Enjoy Colorado mountain living at its best! Escape the heat and enjoy the cool and crisp mountain air of the Southern Colorado Rockies. The spectacular Elk Meadows Lodge, with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms easily sleeps 9 persons. The main floor offers a large Great Room with high vaulted ceilings, a stunning fireplace and a beautiful rock wall, a dining area, the master suite with a walk-in closet and master bathroom with walk-in shower, a modern kitchen with all appliances, a laundry room and an office with spectacular views of the 14K mountains to the west: Mount Lindsey (14,042), Mount Blanca (14,344) and Little Bear Peak (14,043).
The lower level has its own entrance and consists of a large living area with beautiful aspen paneling and rock wall and a wood stove. There are 5 bedrooms, one with a king bed, two with a queen bed and one with a bunk bed (lower queen and upper twin). Additionally, there is a second kitchen with a sink, cooktop and large refrigerator, a full bathroom with double vanity, shower and bathtub, a sauna and a recreation room with exercise equipment. Two families could stay in the Lodge with each having their own entrance, kitchen, bathroom etc. There is a table tennis table in the large room downstairs.
The Lodge is in Forbes Park, a private, gated neighborhood on 13,000 acres, 12 miles East of Fort Garland and about 90 miles north of Taos, New Mexico.
In the winter we get moderate amounts of snow, the temperatures during the daytime are mostly in the 20-30 degree range. We have on average 300 days of sunshine per year. Snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing on undisturbed powder snow right out the door is an experience you will remember forever. Two pairs of cross-country skis (bring your own cross-country ski-shoes) and snowshoes for 3 persons are available for our guests. For downhill skiing the Ski areas of Taos, Monarch and Wolf Creek are about a 120-150 min. drive, so you can be on the slopes at 10:00 am, great for a day or more of skiing or snowboarding.
The roads in Forbes Park are plowed in the winter, yet you will need either an AWD or 4WD vehicle and good all-season tires or you’ll have to bring some snow chains for your car to get up some of the hills that will bring you to the Elk Meadows Lodge.
For hunters among you, the neighboring San Isabel National Forest is only a 20 min. drive from the Lodge with an abundance of elk and mule deer, bears, mountain lions and turkeys. Hunting season is a busy season for us, so make your reservations early.
Forbes Park has lots of wildlife like deer, elk, turkey, coyote, bears, beaver, many bird species and all kinds of smaller animals and there is nearby fishing and hunting. Within a 30-45 min. drive you will find The Sand Dunes National Park with artesian hot spring pools, Lathrop State Park, the Cumbres and Toltec scenic railroad, the Rio Grande scenic railroad and the picturesque towns of Fort Garland (with a Pioneer village and the old Fort where Kit Carson once resided), La Veta (lots of art galleries) and Cuchara (visit the Dog Bar or Timbers restaurant).
We invite you to our Mountain Lodge and enjoy the peace and quiet of Forbes Park.
Note: In June 2018 the Spring Creek fire went through Forbes Park. Fortunately the fire did not affect the Elk Meadows Lodge and the trees surrounding the Lodge. New aspen trees are already more than 10 feet tall, and the meadows are greener than before the fire.