Entire home

Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included.

Photo gallery for Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included.

Exterior
Sunrise from the deck
Sunrise from the other deck
Living Room
Entryway/Living room

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 9148.6 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Pet-friendly
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

Map
Howard, CO
  • Cotopaxi City Park
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Riverside Park
    ‪27 min drive‬
  • SteamPlant Theater and Event Center
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Salida, CO (SLT-Harriet Alexander Field)
    ‪33 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 9)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Overflow Sleeping Area

1 Single Bunk Bed and 1 Double Futon

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included.

Relaxing family getaway located in the Upper Arkansas River canyon near Howard, CO. This 2 bedroom 2 bath house is located at the end of a quiet dirt road and is only 20 minutes from Salida, 40 minutes to Monarch Ski Area, and a peaceful 15 minute walk to fishing and boating along the Arkansas River. A great location for family vacations, fishing/boating trips, or for getting some great R&R.

This is the house that we (Kate and Rick) hope to retire to, and we are excited to share it with some guests, so that we can afford to keep it and enjoy it when we have time to come visit ourselves, or with our family! This is not run by a vacation rental company, and therefore is not a "luxury" home, but it is very comfortable and we have endeavored to make it nice for guests. We are welcome to any suggestions and improvements, and hope to invest our rental money back into the house over the coming years to make it even better!

More house details:
Insane views of the Arkansas River and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo range to the south. A two bedroom, two bathroom house adjacent to the Sand Gulch BLM area with a fully equipped kitchen (no dishwasher), internet, and standard amenities. One bedroom has a queen bed, the other has two twin beds that can be pushed together if desired. The living area has a giant sectional couch, a twin bunk bed and a pull out couch. Therefore this place can comfortably sleep 6, and can sleep up to 8 or 9 people upon request and approval. Please let us know how many will be staying.

- Laundry available.
- Cell phone booster and WiFi is broadband via Hilltop Broadband
- Dogs are welcome (within reason)!
- A chest freezer is available for successful fisherfolk and hunters, or for longer stays.
- The living room has a Roku-equipped TV and DVD player.
- Cleaning fee is listed to cover normal use. A refundable cleaning deposit of $200 is required.
- We are available via text or call if any questions come up.

Area Activities:
Hikers: Close to a variety of day and overnight hikes in the Sangre de Cristo wilderness area or walk right out the door and explore the Sand Gulch BLM area which borders the property on 3 sides.

Bikers: Spend a relaxing evening here after riding the Monarch Crest trail or enjoy the world class mountain biking trails located in the valley from Canyon City to Salida, including the Rainbow Trail, S mountain trails, and Royal Gorge Rim trails.

Rafters: The nearest pullout is Vallie Bridge (just a 5 minute drive away!) Many rafting companies are located in the valley that can help you plan your trip.

Fishermen and Fisherwomen: Walkable public access to the Arkansas is located along County Road 45 in between Vallie Bridge and Howard. If you are willing to drive, there are many more options.

Skiers: Monarch ski area is 40 minutes away, and there is very little traffic! Wolf Creek and Crested Butte are also close enough to consider for long day trips if the weather is right. Backcountry access is also close by, near Monarch and elsewhere.

Hot Springs Enthusiasts: Princeton Hot Springs is approximately 45minutes away, and the Valley View Hot Springs near Villa Grove are a little over an hour away.

Large Parties: We are open to considering large events (such as work group training, retreats, or family reunions). Please inquire, availability for large groups is case-by-case.

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ATTENTION: Fremont County fire bans during the summer months are common in the area. When dry conditions abound, Fremont County fire ban information is sometimes difficult to find - but we encourage fire safety and often ask guests to refrain from smoking, using firearms, and sometimes from using the fire pit. At a minimum, the fire pit should always be supervised and should be extinguished fully before leaving the area or going to sleep. We will provide notes to this effect before check in, and encourage questions from guests regarding fire safety precautions.
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Property manager

Kate

Languages

English, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

Events allowed
Parties/event hosting possible upon request/approv
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Pets

Pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Dogs on leash if being walked on the shared access road
Understand and review fire restrictions per State of Colorado and Fremont County. No outdoor burning if Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in effect.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Note from host: Parties/event hosting possible upon request/approv
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Howard

