Colorado dude ranches are experiencing an increased demand for "togethering," a term first coined by the travel marketing firm Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell. The term describes a rapidly growing type of leisure travel that encompasses groups of people who vacation together.
A Colorado dude ranch is one of the few vacation venues where grandparents, parents, grandkids, neighborhood groups or close friends can all gather for a vacation experience with activities that each generation can enjoy.
"Colorado dude ranches are ideal for such small group vacations," said Christine Prince, president of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association and owner of one of the association's 32 member ranches.
"We are authentic western ranches, not large resorts or tight-quartered ships. Our guests enjoy thousands of acres of wide-open spaces, which means everyone has enough room to play and relax."
Colorado dude ranches specialize in offering something for every age or ability. So everyone in a group or family gets the vacation they desire and plenty of individual pampering. Dude ranching is centered on horseback riding in spectacular mountain scenery for riders of all abilities. However, ranches also offer rafting, hiking, fishing, nature walks, biking and other fun activities for everyone from grandparents to the youngest children.
"The off-the-beaten path locations of our ranches create an almost exclusive environment where everyone soon knows each other. And yet each person has plenty of space and individual activities from which to choose," Prince said.
Guests also may simply choose to curl up on the front porch with a good book or have a quiet conversation, knowing that the kids and other group members are having their own fun.