Join a small Colorado guest ranch crew — housing, meals, horses, and honest work included.

1. Summer Wranglers - Kids, Trail & Senior (3 Levels)

Three wrangler roles. One standard. The summer that changes everything — 8,000 ft in the Colorado Rockies.

Job Details:

This isn't a job ad. It's a calling.

Sundance Trail Ranch is a small guest ranch at 8,000 ft in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado — 138 acres of our own, 800,000+ acres of Roosevelt National Forest at the gate, 35 working horses, 24 guests max. Every person on this team matters. Nobody here is "just" anything.

We're hiring three wrangler levels for Summer 2026:

• Kids Wrangler — the one who turns a nervous 9-year-old into a beaming little cowboy by Friday. Arena lessons, kids' trail rides, campfire cookouts, tipi night on Tuesdays.

• Trail Wrangler — the backbone of the string. You lead guest rides through the national forest, match horses to riders, and keep everyone safe while making it feel effortless.

• Senior Wrangler / 2IC — the well-rounded horseperson who can step in as backup Barn Boss. Herd health, feed schedules, string management. Paid above base, depending on experience.

The deal: $15.16/hr + tips. On-ranch housing, laundry, and three meals a day — all at no charge. Because your overhead is close to zero, your real total compensation works out to over $24.90/hr before tips. ~40 hrs/week, 5 days on / 2 off, OT pre-arranged at 1.5x. Season runs May–October 2026, with one year-round position open. Full access to ranch activities on your days off — riding, hiking, jacuzzi, disc golf, shooting range.

Real talk: you'll shovel manure, wash dishes, and fix fences. You'll wear western — boots, hat, no baseball caps in guest areas. Tobacco-free, drug-free, no exceptions. Current First Aid & CPR required (or obtained before start), plus background checks and Mandatory Reporter training.

Read the full role and apply here: https://gamma.app/docs/Summer-Wranglers-Sundance-Trail-Ranch-kyyluztpn4gbjwy

2. Barn Boss / Lead Wrangler (Year-Round)

Run the barn. Build the legend. $58,000–$60,000/yr + tips, private room, year-round at 8,000 ft.

Job Details:

This is the most senior wrangler position on the ranch. You report directly to the owners. The barn, the herd of 35, the wrangler team, the safety standard — all yours.

We're not looking for someone who loves horses. We're looking for someone who has spent years working with them professionally — someone who's run a barn, led a wrangler team, or been the person other wranglers came to when something went sideways. You know every horse in the string by name, temperament, and quirk. You match horses to riders and get it right. You're calm under pressure — the kind of calm other people borrow when things get hectic.

The deal: $58,000–$60,000/yr + tips. Year-round. Private room in on-ranch housing, laundry, and three meals a day — all at no charge (per IRC §119, almost every dollar you earn is yours to keep). Full access to ranch activities on your days off. Start ASAP.

Non-negotiables: genuine hospitality instinct, ownership mentality, current First Aid & CPR (or before start), background checks and Mandatory Reporter training, tobacco-free and drug-free — no exceptions.

Read the full role here: https://gamma.app/docs/Barn-BossLead-Wrangler-Sundance-Trail-Ranch-xu9f6ydqn6o63ze

To apply, send jade@sundancetrail.com your resume, three references (one peer, one boss, one horse person who can vouch for your work in the saddle), and a short note on why this role, why now, why a ranch. Open until filled.

3. Experienced Wrangler (Experienced Wrangler — Year-Round or Seasonal)

Real saddle time wanted. Lead guest rides through Roosevelt National Forest — housing, meals, and mountains included.

Job Details:

This is a hands-on wrangler role for someone with real saddle time — multiple seasons of working ranch, outfit, or guide experience, not just "I grew up around horses." You report to the Barn Boss. You're a complete horseperson who thinks about the horse, the guest, and the trail all at once. The horses trust you. The guests never see the seams.

The deal: $15.16/hr + tips. On-ranch dormitory housing, laundry, and three meals a day — all at no charge (per IRC §119, almost every dollar you earn is yours to keep). Full access to ranch activities on your days off. Two options: year-round, or seasonal starting ASAP through end September (potentially October). Start ASAP either way.