Located in Howard, this holiday home is in a rural area and on a river. Wood's High Mountain Distillery and Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Visitor Center are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and San Isabel National Forest. Journey Quest and Rocky Mountain Mini Golf are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Howard, CO

What's nearby

  • Cotopaxi City Park - 15 min drive - 12.7 km
  • Riverside Park - 27 min drive - 30.8 km
  • Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Visitor Center - 28 min drive - 31.1 km
  • SteamPlant Theater and Event Center - 28 min drive - 31.2 km
  • Royal Gorge Bridge - 52 min drive - 58.3 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Riverside Cafe - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Susie's Out West Cafe Howard - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Susie's Out-West Cafe & Steakhouse - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Prickly Pear Lounge - ‬12 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included. pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included.?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Country house along the Arkansas: Views and hiking included. located?

Situated on a river, this holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Arkansas River and Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. Cotopaxi City Park is 7.8 mi (12.6 km) away.

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 47 out of 57 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 57 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 57 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 57 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 57 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Lacie K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good stay

Good place to stay. Hot water heater had to be reset but worked fine after that.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Zachary W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family River Time and Views

Great place to hang and relax with the family. Great location for views of the valley and river access for rafting/fishing. Even got to beat my brother at horseshoes and lose at darts!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rich B., Kansas City

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beauty everywhere

Great location with views in every direction. Love the town of Salida.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Karen K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

secluded

nice place…perfect for our needs. Some people might feel like it is a little rundown. We thought it was great for our family and dogs
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gena G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in

Get Away

We had a family matter to attend to and stayed here during our time in CO. It was very beautiful. If you need to work, internet is not the best, but overall it was a very comfortable stay. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get away and stay in a clean safe area.
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fishing Trip

Great home and location for our fishing trip on the Arkansas River. Highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Daniel S.

Great views,& trails

The house was nice & roomy everything we needed was there. Close to anything we wanted to do. Only thing it could use is a couple more ceiling fans in bedrooms. Great place.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Shannon-Marie K., Johnston

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Love this ranch

We absolutely love coming here. Having the mountains in your backyard is amazing and our boys LOVE to climb them. The dogs and I enjoy walking down to the beautiful stream. Neighbors were friendly.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aaron G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Views

This place is a little slice of heaven. The views are splendid and the house has everything one could want. Kate was super communicative and helpful. I'm definitely going to try and come back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

John L.

Amazing! Great house, beautiful views. Tranquil family vacation.

Arrived to a buck standing at the front door. Clean, well-stocked, comfortable home. Skiing at Monarch was awesome, next day at Mt. Princeton hot springs so relaxing. Perfect setting. Kids will remember this forever. Thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Rufus S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful

It was a very peaceful place to stay with wonderful veiws of the moutains and river. We saw a herd of deer several times, horses running, and a chipmunk. It was in a really good location to take day trips to other places. A few things to make it better would be to have drain plugs to fit sinks in kitchen to do dishes, something to sit suitcases on or a place to put clothes in room with twin beds. My in laws shower needed cleaned a little better. The house was a very nice place to stay. Owners responded quickly when we had to call about a toilet float valve not shutting off all of the time. We would definitely stay again. We hated to leave.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Carl M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy

Beautiful Scenery But Place Needs A Lot Of TLC

The scenery was great! The outside deck and inside needed some TLC and repairs. The host knew the swamp cooler, washing machine, and a window was not working in one of the rooms after letting them know. It was very hot inside during the day where the outside temp was in the low 90s. The host said they would give us a partial refund but refused after leaving. We would not recommend or stay there again.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jordan M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolute hidden GEM!

This property was perfect! I’m the listing they mention it’s not some high end luxurious property. But I gotta tell ya, those properties are not worth the high dollar signs and they don’t have the views that this property does! It was perfect for our crew on Memorial Day weekend. The views are out of this world. It’s private. A quick walk to the river that we took the dogs on each morning. We explored all the surrounding areas and hiked and biked during the day. Grabbed a drink in Salida and then came back and grilled out, are wonderful sunset dinners and then hung around the fire pit in the backyard. For us, it was a great “crash pad.” A place for a group of friends to hit the mtns during the day and come back and be together at night. The rustic feel fit the outdoor environment we were in and for a group of us that are use to “higher end” lodging, we all said we would book this comfortable, homey house again in a heart beat! I can see my why Kate and her spouse want to retire here! Wifi and phone reception were just fine. Plenty of towels and cookware. Pet friendly. Go for it! You won’t regret it! And you can’t beat the price!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Chad M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just what the doctor ordered

