What makes a Dude Ranch a "Dude" Ranch? Apparently in the early 1900s the word "dude" had a bit of a different meaning than it does today. A “dude” was a city person. A dude ranch is where city people can go to learn about ranch life.

Colorado is full of beautiful land. It's no surprise there are "nearly 34,000 farms and ranches in Colorado encompassing 31.7 million acres" according to these Colorado Agriculture Fun Facts.

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Turns out there are dude ranches all over our state. About 63 of them in fact. Recently one right here in Northern Colorado was given a pretty cool nod on Trips to Discover.

In an article, "12 Authentic Dude Ranches in the U.S. for a Cowboy-cation," Cherokee Park Ranch in Livermore was featured. It's just a little less than an hour northwest of Old Town. Their website totes daily horseback riding, a petting zoo, river rafting, cattle team penning, fly fishing, tubing on the Poudre River, rodeos, a fire pit, and square dancing as some of the fun activities you will enjoy.

The setting at Cherokee Park Ranch has all the western feels. Mountains, wildflowers, a river, a star-filled sky, and the sounds of true nature. There are tons of lodging options and it seems a lot of family reunions and honeymoons are popular at this dude ranch.

Imagine the city people who just got married and head to Colorado for a ranch experience. I love it!!

I imagine with the popularity of the wildly popular show Yellowstone, ranches everywhere have seen a boom in business. It's pretty cool to have such a great one for people to experience right here in our backyard

PICTURES: See Inside Kevin Costner's Spectacular Colorado Ranch

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner lives the ranch life when he's off the set of the hit show, too. The Oscar-winning actor owns a 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colo., that's a spectacular getaway, complete with a main residence, a lake house and a river house.

The luxury retreat also features a baseball field, a sledding hill, an ice rink, multiple hot tubs and views of the Continental Divide. The ranch property comfortably sleeps 27 people, and it's currently available to rent for 36,000 a night.

You Could Own a Colorado Ranch Known for Elk and Bear Hunting

A ranch for sale in Cedaredge, Colorado is known for frequent visits from deer, elk, moose and bears.

Historic Colorado Ranch is Known as the 'Cattle Barrons Castle'

According to realtor.com, established in the late 1800s, the 7X Ranch, known as the Cattle Barons Castle, might be one of the most historic landmarks in the region. This ranch has it all - a carriage house, three-level barn, and over a thousand acres of land.

The ranch is located at 31052 Oak Mesa Road in Hotchkiss, Colorado. You'll find it about a 20-minute drive north of Hotchkiss. If you're making the drive from Grand Junction, the commute comes in at 74 miles and close to two hours drive time.

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