Real talk: you'll shovel manure, wash dishes, and fix fences — with a smile, because that's who you are. Western dress in guest areas. Tobacco-free, drug-free, random screening, no exceptions. First Aid & CPR, background checks, and Mandatory Reporter training required.

Read the full role here: https://gamma.app/docs/STR-Experienced-Wrangler-079un7ae9wiv1fe

To apply, send jade@sundancetrail.com your resume, three references (one peer, one boss, one horseperson who can vouch for your work in the saddle), and a short note on why this role, why now, why a ranch. Open until filled.

4. Head of Housekeeping (Year-Round, Live-In)

The cabin tells the truth before the host does. Own the standard across a small Colorado guest ranch — $18–$20/hr + tips, year-round, live-in.

Job Details:

The first thing a guest does when they walk into a cabin at the end of a long travel day is look around. What they see tells them whether we mean what we say. Your work is the answer to that question — and as Head of Housekeeping, you don't just clean to that standard, you own it, teach it, and hold it across every cabin on this ranch.

What you'll do: lead turnovers hands-on alongside the team, run the daily refresh rhythm, train and guide seasonal housekeeping crew, own supplies and ordering so nothing runs out mid-season, flag maintenance fast, and jump on dishes after meals — same standard as the cabins.

Who you are: you take pride in a room someone else will sleep in. You move quickly without cutting corners. You've led cleaning or housekeeping work before — or you've been the one others copied. You don't mind altitude, stairs, or a full physical shift.

The deal: $18–$20/hr + tip pool shared across the team. Year-round, full-time, live-in — on-site housing plus three meals a day, the same food guests eat. Reports to the Ranch Manager. Start ASAP.

Read the full role here: https://gamma.app/docs/STR-Head-of-Housekeeping-xxtpgjn57bg41ja

5. Housekeeper (Live-In or Local)

Honest work that matters, at 8,000 ft. $15.16/hr + tip pool — live-in with meals included, or local hire Wed–Sat.

Job Details:

The cabin tells the truth before the host does. The first thing a guest does when they walk into a cabin at the end of a long travel day is look around — and your work is what they see.

What you'll do: turn cabins and lodge rooms between stays (beds, bathrooms, surfaces, floors), run daily refreshes during multi-night stays, notice the details guests notice — and the ones they don't — restock supplies, flag maintenance issues fast, and jump on dishes and kitchen reset after meals.

Who you are: you take pride in a room someone else will sleep in, move quickly without cutting corners, can work alone for hours and still be friendly when guests cross your path, and you're reliable — we can count on you being where you said you'd be.

The deal: $15.16/hr + tip pool shared across the team. Two options: live-in (full-time, on-site housing plus three meals a day — the same food guests eat) or local hire (40 hours across Wednesday–Saturday, great if you're already in the area). Reports to the Head of Housekeeping. Start ASAP.

Read the full role here: https://gamma.app/docs/STR-Housekeeper-Role-t37nde91djsg1im

6. Assistant Cook / Sous Chef (Live-In or Local Dinner Cook)

Job Headline: Two ways into the kitchen at a small Colorado guest ranch. Cook for guests who just rode in from the trail — up to $25/hr, housing and meals available.

Job Details:

Two ways into this kitchen. Pick the one that fits — we're holding this role open in two shapes because the right human matters more than the box they fit in.

Option A — Assistant Cook (Live-In): Full-time, second-in-command to the Head Chef across all service. On-site housing plus three meals a day included. Right for a developing chef who wants the kitchen and the mountain. $18–$25/hr depending on experience.

Option B — Dinner Cook (Local): Afternoons/evenings. You take the lead on dinner — planning, prepping, and running the evening meal with the Head Chef's support. Dinner is the heart of the ranch day: guests and crew around the long table after a day on the trail. You own that moment. Live near the ranch and drive in. $15.16–$25/hr depending on experience.

Either way, you're the same core person: you cook like it matters, you're clean, organized, and on time every single service, you handle pressure without making the rest of the kitchen feel it, and you're hungry to learn — or to teach. Either direction works.

Reports to the Head Chef. Start ASAP.

Read the full role here: https://gamma.app/docs/STR-Assistant-Cook-65mgriacrh6uhku