Colorado Trails Ranch
Colorado Trails Ranch
Colorado Trails Ranch was founded in 1960 and has been solely a guest ranch until 2021. In 2021, the ranch introduced the option for shorter stays from August-October. We are continuing that option as well as offering cabin only rentals December-March. We are expanding to include premier fly-fishing retreats, special packages Corporate & Community Events and more.
Located just outside of the historic mining town of Durango, Colorado. The ranch borders thousands of acres of the San Juan National Forest. It is about a 20 minute drive to downtown shopping and nightlife.
- Location
- Colorado
- Season
- Summer and Fall
- Staff size
- 30
- Housing
- Whether included in the compensation package or provided at a cost, housing is provided for staff.
- Family housing available
- No
- Pet friendly
- No
- Meals
- Provided
- Cell phone service
- Some, ask for details
- Internet access
- Good
About Colorado Trails Ranch
Ranch Mission
The mission of Colorado Trails Ranch is to provide an exceptional experience for all who step onto the property. From guests to staff members to vendors, our goal is to create positive interactions that each individual will find enriching and inspiring. Utilizing our animals and the natural world around us, every person should leave feeling more refreshed, more educated, and more confident in themselves and the direction of their lives.
As an employee of our ranch, you will become an extension of our family. We strive for excellence and the best service in the industry. We look for these same qualities in our staff. If you are willing to make this commitment, we invite you to submit your application.
The Employee Experience
Colorado Trails Ranch is in a beautiful location in the San Juan Mountains. No traffic noises, traffic jams or crowded streets. We are nestled in our own little valley with over 1000 private acres and adjacent to thousands more in the San Juan National Forest. However, we are not isolated as we are just 12 miles from the town of Durango which has a vibrant downtown full of local shops, restaurants, and nightlife as well as modern conveniences. From downtown, you may also enjoy tourist activities like zip-lining, four-wheeling, and the Durango and Silverton train. We have lots of hiking nearby, world-class mountain biking as well as Mesa Verde National Park. We are just about a 3-hour drive from Moab, Utah, and 9 hours from the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Our staff organizes many little excursions on their time off to see what the Four Corners area has to offer.
We have modern, comfortable, and spacious facilities for our staff housing and our food is wonderful! During peak season you will often eat with our guests and enjoy the same food they do. You will also be welcome and encouraged to join in our guest activities on your time off.
The very best part of being at Colorado Trails for the Summer is the people you will meet. From your coworkers to the guests we have each week; you will have the opportunity to form life-long friendships. Great people, beautiful location, fun adventures, and an opportunity to save some money while having an experience of a lifetime.
Ideal Candidate
Team players who are eager to learn, proud of hard work and works extremely well with others are encouraged to apply!
Room and Board
Colorado Trails Ranch provides housing at NO COST. We have limited housing for those requiring private quarters. New staff housing buildings were built in 2014 and 2015 with living rooms, Wi-Fi, and laundry rooms in each building.
All of your meals are also provided at no cost during peak season. Staff are encouraged to eat along with our guests and will enjoy the same food as our guests. Those staff staying through closing will be provided limited meals depending on what is being offered to guests. Access to a communal kitchen will be provided for the late season as well.
Employee Perks
Ranch employees are paid an hourly wage plus time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a week. Pay period is every two weeks.
On top of your already good hourly wage, room and board, staff receives an end-of-season bonus of $1.00 an hour for each hour worked as long as the dates outlined in their employment agreement are completed satisfactorily.
Wi-Fi is available in staff housing.
Getting Here and Getting Around
We highly encourage you to bring a vehicle. For those staff members who have vehicles, there is a designated staff parking lot and we will provide specific information upon your arrival.
If you are not driving to the ranch we will be happy to pick you up from the Durango, Colorado bus station or airport.
For Fun
Staff members are welcome to participate in activities including horseback riding, hiking, rafting, shooting sports, lake power tubing trip, and fishing with our guests during your time off.
The Four Corners area and downtown Durango offer plenty of recreational opportunities off of the ranch as well, to explore on your own or with your new friends.
Current Job Openings
Kitchen Assistant / Prep Cook
The prep cook / kitchen assistant assist the chef with daily meal production. The kitchen assistants share the responsibility of prepping food, doing dishes and keeping the kitchen clean. There are rotating dish washing shifts as well.
On top of dishes and cleaning you will be responsible for cold food prep. This involves our daily salad bar and nightly salad specials. Knife skills come in handy here. Following standardized recipes is essential. You don't have to have much previous knowledge if you can follow a standardized recipe and instructions from the chef. There will also be an opportunity for you to do some baking. We make a daily bread from scratch for our evening meal and you may fill in for the baker and make an occasional dessert. If you are interested in grilling meats, there may be some opportunity for that as well.
We try to keep the kitchen a lively, fun and positive work environment. You must be able to stand and work for long hours. Being able to work with your teammates in a positive manner is critical. Persons with drug and alcohol problems or a tendency for inappropriate behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. If you have some food and beverage experience that would be helpful but we will train a person with common sense and a "can do" attitude.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means is you start at $14.42 an hour you will end up making $15.42.
Server / Housekeeper
Operations staff work as waitstaff, housekeeping and trading post. Staff members who are hired as operations will perform all three duties over the course of a week on a rotating basis. We have found that our team enjoy the chance to learn the different skills associated with each department and the chance to work with different co-workers. We count on staff in all of these areas to be detail oriented and to insure overall superior service and hospitality to our ranch guests.
