Take a trip back in time by hiking to the Holzwarth Historic Site in Colorado’s stunning Rocky Mountain National Park! Catch a glimpse into the past life of homesteaders in the area and enjoy a fun history lesson by touring the old buildings of a dude ranch!
John Holzwarth and his family left Denver in 1917 to settle in the Kawuneeche Valley near the newly formed Rocky Mountain National Park. John was a saloon keeper, and he abruptly lost his job due to prohibition in Colorado, prompting a move to the area to homestead and start a cattle ranch.
Because of the world-renowned beauty of these mountains, tourism boomed. The Holzwarth family decided to build a dude ranch, which offered guests a nice place to stay, warm meals, and all of the fishing, hunting, and horseback riding they desired for $2 a day or $11 a week!
What You Need to Know
Be sure to stop by the old and abandoned homesteader cabin located near the parking area. We enjoy learning about the history of the area and seeing the old pictures displayed in this tiny one-room home. From here, you can access the trail that leads to the dude ranch cabins that are located on the other side of the river.
The trail from the cabin to the site of the dude ranch is wide, flat, and in direct sunlight. You can easily bring your stroller on this trail, and shuttles are available for those with disabilities.
The trail to the Holzwarth Historic Site is 1 mile roundtrip. Although the Holzwarth Historic Site is open year-round, the building tours and activities are only available from about mid-June to Labor Day, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The humble beginnings of the mighty Colorado River meander through the meadow, providing a peaceful backdrop to enjoy along the way.
As you approach the trees where the ranch is nestled, stop by the Mama Cabin. This cabin was the primary residence of the Holzwarth family and was used by Sophia Holzwarth to cook meals for her guests.
This is the main cabin open for touring, so spend some time looking around and learning about what it was like to live as a homesteader at the Holzwarth Site.
The Taxidermy Cabin showcases the various tools used to preserve a prized animal after a day of hunting. I get squeamish around guts and blood, so I don’t particularly like learning about the process or looking too closely at the tools. I do, however, enjoy examining the antlers and horns from a variety of big game animals, including this surprisingly heavy horn from a bighorn sheep.
The Holzwarth Historic Site features a variety of cabins, most of which can be toured. This experience helps to paint a clearer picture of what a real dude ranch was like in the early 1900s and provides a glimpse into the past hardships and simplicity of life during that time.
As you hike along the path back to civilization, take time to reflect on the experiences of these early settlers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Gaze north to the gorgeous Never Summer Mountains and dream of the simple yet challenging life faced by the Holzwarth family in the beautiful Kawuneeche Valley.
The Holzwarth Historic Site provides a fantastic outdoor classroom for students of all ages as we look into (and experience) the past.
Getting Here
The Holzwarth Historic Site is on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, 8 miles north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near the Grand Lake Entrance.
Have you been to the Holzwarth Historic Site? Let me know in the comments below!
More Rocky Mountain Trip Planning Information
Rocky Mountain Itinerary — a detailed hour-by-hour sightseeing schedule.
How to Get to Rocky Mountain — the best airports and roads in the area.
How Many Days Should I Spend in Rocky? — itinerary ideas.
The Best Time to Visit — what to expect during each month of the year.
Weather, Hours, and Closures — important weather info and common closures.
Where Should I Stay? — the best options in and around the park.
All About Camping — learn about the park’s campgrounds and how to get a site.
12 Things You Can’t Miss on Your First Visit to Rocky — the top 12 spots.
The Best Easy Hikes — the perfect trails for kids, wheelchairs, and beginners.
Best Things to Do — activities for every type of adventurer.
The Ultimate Rocky Mountain Trip Planning Guide — everything you need to know.
I will be visiting RMNP end of September through October. While I understand tours are only available until Labor Day weekend, is there still access after Labor Day?
You should still be able to hike around the area at that time!
Hi there!! Thank you so much for all of this great information. It’s so helpful. We are going to be in park 2 days. I’ve printed out the 2 day itinerary. I know you cautioned against switching the days b/c of the need to adjust to the altitude. However, our passes only include Bear Lake on day 1. Do you think we should flip the two days and keep our fingers crossed that we adjus OR just follow the one day itinerary on the first day and choose other things to do on day 2. I hate to miss Bierstadt Lake if we do that though (it can only be accessed from Bear Lake area, right?). Thanks for any advice you can give us.
Hey Jenny! You should be ok to switch the days. Just be aware of how everyone in your group is feeling and drink lots of water. Have fun!
How is the fishing in this very upper part of the Colorado?
Hey Aaron! Thanks for your comment…unfortunately I’m definitely the wrong person to ask about fishing. I’m not sure about the fishing in that area at all, but I hope you enjoy your time in Rocky!
Wow! We used to raise Arab horses in Estes Park. We got our hay from little Johnny Holtzworth. It was a family event. We drive the trusty dodge over trail ridge road, load up 38 bales from the hay barn, have a nice meal at the guest ranch and head back over. Did this 15 times each summer! I was sad to see this all end. The site is nice but it doesn’t replace the memories of what once was!
That is so cool! How amazing it must have been to have experienced the guest ranch when it was still running!
Thanks so much for this website. I’m a relative of the Holzworths. My mother, Agnes, was first cousin to Johnny Holzworth’s wife Caroline. I’m in frequent contact with my second cousin, Fran, Johnny and Caroline’s daughter. I also do a lot of family history research as a hobby, and the Holzworths are part of that.
I worked on the Neversummer Ranch for 4 summers when I was in college in the early 1960s, mostly mowing, raking, bailing, and stacking the hay crop. I occasionally took guests out on trail rides on days when the bales were wet from rain. It was hard work, but a wonderful environment to live in. Several of my cousins worked there at different times. Johnny treated me well and I got along very well with my “boss,” the late John G. Holzworth III. I helped build that irrigation gate next to the bridge over the Colorado River that leads to the cabins. I slept in the barn loft on a cot next to that taxidermied deer in the glass case that’s in one of the cabins. And I lifted and tossed an awful lot of hay.
All the ranch I remember is gone now, turned back into meadows and woods, except for the cabins. There was a log hotel, an icehouse, a large barn, corrals, and Johnny and Caroline’s home as well as John and Mary’s new house … all gone. But those first cabins, homesteaded in about 1912 I think, known as Holzworth’s Trout Lodge,” and later known as “Sophie’s Cabins,” remain.
Wow, that is amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience there. It’s such a beautiful area, even now, but I’m sure it was quite the place when it was fully up and running!
Can you reach this by entering at Estes Park?
Yes, but you’ll need to drive up and over the Trail Ridge Road!