Bearcat Stables

Edwards, United States

4.5

Closed now

11 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
By Appointment Only

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Telephone:
+1 970-926-1578
Website:
www.bearcatstables.com
Address:
2701 Squaw Creek Road, Edwards, CO, 81632
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
By Appointment Only
Yes

Today

Today 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Edwards) 23:08 Saturday, 24 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Summer (May-​Oct) Offering a wide variety of horseback riding adventures for the entire family. Beginner to Advanced rides available including our World Famous Vail to Aspen 4 day pack trip. Our horseback riding is appropriate for all levels. Our guides are knowledgeable about the horses and the local area, making each ride memorable and educational. Riders must be at least 7 years old, for the little buckaroos under 7 ask about our pony rides.

Winter (Dec-​March) Horse drawn sleigh rides and dinner available, the perfect activity for the entire family to enjoy together. Sleigh rides without dinner available from 3 – 4.30 Tuesday-​Saturday and 2 nightly seating’s for dinner, at 5.30 and 7.30 Tuesday-​Saturday. Sleigh rides last about 25 minutes. Dinner follows the 5.30 and 7.30 sleigh rides in the historic Bearcat’s Cabin. Enjoy 3 courses of world class cuisine, and ask about our children’s menu for kids 12 and under!

Children 3 and under are always free!

Doc’s Bar offers an extensive wine list, local craft beers and signature cocktails. S’mores kits can be purchased at the bar.

Bearcat Stables is available for private groups and parties. We can host up to 200 guests and are a great option for weddings, rehearsal dinners, and groups looking for an outdoor location that is authentically Colorado. Winter group capacity is 40 people

History

Established in 1998.

Bearcat Stables has been providing horseback riding services in the Vail Valley for 18 years. Our horseback rides are the best in the Valley and offer everything from 1 hour rides to multi day excursions. We have been offering sleigh rides and dinner at the historic Bearcat’s Cabin for 5 years. The cabin was completely restored in 2006 with the help of the Cordillera Preservation Society. The Bearden homestead is one of the original homesteads of the Vail Valley dating back to the early 1900’s. Our rich history, and authentic Colorado setting have allowed us to grow our business from horseback rides to our winter sleigh ride business, and now we are offering one of the Vail Valley’s best and most unique event sites!

Meet the Business Owner

Gavin S.

Business Owner

His passion for horses and the outdoors began when he was young living in England before immigrating to the United States in the mid 1970’s. Gavin moved to Colorado in 1993 where he began to work on a full time basis in the equine industry. He worked with such people as Willard Forman, who has been outfitting in the western U.S. since the 1950’s. Their work together included celebrity horse pack trips to Monument Valley and Brice Canyon, Utah, as well as weeklong wagon trains, and trips along the Colorado Trail.

Gavin used his experience to build upon the current Vail to Aspen pack trips his company now offers, as well as maintain the quality day trips offered at Bearcat Stables on a daily basis. This type of «Hands On» work ethic is what has made the company thrive with a large percentage of repeat business year after year. Gavin prides himself on the care of the horses and the knowledgeable staff currently in place.

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11 reviews of Bearcat Stables

