Posts Tagged ‘Wagon Wheel Gap’

Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs

April 15th, 2011 by 4ur admin

The first European settlers from the south and the east began ranching and farming this part of the Southern Colorado Rockies in the mid 1800s. Before the town of Creede was established, a hotel opened at Wagon Wheel Gap. Travelers flocked here to get a taste for the great American West. They came to experience the wilderness, to fish in clear water, and to soak in the hot springs.

The original Wagon Wheel Gap historic bath house is on our Creede Colorado Dude Ranch. It was built by General William Palmer in the early 1900s, so his guests could soak their weary or achy bodies. The hot springs at Wagon Wheel Gap have long been believed to have curative powers. Try them for yourself and see.

These days, the spring fed hot tub is adjacent to the pool; soak while you watch your children romp and splash in the pool. Soak after exploring mountain paths on horseback or fly fishing on Goose Creek. Soak in the Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs when you feel sore and soak when you feel great – it’s part of the experience here at our Creede Colorado Dude Ranch.

Southern Colorado Fishing Vacation

November 29th, 2010 by 4ur admin

Even before there was a Vacation Dude Ranch here in Creede, Colorado, travelers came. They came to soak in the warm, therapeutic hot springs in Wagon Wheel Gap. They came to experience the majesty of nature. In the 1880′s, the appeal of Wagon Wheel Gap lay in the cool summers, warm waters, and stunning landscape. The same is true today.

It does something to the soul to spend time in the Southern Rockies. It’s hard to explain, but if you’ve been here, you know what we mean.

This photograph was taken by Liesje, one of our guests.

Trout Angling in Southern Colorado

June 8th, 2010 by 4ur admin

4UR Ranch is now open to the public, and we are looking forward to get anglers of all skill levels back into beautiful Goose Creek. One of the more traditional aspects of a Dude Ranch vacation at 4UR Ranch is fishing on the creek. Before we were “duding”, Wagon Wheel Gap, where the ranch sits, had attracted past generations with exceptional fishing and natural hot springs. Goose Creek flows into the Rio Grande, and makes it’s way down towards Mexico, but before it reaches the Rio, it is some of America’s only private tailwaters, meaning the the water only passes through one piece of private property before it reaches the guest ranch.

We are currently in the middle of a kids stay free week at 4UR. It has been fun to see fathers and their children bond over the activity of fishing. It happens every year, and has been as long as humans have known to take from the bounty of the sea and stream. Imagine throwing dry flies to the big wild Browns and Rainbows in Goose Creek, or exploring the pristine high mountain stream for big Cutthroats. Come and start your next adventure! We use a lottery system that makes sure that each angler gets to pick a private station on the creek. You end up with solitude, peacefulness and a great chance to catch exciting fish. Of course this is also part of a fabulous horseback riding vacation that you will be able to partake in.

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What makes us a Colorado Luxury Dude Ranch?

March 4th, 2010 by 4ur admin

There are dude ranches, and then there are luxury dude ranches. That’s 4UR. We are way beyond your basic BBQ & beds setup. Here are some of the small details and big amenities that make 4UR ranch more than your average guest ranch.

Dining: We recruited our chef, Wray Warner, from the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole. Some of his specialties include unique home-made ice creams, and ambitious pasta, beef and fish dinner entrees. One of my favorites is a mushroom pasta that has been prepared to allow the delicate flavors of the fungi to come out.

It’s not just about dinner, breakfast and lunch are stunning as well. I love to start breakfast with the home-made granola and yogurt, along with hot, strong coffee. We also serve unique cook-to-order breakfast dishes. Breakfast is a very personalized meal, and we want you to feel right at home.

Even lunch is a special affair, esp. on Wednesdays when we hold our Mexican luncheon poolside. We have fajitas, chips, guacamole, cold Coronas and margaritas. Box lunches are also available to take out for your fly fishing trip.

Bathing: We have great “watering holes” – literally! Our pool is large and refreshing; there is plenty of deck space for lounging or playing games with family. We have tables if you want to sit in the shade umbrellas and have a cold drink or a snack. The pool is the place to be, if you ask me!
The hot springs are what Wagon Wheel Gap was originally famous for. In the early 1900s, General William Palmer founded the Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Resort. The Hot Springs were thought to have medicinal qualities; we still have the historic bath house on property. You can still enjoy the Hot Springs, they are just adjacent to the pool and may still have the power to cure what ails you.
The sauna is here for you to enjoy as well – it is also in the pool area, and next to it is our massage parlor. This is relaxation central, and something that makes 4UR quite luxurious.

colorado fly fishing

Catch a beauty in our "Private Tailwaters"

Fly Fishing Vacation: Our fly fishing is renowned as spectacular. We divide our pristine Goose Creek into 15 “stations”, each a 1/3 mile, which are assigned by lottery in the evening. This system keeps everything fair, and assures each fisher-person prime waters at a prime time nearly every day.

Along with Goose Creek, there are four stations on the Rio Grande and one in the Weminuche Wilderness. You may 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 a great place to start practicing with your little angler.

Goose Creek’s drainage is quite unique. Flowing from the Weminuche Wilderness, it passes through only two private properties before reaching the Rio Grande; the 4UR Ranch and our neighbors upstream. Our neighbor’s reservoir feeds the creek from its cool waters via an 80-foot dam, making this creek one of only a handful of private tailwaters in America. Andy Lee and Aaron Christenson have spent their years with us managing the stream rigorously. This, along with our catch and release practices make for some surprisingly big, well-colored trout. Look forward to seeing rainbows, browns, snake river cutts, cutt-bow hybrids and even brookies.

As you can see, 4UR Ranch is more than boots and dusty arenas – come here for something completely unique.

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