Bearcat Stables

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!

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.

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. :)

Our party of 8 went to bearcat stables on Saturday, August 8^th. 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!

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.

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.

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!

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!!!

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.

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.

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 20^th 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.