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Denver, CO
They did an amazing job with our group of 20!!! The food is phenomenal and exceeded our expectations. This was a highlight of our vail weekend! Thank you!
Place rating: 5
Hampstead, NC
We did the sleigh ride followed by dinner. The sleigh ride was enjoyable and the guides were very personable and willing to answer all our questions.
The dinner that followed was absolutely fantastic. You get so much bang for your buck with the sleigh ride and dinner. I highly recommend it.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Had such a great time on the sleigh ride with my husband. The horses were beautiful and the weather was perfect. A hot cup of hot cocoa, bonfire and a cute dog for company the whole way made for a great experience. Would definitely come back. :)
Place rating: 5
Lee's Summit, MO
Our party of 8 went to bearcat stables on Saturday, August 8th. I found them online and booked a 1.5 hour ride. I had called a few other stables nearby but they couldn’t beat bearcat’s prices: $ 65 for 1.5 hours. When we pulled up we were immediately impressed with the stable, setting and staff. The location is gorgeous. It’s like stepping back in time to the 1800s. There was a neat barn and cabin where you can order drinks and relax inside or on the porch. The horses were well-​behaved. I rode Uncle Paul. My daughter had Smith. My son rode Cindy; and my husband rode Oscar.
Natalie was our guide and she did a terrific job. She was very knowledgeable and patient — since most of us were beginners. She took us on an amazing tour up into the mountains and took awesome pictures our our families at the top of the trail.
Later when reminiscing the day we went on and on about what a wonderful experience it was. It was such a neat experience we will all cherish. Thank you Natalie and staff for an awesome time!
Place rating: 2
Edina, MN
Pretty disappointing… setting was great, horses, dogs, cabin, etc, but staff was unfriendly and couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. Could have been so much fun had the staff been better.
Place rating: 5
Manvel, TX
Bearcat Stables is wonderful! We have 2 special needs sons and Audrey was very accommodating. We were able to have an extra guide on our ride. Our guides Chris and Nicole were so patient and understanding. It’s difficult for us to have successful family outings. If I could give them 10 stars I would. Thank you Bearcat Stables for the memorable day.
Place rating: 5
Foster City, CA
This was fun! We had 36 family members reserve this place for a reunion dinner. It’s very, very rustic; 3 dogs, a cat, horses (that smell), out houses (that smell), an outdoor fire pit for «smoring», bean bag toss game, trailers, and a main cabin that seat about 46. It’s BBQ, mac & cheese, cooked corn, etc., for dinner and a small bar in the cabin. They’re plowing new ground out back for a new pavilion too. But, it’s really down home charm! We’d go back!
Place rating: 5
Apollo Beach, Tampa Bay, FL
A sleigh ride and dinner is the perfect way to escape the ordinary in Vail. It’s a special evening that starts with a sleigh ride. Of course, you can grab a hot drink at the bar and get it to go. There’s a fire outside the cabin and your horse drawn sleigh is loaded with extra blankets. It’s a short ride but fun and informative. Once you head back to the cabin, it’s dinner time. Soup and salad, and the chef’s creations. We had shirt rubs, chicken or a vegetarian option. Plenty of sides too. All followed with a yummy dessert. The food is good. Maybe not a five star meal but the entire experience absolutely makes it worth the 5 star rating. Absolutely loved it!!!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
The location is gorgeous, the staff is friendly, and the horses are beautiful. Go for a fun sleigh ride, and then do yourself a big favor and have dinner elsewhere.
The food is mediocre at best. Most of it was lukewarm (ugh – cold mashed potatoes), and the kids’ menu is misleading (don’t count on the items listed actually being available). Even McDonald’s would have been a better choice for dinner and far cheaper.
Place rating: 5
Milwaukee, WI
When we first arrived at Bearcat Stables and saw the little clapboard cabin (6 tables and small bar) we were to dine in, I admit I didn’t expect much. That is until we entered and saw how cozy and charming it was all decked out in white twinkling lights. We chose our hot toddies for the sleigh ride and gathered around the fire pit until it was time to take off. The ride was short (20 minutes) and not as scenic as I had hoped, but we all enjoyed the Rocky Mountain vistas at twilight and the friendly, knowledgeable staff. We returned to the cabin for a warm spread of comfort food. Comfort food with surprising touches like gnocci in a truffle cream sauce, and braised chicken with a lemon thyme au jus. There were chaffing dishes filled with so many other perfectly prepared goodies like beef roast in a braising liquid, mashed potatoes and green beans. I thought I didn’t like the idea of a buffet until I realized that meant I was able to try everything. To have had to make a choice, would have been to miss out. The meal started with a surprisingly good spinach salad topped with spiced walnuts, creamy chevre and seasonal squash. The only disappointment was the slightly watery root vegetable bisque. My kids (9 and 13) even went up for seconds and didn’t mind at all that I forgot to order off the children’s menu for them. We all cleaned our dessert plates too. The blackberry cobbler was warm and so good. They had a full bar and an adequate wine list. We very much enjoyed a decent pinot noir with our meal. After dinner we stayed toasty around the fire pit and hung out with the horses. It was a great Colorado experience and a night I think we’ll always remember.
Place rating: 4
Tryon, NC
We chose Bearcat originally for the horse-​drawn sleigh ride but, upon hearing about the dinner option, we decided to do both. The menu online was limited but I did notice that the food was prepared by the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera which gets 5 stars by my fellow Unilocaler’s. So, I was intrigued and looking forward to seeing what it was all about.
Bearcat is a few miles up a secluded valley near Edwards, CO. 15 minutes from Beaver Creek. We arrived and went into the small, early 20th century cabin to check-​in. They were offering all sorts of drinks for kids and adults… cider, hot chocolate, grown-​up hot and cold drinks, etc. They had a full bar and even had drinks in to-​go cups to take on the sleigh ride.
Then, we loaded the family plus mother-​in-​law in to the sleighs and set out with about 30 other people in two sleighs. The ride was short at 25 minutes but really just right considering the low temps. But, it was snowing and beautiful outside so it was very pleasant. The folks managing the sleighs were friendly and very nice and gave some history about the area and the original settlers of the valley.
Came back to the cabin for dinner. Wasn’t sure what to expect. We found our table with salads already served. Spinach with cranberries, melon, pancetta with a really excellent creamy raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Tasty. Main course was a buffet with mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin with vegetables and hunter’s gravy and roasted chicken with gravy. Smashed potatoes and sauteed beans for sides. Dessert was blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
I thought everything was really good and prepared simply, but nicely. We ate at Kelly Liken’s the night before and the Bearcat meal may not have been as inventive but tasted as good or better. My wife did not like the risotto but all else was excellent. Vegetarians beware — you have limited options here.
This is a great option for couples, families, groups and anyone just looking for a different dining experience. I was happy to see that they gave us a private table but I don’t know if that is standard operating procedure or not. But, I was thankful cuz I can’t stand being forced to be sociable :-)
The Bearcat dining experience would benefit from a slightly broader menu but I’m sure it is a real trick to pull off this sort of «gourmet» meal out in the sticks so I’m gonna cut them some slack on that front. I don’t know if the menu rotates or not but I would definitely go back again to try something else or just to take friends or guests. A nice change of pace.