Loveland, CO Outdoor Activities

The veteran equestrians at Estes Park Horseback let riders get an up-close look at the picturesque property of Elkhorn Lodge during year-round trail rides. The lodge is situated along the border of Rocky Mountain National Park. Consequently, horseback-riding excursions wind past several spectacular sights, including the Continental Divide and Old Man Mountain, easily distinguished by its inability to operate its smartphone. During winter months, snow-dusted paths stretch before riders, while spring and summer adventures trot along trails dappled with sunlight. Estes Park Horseback encourages guests to tote along cameras to capture scenic views and potential sightings of elk, bighorn sheep, and other animals roaming through the area.

Cody Walker muses that within the stillness of Rocky Mountain National Park, "You get a sense that it's the way it should be." His father, Rex, grew up on a steady diet of cowboy films, eventually following his dream to Colorado where he met his wife, Queeda. Queeda was born into a family of homesteaders who caught and broke wild steeds. In 1959, they channeled their passion for the old-west lifestyle into Sombrero Ranches, eschewing souvenir-shop gimmicks for horseback expeditions that, much like avalanches of super glue, bond visitors with their steeds and natural surroundings.

Today, Cody carries on his parents' legacy with a staff of ranch hands from nearby homesteads and college students participating in equine-science programs all across the country. After training in a vigorous program that's evolved during more than 50 years, his employees launch short rides or lengthy adventures. Cody distinguishes the Continental Divide ride as one of the most awe-inspiring; it begins at Bear Lake at 6 a.m., wending across the Continental Divide and to Grand Lake during a nine-hour stretch.