Piney River Ranch

Had a blast riding horses today and the cowboy was a character. Horses were very safe, cowboy was fun but most of all amazing scenery. Be prepared though u have a 12 mi crazy bumpy dirt road to the ranch. Well worth it but u will need a truck or suv

MUST Visit while staying in the area! The drive is a fun 11 mile dirt road full of views, and once you get there, the views are one of a kind! There is a hike to a waterfall, or you can rent a canoe. A lot of times a moose is out and about. The staff is super friendly. Its simply a must visit!

My old man and I were excited to take the trip out for the day to canoe, fish and hike on Piney Lake. The view is absolutely amazing, however, the Lodge is a waste of time. The customer service was horrible. Upon our arrival, the lady at the desk was already on the phone. We politely waved and waited for her to get off the phone. Rather then acknowledge us after the call, she went into the back and disappeared for a good 15 min. We eventually went to the bar to ask the gentlemen there for some help. Rudely, he informed us to go back to desk and someone there would help us. I could understand if he was too busy to help but there was literally NO ONE else in the lodge at the time. The lady returned eventually and allowed us to buy water. We decided they didn’t want our business based on the reaction we decided that day. It’s sad that such a wonderful spot has such lackluster service. Go for the view, but don’t waste your $$.

This place was so beautiful, I didn’t want to leave. I asked the employee at the cash register if they were hiring and she laughed. They have a quaint little bar and restaurant– the food looked totally delicious, but I had a horrible stomachache from the crazy, bumpy dirt road that you have to take to get here. So I had to eat bland food– grilled cheese and tater tots– instead of the amazing-​looking pork sandwiches. They have a good beer selection and the bartender/​server was a super nice guy. Next time I brave that dirt road, I’m going to stay on this resort for at least three days. You can go horseback riding, canoeing, and hiking. It is a gorgeous place.

Best Bloody Mary my husband has ever had. Good, though not excellent, burgers. Overall, we were very happy with our lunch here.

Piney River Ranch is the perfect venue for people who want a rustic Colorado wedding. Monique is super helpful and customizes your event to fit your needs. Even though my husband and I live in the Vail valley, we are both transplants from other states. This venue was the perfect spot for our needs, it was very private, outdoors, yet an indoor spot with heater lamps and safety from the rain. Our friends were able to stay the night for a little post reception fun, while our family/​other guests were able to head back down the mountain. The food was great, actually better than the tasting. All of our guests left saying «best wedding ever». I highly recommend Piney River Ranch to all futures couples.

View… Gorgeous. Lodge… AWFUL! I usually like writing nice reviews but this deserves a mention…
We were there as well on Father’s Day and the woman who worked there threatened to call the cops on us as well! We are nice normal people just there for a day hike. THE WORST customer service I have ever encountered! Seriously! Mean French waiters are nicer than these people. Go for the hike but don’t bother with the restaurant and bar or lodge… bring your own lunch or camp outside the lodge.
Apparently the management has been rude to numerous other locals who are just using the road to get to the trail (not their property) and they too have been threatened with having the cops called on them. Anyhoo… I can only hope the owners see these reviews and decide to make some changes… that location is too beautiful to be brought down by the owners of the lodge.
If you are looking to get married here or have an event… make sure the management doesn’t threaten to arrest your guests!

Their website as of today Sunday June 16, 2013, said that they were open as of Yesterday (Saturday June 15). We took our father, since it’s father’s day, and loaded everyone to come there to have lunch and hike.
When we got there, it’s closed and construction is taking place. I had to use the restroom and started to go towards the restrooms that I have used last year we came. I just saw a worker come out of the restroom. Then a lady rudely pops out of a workman’s trailer on site and tells me that they are closed and that I am trespassing. I let her know, they were open according to the website. She just kept repeating they’re closed and I’m trespassing. I said, well, I’m just going to use the bathroom then. She said, they were out of order and no running water. So either she lied or that worker just peed on the floor in there or something.
I told her, I’m going by the information I had available to me. She kept saying we were trespassing and she would call the police. There was another family there that checked the website too and they were upset. She told them they were trespassing also. That is surely no way to treat a family of 8 who wanted to come and spend money at your establishment which we do about twice in the Summer. So we no longer will. You don’t want us there, we won’t come.
Also, the road to get there is long and horrible. I don’t know who is in charge of the road but it’s really THE WORST ROAD I’ve ever driven on. The food isn’t even worth it but the view is so nice we were going to forgive the food. But after «been-​there-​done-​that» a couple of times, it’s really not worth it anymore.

The scenery and setting is beautiful. The facilities and restaurant are adequate but nothing special. The service from the staff was great with the exception of the manager Andy Berst who should get out of a service-​related business immediately. It is easy to have a great experience in a beautiful setting but the measure of a business isn’t when things go right, it is how they are handled when things go wrong. Mr. Berst is smug, rude, arrogant, condescending, lacks empathy and common decency.
Three in our party went on a horseback ride which was supposed to be an hour but it was cut a half-​hour short due to an afternoon storm. We asked if any refund, rain check or discount was available and Andy Berst rudely and aggressively stated that, «they don’t have to give refunds and that it was the risk was on us because we came in the afternoon when storms happen more often.» He reluctantly gave us $ 20 back but because of his negative, smug, and arrogant attitude he left us never wanting to return.
If you go to Piney River Ranch take some pictures and enjoy a hike but pack a lunch as I would not recommend supporting the businesses. I would never book an event (especially a wedding) or conference or stay in their cabins because, if you have a problem, Mr. Berst will most certainly make it worse. I personally do not recommend going there until they get a new manager.

NB: This is the home of, but is not the same as, Piney River Adventures («PRA»). PRA’s a snowmobile business run out of the same location, but they don’t run the lodge and (newly renovated) bar and restaurant.
The lodges and restaurant at Piney River Ranch have been newly purchased by some Pepsi bigwig and he’s seriously upgrading the place. Piney River Ranch sits on the shores of Piney Lake, a lake that has a picture postcard setting looking up at the western side of the Gore, in all it’s splendor. Their cabins, yurts, and teepees sleep about 65 folks and there are few amenities (e.g., no running water in the lodging area and so you have to walk to the outhouses), but the location is spectacular.
If you don’t feel up to spending a night in those rustic conditions, at least go up for a day hike or some fishing on Piney River or Lake. The locals claim they have all 5 types of trout (that would include Lake Trout and the 4 more normally styled species) and the hiking is grand: 2.5 miles up to a cool waterfall at the head of the valley and then some much more challenging trails up to some lakes and the ridge of the Gore, too, if ya really wanna get serious.
It’s about a 10 mile ride over dirt/​gravel roads to get there from the Vail N. Frontage Rd, but well worth the trip.