Housekeeping responsibilities include the cleaning of guest cabins and common areas of the ranch – changing towels, making & changing beds, cleaning bathrooms, taking out trash, vacuuming, washing windows, dusting, and various other cleaning related activities. Housekeepers also help with dinner dishes.
Wait staff duties include, but are not limited to, serving food to guests and staff in our dining room or at outdoor meals and functions, cleaning of dining room and deck, stocking server’s refrigerator, cleaning server’s areas of the kitchen, and packing for cookouts.
Trading Post duties include but are not necessarily limited to, overseeing the cleanliness, stocking and organization of both the Trading Post and Soda Fountain areas, preparing and serving espresso drinks, ice cream, milkshakes and sodas in the Soda Fountain, insuring the Trading Post is covered for the hours it is open and maintaining superior customer service and a friendly, “western hospitality” attitude towards guests.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means is you start at $14.42 an hour you will end up making $15.42 There is also a tip pool that is shared each pay period.
Wrangler
Wranglers’ responsibilities include grooming, saddling, bridling, cleaning stalls and barn area, leading guest rides, providing instruction to guests in accordance with our riding program, feeding, basic health care of animals. Must be safety conscious, have excellent communications and interpersonal skills as well as a willingness to perform other duties as assigned from moving hay to building fence and maintenance around the ranch. Wranglers must have extensive horse experience and knowledge in order to lead trail rides and care for our herd of 80 horses. Our horse program is one of the best in the dude ranch industry. Applicants for this position must be willing to accept and support our horse program. We will teach you our program and how we want you to instruct our guests. We know that our methods of handling horses are not the only way, but our horses are used to them. This is an extremely physical job requiring long hours. We are looking for individuals with knowledge, enthusiasm, lots of energy, and the desire to work hard and be part of our team. Wranglers are expected to drive guests to various events and evening activities and must be at least 21 years old with a clean driving record; current CPR certification and first aid card is required, and classes will be offered at Colorado Trails. We request a short video demonstrating riding abilities from all wrangler applicants. We ask to see you catching, grooming, bridling and saddling, mounting, riding at a walk, jog, lope and stopping, dismounting and untacking a horse.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means is you start at $14.42 an hour you will end up making $15.42.
Wrangler/Kid's Counselor
Currently our counselors are also wranglers. This helps keep some continuity in the kids week as well as break up the wrangler duties.
We offer comprehensive children’s/teen’s program for ages 5 through 17. The program is divided into three age groups, 5-8, 9-12, and 13-17. Counselors must have a high level of energy, lots of enthusiasm and creativity, and a great deal of responsibility. This is a very demanding job and we expect you to keep your group entertained. Horse background is necessary, and a level of comfort around horses is necessary, as you will be leading your group on trail rides. You must also be able to lead your group through other activities to include, hiking, archery, riflery, swimming, power tubing, rafting, arts and crafts, and other children's activities. This is a very physical position and requires long hours and lots of dedication plus a natural enjoyment of working with children & teens. Counselors must be mature and assume a leadership/role model position. Counselors will be expected to drive the kids to various activities and must be at least 21 years old with a clean driving record; current CPR certification and first aid card is required, and classes with be offered at Colorado Trails. We request a short video demonstrating riding abilities from all counselor applicants. We ask to see you catching, grooming, bridling and saddling, mounting, riding at a walk, jog, lope and stopping, dismounting and untacking a horse.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means if you start at $14.42 an hour you will end up making $15.42. During peak season there is a shared tip pool. In the later a la carte season you can receive tips from trail guiding.
Maintenance Crew Member
Maintenance crew members must have experience in several skill areas to include carpentry, plumbing, electrical, vehicle maintenance, and general ranch operations. The ability to be flexible and act immediately as circumstances arise is important. Other maintenance duties include pool and grounds maintenance, cutting firewood, building fences, building cookout fires, helping with guest activities such as shooting sports and/or guided hikes, and many more duties as assigned. Maintenance people will be expected to drive guests to various events and evening activities and must be at least 21 years old with a clean driving record; current CPR certification and first aid card is required, and classes will be offered at Colorado Trails Ranch.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means is you start at $13.75 an hour you will end up making $14.75.
Dishwasher & Cleaning Lead
The Kitchen Dishwasher & Cleaning lead is primarily responsible for the washing and sanitizing of all kitchen utensils, properly drying and storing of utensils and equipment and restocking of dishes. Other duties may include but are not limited to: creating and adhering to a regular cleaning and sanitizing schedule, kitchen organization. The Dishwasher may have other duties as assigned by the Executive Chef.
Bonus: All positions are eligible for a $1.00 an hour bonus for each regular hour and $1.50 an hour for each over time hour worked upon satisfactorily completing your employment contract. This means is you start at $12.75 an hour you will end up making $13.75.
How to Apply
Please read through the employment information on our website. From there you can apply online.
Please send in all the required information and a COMPLETE application. We do request that you provide email addresses for your references, if at all possible along with phone numbers. We are finding that folks may prefer to respond to a reference request at their leisure rather than us calling at an inopportune time.
Also, If you're applying for our counselor or wrangler positions, please submit a short riding video demonstrating your riding skills. We ask the video to show you:
~ catching a horse, grooming, saddling, and bridling it
~ then mounting and riding a short distance at a walk, jog, and a lope
~ lastly, dismounting and untacking the horse.
Contact Info
- Amanda
- employment@coloradotrails.com
- (850) 933-1700
- coloradotrails.com