A nice little place of the beaten path. Has lots of potential. The energy is very welcoming. The hills behind the house offer an ancient spirit of the earth and the view out of the front leaves one in awe of nature.
Stayed 11 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Property

The property was very nice. The view was gorgeous. It is stocked very good with cooking products. It is a great place to stay we spent the whole week with no problems.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Connie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful view

The home was spacious and view perfect. It would sleep a lot, but there were only 3 of us. The furnishings were dated and well worn. The property has not had any updates. Our main issue was the tall grass around the property. We were greeted by a large snake (over 5 ft.) right at the front door on our first day. We do not believe it was poisonous, but we were nervous outside the rest of the time. The main reason we rented this property was because it had a/c (swamp cooler) which we needed with the warm days and the view.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just what I needed!

First and foremost, the hosts are amazing!! I contacted them numerous times over pitilly stuff, and they answered immediately each and every time! This started before we even arrived. Secondly, the location of the house is heavenly. The views and getaway were just what I needed. I look forward to my Colorado getaway every year (rafting, aerial rope course, mountain views, etc.), and this house was the cherry on top. The views are spectacular, and I can't wait until next year. Missing scenic Colorado already!!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Justin and Emily H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Views

Great views and location, so peaceful. Love being so close to the Arkansas River. The house had everything we needed. Thanks again!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Janelle K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

As advertised

We were very please with cleanliness and supplies available. The house was as advertised. We had no complaints!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Heather M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Family Getaway

Kate was very prompt responding to us. We were allowed to check in early, had an issue with the boiler, but Kate made sure we were taken care of. We hiked the trails around the house and just stared in awe at the gorgeous views. Salida is close and a really friendly awesome town. We went snowmobiling at Monarch snowmobile tours and had a wonderful experience there. The people we encountered were great. Overall would definitely recommend staying here. The house is stocked with just about anything you would need, which is not always the case, so that is very much appreciated. We can't wait to come back and enjoy even more of what this community has to offer. Thank you, Kate, for welcoming us in your home. We had a great time!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Rob F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mountain getaway

Property was great and views were amazing! Is exactly as it was listed. This place is well loved and has character. Everything was stocked and very clean.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Clinton R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful views inside and out

We loved the views surrounding this home, which could be enjoyed from the comfort of the living room, lined with large windows, or from the top of the small holes surrounding the home. Great location. We felt like we were out of our own, in quiet solitude, yet close to activity when we wanted it.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sundey M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfectly Colorado

Kate’s place is an unfussy bunk house with incredible views, a great place to crash after skiing Monarch. We enjoyed how secluded it was, it felt extremely safe and private. Kate was gracious and helpful. The kitchen was well stocked, plenty of places to sleep, and lots of games and movies. Will return!
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Catherine J., Houston USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So Relaxing

We had a wonderful stay, clean, amazing views of the mountains (just wish there would not have been a haze from out of state fires). We were able to relax, visit the Hot Springs at the Great Sand Dunes - AMAZING food in the Adults only section. A trip to Canyon City, Cripple Creek and so much more. Our two small fur babies enjoyed it too (note be sure to check them for burrs when coming back in from a walk). Definitely on our list for a return trip to Colorado.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Danielle M., Troy, MO USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Such a peaceful location!

Great location and the views are awesome. The house was perfect for our family
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

About the host

Hosted by Kate

Host profile image
We are both engineers trying to make it by in this world. Rick is a water treatment engineer, and Kate is a construction manager/civil engineer. We purchased this property with our family to use as a vacation home and a meeting place. The location is perfect as we live in western CO (formerly Denver) and have family in Santa Fe/Northern NM. We are just looking for a few odd rentals here an there to help cover maintenance and expenses, and because we think the place is so awesome it should be shared when we can't use it.

Why they chose this property

Perfect location for outdoor adventures. Located at the end of a private dirt road for privacy, yet only a 5 minute drive from the main arterial (US 50). Hiking/camping is a possibility too on the 40 acres surrounding the property, or on BLM which adjoins the property on 3 sides.

Did we mention the views?

What makes this property unique

Space
Views
Horseshoe Pits
Mountain access

Languages:

English, Spanish