Located in Hartsel, this lodge is in the mountains and on a lake. While the natural beauty of Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and High Creek Fen Preserve can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Cottonwood Hot Springs. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, and don't miss out on the sledging and snowmobiling.
Buena Vista Heritage Museum - 35 min drive - 41.3 km
Cottonwood Hot Springs - 45 min drive - 53.4 km
Getting around
Alamosa, CO (ALS-San Luis Valley Regional) - 125 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck pet-friendly?
Yes, Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much does it cost to stay at Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck?
As of 30 Oct 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck on 15 Feb 2027 start from AU$1,436, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck located?
This family-friendly Hartsel lodge is located on a lake, 5.5 mi (8.9 km) from San Isabel National Forest, and within 20 mi (32 km) of Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and Arkansas River. High Creek Fen Preserve and Buena Vista River Park are also within 20 miles (32 km).
Pretty Rocky Mountain Retreat ~betw Buena Vista & Breck Reviews
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We utilized this property as the “base camp” for our Colorado BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) on our adventure bikes as it is centrally located between the start (Four Courners, NM) and the end (Baggs, WY). The house was extremely large, well outfitted, accommodating for 6 guys, and centrally located to many amenities. The house gave us a location to arrive, rest, park our truck & trailer, return halfway, rest and complete the second half. As our group ranges from 60-80 years the house provided us the benefit of a safe location to stay if some choose to take a break and drop out of the ride.The area is very peaceful yet convenient to Buena Vista and many surrounding attractions. The home is loaded with many interesting decorative touches and rivals a museum. While there were many other amenities - such as game room, well outfitted kitchen, etc - we did not have the time to use most of them.
We really enjoyed the home! We loved all the pictures and books! The property was great too! The kids loved all the rooms and places they could go. All around great!
Very nice place check in was great owner even contacted me to make sure everything was okay. It was a little tight on the driveway since we bring side by sides and turning two trailers around but very doable. With that being the only downside it was a great place
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Matthew C.
15 Jan 2019
Spacious yet cozy getaway in a beautiful location
Even though it's a good distance from any town - we found it easy to keep entertained at the house with the many amenities. The house was big enough for the entire family to enjoy time together and have space alone. Highly recommend!
We had an awesome stay at this unbelievable home. Nicely decorated and plenty of room. The views were fantastic. Had fun playing horseshoes and foosball with the kids. Close to cool town Buena Vista and great trout fishing. Will be back!
Great cabin with lots of room. Great views from front porch. Everything the listing stated and more.Quiet neighborhood with excellent star gazing at night. Slightly farther to Buena Vista and other attractions but manageable. Road to cabin a little rough. Would stay here again as positives far exceed any negatives.
This place has everything we are looking for in a quiet Colorado vacation in August. During the day we hiked the trails, explored nearby towns, watched the wildlife (deer, pronghorn, birds). In the evenings we either ate in town or cooked in the well equipped kitchen. The night skies are so dark that we could even see the Milky Way.
We plan be back again next year.
Spacious but overwhelming with decor and furniture items
We booked at least 10 months in advance when listing said “sleeps 12”; and didn’t find out until 2 months prior to trip we had to drop from 11 guests down to 8 or less because of Colorado State Park regulation. Property owner was as helpful as he could be given the situation. We had to alter our plans a bit. The home is beautiful and HUGE; but also overwhelming with LOTS of decor and furniture. One thing 100% agreed upon by us all is of the multiple VRBO rentals we’ve stayed, this one felt as though it hadn’t been cleaned recently; and a bit cluttered. Maybe vacant for some time?? Would have felt a lot cleaner with much less decor and unused kitchen ware and other furniture everywhere.
Wasn’t aware there would be trailer/campers right next door on an open property/camp site that were burning fires every night. I was under the impression this was a building/cabin property only area. Aren’t fires banned right now? That ended up an annoyance also with dogs chained up daily and barking at everything.
Also, for such a huge rental home for up to 8 people, with just a 50 gallon water tank, and bathrooms with dual shower heads, after just one, maybe 2 showers, the hot water was gone.
Great location otherwise. Not a far daily drive into Buena Vista for family shopping and fun. And also lots of activity sporting equipment for use in garage. Just not really a “fresh cut” lawn/yard in the mountains suitable for play. Plenty of room though for horseshoes, corn hole, or similar games.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Laura K.
11 Oct 2012
Fantastic Place to Stay!
Our family, adult kids and grandkids, spent a week at this beautiful home. It has everything and more that people of all ages will enjoy; games, activities, quiet, places to ride bikes, walk and a wonderful location. It is wonderfully designed with plenty of sleeping areas and separate sitting and activity areas. Chris, the owner, could not have been more helpful, professional and responsive from beginning to end. The location is between two towns and you will be taking driving to hiking, fishing, etc. But we wanted that quiet location which was exactly what we hoped for. There are close hikes, drives and both towns offer restaurants and activities. We had a great day, only family there, at the South Park Recreation Center. Very reasonable. Many of our meals were with deer in the yard. We rarely saw a car on the road. The home felt luxurious. There is so much bedding available for all kinds of sleeping arrangements. One of our favorite things was cooking and eating meals together. Another favorite time was sitting and playing on the balcony that wraps around the house, with chairs and tables for everyone. It just could not have been more perfect. Just writing this brings great memories. I would highly recommend this home for any group. I would suggest (which I didn't do), asking Chris about the layout if bedroom arrangement matters to you. Each bedroom has unique and wonderful features, i.e. the master is on the main floor, there is a huge mother-in-law apartment that is great if you have a group of kids or a larger family that can sleep together. It worked great for us. But I could have thought it out better if I had asked. We put two of our little kids in the recliners on the main floor so they had a private play and sleep room. Lots of options. I looked all over the Southwest before settling on this home. The price is very, very fair for such a beautiful home with so much space and a great location. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your lovely mountain home!
