Overview

Chico Basin Ranch hosts guests from all around the world, catering to people who want a hands on experience based working ranch vacation that takes people inside ranch life and the great outdoors. This could be riding, herding cattle, fencing, irrigating or something else such as fly fishing, hiking, or canoeing. Each day is an adventure beyond your most fantastic dreams, and always unexpected and different than the preceding one.

The historic 87,000-acre Chico Basin Ranch is one of Colorado's premier family owned and managed cattle ranching operations. It is the year round home to owners Duke and Janet Phillips and their four children, Tess, Duke, Julie and Grace. All family members are involved in the care of as many as 3,000 head of cattle and the teeming wildlife that they share the ranch with. It is one of the largest and most beautiful and pristine ranches in the nation. It has six spring-fed lakes filled with wild fish, bull rushes and cattails. Two creeks meander through the entire ranch, fed by hundreds of springs that bubble out of the ground forming pools of sparkling water scattered over the prairie. The ranch is in the shadow of snow capped 14,000-foot Pikes Peak that rises up through the clouds, crowning the Rocky Mountains that stretch clear across the western horizon.

This exclusive vacation spot limits the number of families or groups per week to two. This is to ensure that each guest receives the required attention to create the ultimate experience. Limiting the number of guests is also important to the Phillips because it maintains the atmosphere of what it truly is: a real life working cattle ranch. The Phillips take a personal interest in getting to know all of their guests, sharing meals in their own home, riding together to work cattle, or simply spending time visiting in the evenings after a full day on the ranch.

Guests have the option of participating in all activities on the ranch and can emphasize whatever aspect they wish, whether it be horseback riding, herding, penning or another activity such as swimming, fly fishing or hiking. Because there are so many cattle that require everyday horseback work, guests can always be on horseback. Additionally, the Phillips have found that people come to the ranch because of its great cow horses. Naturally, guests are interested in improving their horsemanship skills. Each day there are training sessions that teach guests natural horsemanship techniques that the ranch uses, based on the work of a man named Ray Hunt.

The Phillips are third generation professional cattle ranchers who enjoy sharing their home and way of life with people from other walks of life. They take pride in offering a first rate and authentic ranching experience. Their hospitality is truly western - upon arrival, you will immediately feel part of the family. The experience they offer is one based on learning about ranching the way it always has been done: spending as much time on horseback as possible, eating good healthy food, enjoying the great outdoors and working together as a team and friends.