Peaceful Valley Guest Ranch

If you want a fun, family friendly, laid back and somewhat rustic get-a-way try the Peaceful Valley Guest Ranch, outside Lyons and Estes Park, Colorado.

Some of the top attractions include hiking, visiting nearby Rocky Mountain National park, horseback riding, and of course, fishing.

They have a pond on the grounds, right outside most of the rooms.

But the middle fork of the Saint Vrain Creek runs though the property and is fun to fish.

Walt gets a great angle

My crew and I were there to shoot for our new TV show - "Fly Fishing West". We fished and shot along the St. Vrain - but after the day was done, I enjoyed casting into the trout pond and catching a few, just for fun.

Th ranch serves three meals a dal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each meal is buffet style, and is served at a set time. But the food is good and you can load your plate as many times as you wish.

Our guide Jesse Clark took us to the creek, and was very knowledgeable about the trout, where to fish, and about the flies we needed. He also is a certified Master Casting Instructor, which proved invaluable since we needed casts that would help us navigate casting in thick brush.     

 Jesse shows me the way

We usually planned our day during breakfast, then shot until noon. We took a break for lunch, and then went back out for the afternoon. We'd return for dinner, and then a relaxing evening at the pond.  I liked that because I could fish for fun, with no pressure about if we would catch fish while the cameras were rolling, or if we had enough footage, etc.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. They even had extra fly rods at the front desk. They have a small workout room, ping pong table, a nice gift shop and plenty of places to just relax.

Another day we did a horseback ride to the chapel on the hill above the ranch, but you can ride all the way to the Continental Divide for breath-taking views.

This is not a "high end" "fancy" resort or the "Ritz", but you will be cared for and papered in a friendly and wholesome manner.  I really enjoyed it.  My crew and I were there to work, but it can be the perfect place for a kid friendly, fun, relaxing mountain get-a-way.

You can watch a "director's cut" (rough draft) of our morning on the river with Jesse by clicking this link. Enjoy!

Fly Fishing Peaceful Valley