About the Zapata Ranch

The Zapata Ranch is a 103,000 acre authentic working cattle and bison guest ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy.  It borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve along most of its eastern border. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains tower alongside the ranch with several 14,000 foot peaks with trail heads leading into them, just minutes from the lodge.  It has one of the most scenically spectacular and diverse geological landscapes to be found anywhere in the world.  It is a wildlife mecca with thousands of elk, hundreds of bison, and countless deer, coyotes, birds and many other animal species.  

Real life ranching and exploring the great outdoors is at the core of the programs that are offered at the Zapata Ranch.  Duke and Janet Phillips manage the Zapata and Chico Basin Ranches and have hosted guests from all over the world for over eight years, developing special programs that bring visitors into the middle of ranch life by working side by side with the cowboys and cowgirls on the ranch; these activities are not staged - they occur whether guests are on the ranch or not. Iif groups have varied interests or do not want to spend all their time with the cowboys, they can take one of our trips into the wild to study the bison herds, or explore the sand dunes and mountain meadows. 

Our programs are especially designed for people who want to learn about and experience nature, whether it be conservation, hiking or riding to view the unique geology and spectacular vistas.  Some guests want to just relax in the historic lodge and soak in 14,000 foot Mt. Blanca towering through the tree tops, or hike up to Zapata Falls, five minutes away.  Still others come to see the 1,500 wild bison that blacken the Medano meadows when they come together as one herd.  This landscape is sometimes called the Rocky Mountain Serengeti because of the amazing diversity and abundance of wildlife.  Photography or wildlife viewing safaris are part of the daily events, or they can be customized to meet your special interest.

For those of us who make our home on the Zapata, ranching is about using time honored methods alongside progressive approaches that help us do a better job and have fun while we are doing it.  It is also about western hospitality.  We have devoted our lives to this lifestyle and we take pride in introducing our guests to our way of life and about the pleasures of riding horses.  We also enjoy learning about our guests interests and getting to know them.  We hope you will come for a visit soon.  We will take you out into the back country of this wild land and show you a way of life from the past. You will experience nature as you have never dreamed.

 

Our Philosophy

Central to what we do is maintaining our ranching heritage while enhancing the natural landscape. Our philosophy maintains that a balance must be struck between the management of a healthy and vigorous ecosystem and a sustainable land-based business that supports the people living on the land. We feel that our ranching and conservation work in partnership with The Nature Conservancy is an important model for preserving large scale ranchlands in the western United States.

Our Team

Regin and Tanya Fletcher manage the Zapata Inn and will make you feel right at at home the minute you arrive at the ranch. Tanya will provide you with home-cooked meals and have your rooms comfortable and clean. Regin has a lifetime of experience with livestock and horses and is involved in the daily operations of the ranch. He will ensure you have a safe time, will teach you everything about horses and working on the ranch, and lead you out into the land to explore.

Jeff Gossage is the ranch operations manager. Jeff lives on the ranch, and is in charge of taking care of the land and livestock. You have never met anyone that you take such a quick liking to. Jeff will bring you with him in his daily activities, if you choose. He will show you the inner workings of a “real life” large scale cattle and bison ranching operation.

Blake Wyatt works with Jeff on the ranch and plays a big role in making the ranch work. He cares for the cattle and bison as well as helping everywhere else. You will spend time with Blake on the ranch and will learn a great deal about day to day ranching from him.

cowboy@zranch.org