About Us

Who We Are

Tumbling River Ranch was founded in 1946 by Ernie and Meezie Keyes, a couple inspired to start their own Dude Ranch after visiting Estes Park. After 30 years of building up the ranch from a single lodge to a top destination hosting 75 guests, the Keyes sold the ranch in 1975 to Jim and Mary Dale Gordon. The Gordons maintained Tumbling River Ranch as a premier Dude Ranch before passing operations to their daughter Megan and her husband Scott Dugan. 

Now, under new stewards, the Tumbling River legacy is poised to grow to welcome new generations.  Operated by outdoor hospitality leaders Collective Retreats, the Tumbling River legacy will continue, offering the collection of experiences that the ranch is celebrated for.  The new leader guiding Tumbling River Ranch is Mickael Chavy, General Manager at Collective Retreats. Born and raised in France, Mickael found his calling in the mountains of Colorado. His passion is to create an immersive experience between wilderness and hospitality with a highly personal touch.

Tumbling River Ranch History

Our ranch is unique in its location, nestled deep in Pike national forest among colorful aspens and cool, clear streams.

The remote, high mountains that surround us offer not only spectacular scenery but, in addition, contain a wealth of unspoiled history. The abundant wildlife in the region attracted first the semi-nomadic Ute Indians, then the fur trappers whose old cabins can still be found in our pastures and the surrounding forest.

The major event in Colorado’s recent history, however, came a little over a century ago with the discovery of gold and silver. The rush of the 1880s dotted our high mountain landscape with mines and abandoned ghost towns. We’re still finding them-in places it’s hard imagine humans surviving. During the summer months, we can explore these remote, historic areas. The feeling of discovery is exciting; ours is one of the few ranches where you can really see the unspoiled history of the Rockies firsthand.

The old mines are also a rockhounder’s paradise, with a great assortment of minerals found in few other places. So if you like geology, you will find plenty to explore.

In addition to visiting remote areas, you will also have a chance to visit well preserved old towns such as Georgetown and Fairplay. A century ago, historic Georgetown became known as the “Silver Queen” – the silver mining capital of the Rockies. Its old homes and stores are extremely well-preserved. There, you will see exceptional museums with relics from our area and be able to browse in the quaint shops. Or, if you prefer, take a ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad (an engineering marvel in its time), and stop in the Georgetown Candy Company for some homemade ice cream or fudge.

Fairplay was founded as South Park City, and is the capital of Park County. It’s western heritage is on full display at the South Park City museum, a fictional mining town made from buildings recovered from the ghost towns of the area. There, you can walk through original schoolhouses, blacksmiths’ shops, and saloons and experience Colorado’s history firsthand.

Why Choose Tumbling River Ranch?

IT’S A ONE-OF-A-KIND VACATION

Located among cascading streams and abundant wildlife, Tumbling River Ranch offers endless ways to enjoy the Colorado high country and a truly memorable vacation for your entire family.

Our friendly atmosphere and unparalleled service (a 1:2 staff-to-guest ratio), our historic, first-rate lodging, and our exceptional, home-cooked meals have remained staples of the Tumbling River Ranch experience for over 70 years.

What’s more, Tumbling River is more than just a business – it’s the place where families come together since 1975. We look forward to helping you create a week of vacation memories that will last a lifetime. We welcome you and yours to our ranch, our home, to experience the best vacation for the ENTIRE family at Tumbling River Ranch!

Tumbling River has been “a best” from 5280 magazines, a “top choice” ranch from Gene Kilgore with Kilgore Ranch Vacations and awarded 

Trip Advisors 5-Star Excellence award, but our finest tribute of all is that half of our guests each week are return guests that come back to the ranch each year. Many who return are second-generation guests who want their children and grandchildren to experience the magic of Tumbling River Ranch!

Read our hundreds of 5-star reviews at TripAdvisor, then give us a call. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Call to book today:

Scroll to top