USRider® Equestrian Traveler's Companion-Summer 2023

Rocky Mountain Diamond

Horse Ranch Park in Colorado’s cool Gunnison National Forest is a highaltitude campground nestled between two tranquil wilderness areas.

Article and Photos by Kent & Charlene Krone

Horse Ranch Park, located in Colorado’s Gunnison National Forest, is a diamond in the rough. This delightful United States Forest Service campground is nestled between the Raggeds and West Elk Wilderness areas, which offer solitude, quietude, and high altitudes to hardy equestrian travelers.

Spacious Camp

Horse Ranch Park is located approximately 12 miles west from the quaint town of Crested Butte and 37 miles northwest of Gunnison.

Lake Irwin

Our first ride was a 13-mile roundtrip ride to Lake Irwin. We thought it was an easy ride, but our Missouri Fox Trotters, Cowboy and Nate, may have felt otherwise. The trail gains about 1,000 feet elevation, but the gain is gradual.

Dark Canyon Trail

Our next ride was the Dark Canyon Trail (#830). This is an awesome ride in the 64,997-acre Raggeds Wilderness Area. To get there, ride out as before, north of camp, but turn left instead of going right to Lake Irwin.

Alpine Beauty

A ride that gives a year’s worth of alpine beauty is comprised of the Cliff Creek and Three Lakes Trails. This 15-mile ride has everything: aspens, open meadows, and mountaintop riding with emerald mountain lakes.

Mountain Outfitters

If you’re traveling with friends who would like to ride in this beautiful mountainous area, but don’t have horses of their own—or if you would like to give your horse a rest— you can rely on Fantasy Ranch Mountain Adventures in nearby Crested Butte.

Enjoy the breathtaking West Elk Wilderness right from camp while eating hearty cowboy-style meals. Then sit around the campfire and watch a Colorado sunset to complete your perfect day in wilderness.