TVs, no smoking. $1,160-$2,600 per wk. AE, MC, V.
2004 edition