Archival
8/10 Good
Sue K.
31 Aug 2016
Large Spacious Home In The Country!
This Rocky Mountain remote home is located just off US24 near Hartsel. The home is located about 2 miles off US24 and be prepared to drive slow on the maintained dirt roads to the home. While the location of this home served us just fine we found that it felt a little further than we originally had planned on being. Keep in mind where the traveling to sights around Colorado it will take you longer due to mountain roads. Our main purpose for spending two weeks in Colorado was so my Husband and his buddy could off road dirt bike. We had 2 families- 4 adults and 5 kids. 1-10 yr old, 1-15 yr old, 2-16 yr olds, & 1-18 yr old. One thing I would have liked prior to arrival was exactly how the home was laid out. If you are looking for a HUGE home to accommodate you then stay here. The main floor has a formal dining room, living room, kitchen, den (tv room), laundry room, Master bedroom, TV & a jack n jill bathroom. The upper level has a loft area with tv, sofas & sitting areas as well as a full size bed tucked in the corner, 2nd bedroom with king bed with a small balcony, 3rd bedroom with queen size bed, 2nd full size bath, and a Mother in Law Suite featuring a Full Bath and an open area with dinning area, living area with sofa, chairs & TV, kitchen, and a full size bed tucked in the corner. The fuse ball table was used nightly too. Playstation only had on remote controller. Plenty of space & things to keep you busy. Internet was a bit frustrating. It didn't work very good & we think it's because the router is located in the MIL Suite. Maybe an updated router & a booster would help. I was able to get AT&T cell service on occasion. The home is overloaded, packed full of stuff including the garage. Pictures on every inch of every wall, knickknacks, wreaths, etc. Lots of stuff. Lots of dust as there is no way you can dust that many items on a regular basis. Again it didn't effect us really & we kind of got used to it. One thing to keep in mind- you'll probably find a mouse in the house. He does provide lots of traps just in case. We caught one in the kitchen. We hiked up the back side of the mountain on the HOA trail. Views were really cool. We heard a mountain lion 2 nights in a row. We presume it was a female screaming (mating call). It was crazy! Deer, rabbits, cows all right the front door. There is a new home being built next to this house. You could hear the noise but they didn't start too early thankfully. Overall we were satisfied with our stay.
We had a great stay here.Our family of 6 came for an activity-filled mountain vacation. The house is 30-40 min from most attractions (Buena Vista, Salida, Leadville, St Elmo), so know that going in — for us it was no problem, and much better located than a Fairplay rental we considered.The house itself is great — plenty of space to spread out, nice common areas, and we made great use of the Blackstone griddle, eating in the kitchen, dining room, and on the deck.It's fairly remote but has neighbors on both sides. Each night we saw tons of wildlife — a bear in the field across from us, plus deer, rabbits, cows, coyotes, and more.One note: this house is fully furnished, and then some. Every wall has decor, and there are instructions posted for everything (toilets, light switches, thermostats). Clearly done with hospitality in mind, just a lot — I'd land somewhere between "no instructions" and this much.Kitchen and linens are well stocked — plates, silverware, a gazillion coffee mugs, plenty of sheets/towels. Only miss: the few ice cube trays in the freezer were broken. Minor complaint.Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. It met our needs completely, with plenty of space for everyone to have their own room. We really weren't lacking anything.
This property was perfect for our group. Anything we needed was just one drawer away and there was so much space for everyone to spread out or gather as they wanted. We want to come back when there's snow! The sunrises and sunsets were amazing and we were close enough to drive in to town for a meal and shopping. Totally recommend the property and the host!!
Large cabin stocked with more towels and dishes than I have in my own home. Very comfortable for family of 6. 4 Bikes and games for them to use. Cabin is a bit off the beaten path on a gravel road. If you have mobility issues getting into the shower is a challenge as the tub is very deep. There is no AC which wasn’t an issue although many windows were missing screens making it a little tricky. Overall a very nice place to stay. Host was very quick to respond to our questions.
The VRBO listing doesn't show just how great this property is. It is beautiful. It is somewhat remote but we found plenty of hiking and things to do within 30-60 minutes. Inside we found everything we needed to enjoy a morning coffee or cook a big dinner.
This home was amazing!! The location great as well. We brought our UTVs to do some trail riding in the mountains, and this location was perfect for that. The home was so clean and comfortable. With 2 little boys with us, it was nice to have all the extras to keep them occupied. Several hours were spent hitting the baseball in the yard. I started to realize what the meaning of the phrase "the silence is deafening " meant. It is so quiet there, I thought I was going deaf. Lol
Looking forward to renting again soon.
Great quiet location, lots of wildlife to see in our own backyard! Beds were comfortable, all amenities were top of the line.Large home, perfect for large groups.
My family really enjoyed being in the LOTR! Gorgeous views everywhere. Lots of unadvertised amenities. Very spacious, but cozy. Well kept and clean, plenty of books/games/TV for snow days. Would recommend to anyone.