This Colorado Mountain Retreat Makes Outdoorsy Travel Easier for Groups

Group camping trips tend to collapse under competing comfort levels, budgets, and expectations, usually leaving one person stuck coordinating the entire thing. Arapahoe Valley Ranch, on the southeastern edge of Lake Granby in Colorado’s Grand County, was designed to challenge that narrative. At this property originally developed in 1896, tent campers, RVers, glampers, cabin enthusiasts, and large family groups can all stay on the same property without everyone vacationing the same way. In the summer of 2025, a few girlfriends and I stayed at Arapahoe Valley Ranch for a few days of camping, hiking, paddling, and late-night campfires. We each opted for a different style of accommodation, but we were all still within close walking distance of each other – which made it easy to plan activities together but take time alone when needed.

From girls camp to off-grid retreat

From cabins to tents, glamping is the key feature at Arapahoe Valley Ranch. Photo: Arapahoe Valley Ranch

Situated on 40 acres in the Indian Peaks Wilderness just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapahoe Valley Ranch is a family-owned property with more than a century of history. Originally a girls camp that later evolved into a classic dude ranch, the property was acquired in 2021 by a collective of families who had vacationed there for decades. After a major infrastructure overhaul, the ranch transitioned into a fully off-grid property powered by solar energy and on-site batteries. Its mix of cabins, glamping tents, yurts, RV sites, and campsites allows groups with different budgets and comfort levels to stay together without traveling the same way.

The property served as an excellent basecamp for our group: we explored the wilderness by day and spent each night enjoying group meals, playing yard games, listening to live music around the campfire, and having drinks at Colorado’s smallest bar. In the mornings, we paddled around the creek near the ranch and discussed what we would do in various bear situations (for example: what would you do if a bear decided to take a swim while we were canoeing? Hint: holding your breath is not the answer).

In the afternoons, we hiked around Monarch Lake, took a few extra credit steps with wrong turns, and made our way back to camp with plenty of time to ride road bikes on the nearby trails. With the sun lingering late behind the mountains, we filled the long summer days with hiking, biking, paddling, and campfire hangs.

Arapahoe Valley Ranch is home to Colorado’s coziest bar

Red Dog Saloon is famously Colorado’s smallest bar. Photo: Arapahoe Valley Ranch

One of Arapahoe Valley Ranch’s claims to fame is that it’s home to one of Colorado’s oldest, and smallest, bars. People were ordering drinks at the Red Dog Saloon before aspirin, X-rays, or air conditioning existed. Early patrons likely sat at this bar discussing Henry Ford’s newest invention — the Quadricycle, one of the earliest gas-powered automobiles. This 80-square-foot watering hole has just four barstools and has served cocktails, beer, and wine since the 1890s.

Inside, the walls are crowded with memorabilia salvaged from throughout the region, including relics from ranches that disappeared beneath the water after the construction of the Granby Dam. We ordered whiskey mule cocktails, beers from Colorado breweries, and whatever wine the bartender recommended. After about 20 minutes, we gave up our seats so someone else could snag the seats, then finished our drinks on the patio while watching for moose at dusk. Note, however, that the bar’s hours are nearly as limited as its elbow room: 7 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from late May through mid-September.

A place to camp together without everyone camping the same way

The property is powered by solar with battery storage. Photo: Arapahoe Valley Ranch

Our group ended up spread across nearly every type of accommodation on the property. Some friends pitched tents, others booked cabins, and one duo opted for glamping, but everyone still gravitated toward the same communal spaces by evening. Budget-friendly tent camping sites at Arapahoe Valley Ranch start at $60 per night for up to six people, while RV sites with water and electric hookups are available for $106 per night (six-person max). For folks who like the idea of camping more than sleeping on the ground, four- to six-person Glamping Tents or Commons Yurts start at $202 per night; all of these options include access to shared washroom facilities. Upgraded stays include modern cabins that sleep four to eight guests and feature private bathrooms and kitchens for $222 per night. For large groups, the Ranch House sleeps up to 18 people across four bedrooms and three bathrooms, includes an adjoining cabin, and is available for $1,385 per night.

All accommodations include access to canoes, paddleboards, mountain bikes, fishing poles, volleyball courts, and lawn games, but many travelers book the ranch for its proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park (20 miles) or the small towns of Grand Lake (18 miles) and Granby (15 miles).

Grand Lake feels like the kind of mountain town designed for strolling. Its wooden boardwalks and old-fashioned storefronts are a charming setting for visitors wandering between boutique shops in hiking sandals carrying ice cream cones and canvas bags full of small-town souvenirs. Established in 1881, Grand Lake is also home to Colorado’s largest and deepest natural lake. We booked a boat tour of Grand Lake, which turned out to be the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. Afterward, we stopped for handmade ice cream at Miyauchi’s Snack Bar.

Arapahoe Valley Ranch runs on nostalgia (and Folgers Classic Roast)

This is a place where you can be left to your own devices. Photo: Arapahoe Valley Ranch

Staying at Arapahoe Valley Ranch felt like a throwback to what I imagine camping trips were like back in Colorado’s early days of tourism after the turn of the 20th century. Between the frontier-style buildings, the defunct dance hall, and the Folgers coffee, parts of the ranch feel delightfully frozen in time, albeit with hot showers and cabin TVs. As a fan of third-wave coffee, it was a surprise to see Folgers Classic Roast stocked at the lodge. Not that I expected a hipster barista to be behind a counter crafting single-origin pour-overs in the middle of the wilderness. Still, seeing the familiar red canister gave me a twinge of nostalgia, reminding me of the percolator coffee my family drank on camping trips when I was a kid. This is very much a bring-your-own-groceries kind of stay. Anyone emotionally attached to oat milk lattes will probably want to bring their own coffee setup.

Arapahoe Valley Ranch is powered by solar energy, and while there is technically Wi-Fi available, that’s a generous description. I considered the limited internet access more of a feature than a bug. Without phones constantly competing for attention, we spent more time lingering around campfires, scanning the tree line for moose, and staying outside long after dark to stare at the stars. For a few days, our schedules revolved less around screens and reservations and more around campfires, canoe rides, and whether anyone had seen any bears yet.

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