Saddleback Ranch runs horseback rides across its working cattle spread in the hills outside Steamboat Springs. You climb into the saddle and follow trails through open meadows and aspen stands, with long views of the Yampa Valley and the ranch's grazing land spreading out below. Guides set the pace to match your group, so first-timers and comfortable riders both find a route that fits.

This is a real ranch, not a set piece — the same ground runs cattle through the season, and the rides trace the kind of terrain ranch hands have worked for generations. Horses know the trails, and wranglers share the lay of the land as you ride.

Rides run across the seasons, and the ranch pairs horseback outings with other cattle-country activities, so a morning in the saddle can turn into a full day on the property.