Unplugged Retreats

Leave the devices behind for a divine time at some surprising Colorado destinations

By Lexi Marshall

Sometimes the best way to reconnect—with yourself, your partner or even nature—is to disconnect. When the daily grind starts to blur the weeks together, a long weekend away can be the reset button your soul didn’t know it needed. These tucked-away Colorado retreats offer a rare chance to trade screens for silence, stress for stillness and routine for rest. No traffic, no inbox, no endless to-do list—just space to breathe, wander and truly unwind—each with a unique vibe.

Eastern Plains Hidden Sanctuary

The first thing that strikes you isn’t the imposing Italian architecture rising from the Colorado plains, or even the way the afternoon light streams through those soaring Palladian windows. It’s the silence. Not the hollow quiet of an empty space, but the full, rich silence of a place designed for rest—where your shoulders drop without permission and the constant hum of modern life simply ... stops.

Welcome to the Claremont Inn & Winery, a 12,000-square-foot home that Dave Dischner carved from an empty pasture more than 30 years ago in the unlikely town of Stratton, Colorado. Population 646. Mile marker 419 on I-70. The kind of place you’d drive right past if you didn’t know what treasures hide behind those symmetrical walls.

“People still ask me every day why I built it here,” Dischner says, “and I usually tell them I was from here, so I didn’t know any better.” His grandfather opened a grocery store in Stratton in 1920, and the Dischner family ran the local market for 82 years. This isn’t just Dischner’s business—it’s his homecoming gift to a place that shaped him. The property itself has an almost mythical origin: Dischner acquired the five acres from a man who claimed to have won them in a poker game at the local Legion Hall during pheasant hunting season.

Step through the front doors and you’re immediately transported. The Great Hall stretches before you with its towering ceilings and magnificent windows that frame the American High Plains like living artwork. When construction began in 1994, the property was treeless prairie. Today, 360 carefully planted trees create intimate groves while half the grounds remain natural—a balance between cultivated elegance and wild authenticity.

The inn’s most popular offering tells you everything about the pace of life here: “Taste, Dine & Stay.” You settle into your uniquely decorated room (each of the nine has its own personality), then make your way to the Great Hall for evening wine tasting paired with specially created appetizers. Dinner unfolds at candlelit tables as a three-course affair featuring Colorado beef, seasonal vegetables and freshly baked focaccia. Wine is served by the glass. The meal concludes with house specialty desserts like raspberry tiramisu. Too full? Take it to the movie theater for a classic film from their VHS collection.

The winery operation produces wines in intimate 30-bottle batches, with grapes arriving as “must” from vineyards spanning Australia, France, Italy, Germany and beyond. Federal licensing laws create delightful naming mysteries: Romeo (French Pinot Noir), Marlyn (French Merlot), Roman Spa Nectar (Italian Chianti). The real treasures might be its ports and ice wines—perfect for after-dinner sipping by the fire pit.

For gentle adventure, try hand-painted pottery in the on-site studio, hands-on cooking classes, murder mystery dinner parties or the Wine Cellar Escape Room. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the town’s nine-hole golf course, bocce ball court or simply walk the grounds at sunset when the vast sky turns brilliant with color.

Days begin gently with fresh coffee delivered to your door, followed by breakfast featuring raspberry mascarpone stuffed French toast or mixed berry French toast bake with real maple syrup. At 30 years old, the inn is transitioning to new managing innkeepers Brad and Alex Lovesee, who’ve trained with Dischner for nine years to maintain the same obsessive attention to detail.

What surprises guests most, according to Dischner, is the attention to detail at every turn. But perhaps the deeper surprise is how quickly this elegant retreat becomes essential—how the wide-open views restore something in your spirit you didn’t realize was depleted. In our hyperconnected world, the Claremont offers something increasingly rare: permission to simply be.

Where Aspens Whisper and Time Stands Still

Picture this: You’re settled in a rocking chair, the gentle cascade of a waterfall provides nature’s soundtrack as golden aspen leaves dance in the mountain breeze. Your phone sits forgotten in your cabin—there’s no need for it here, where the only notifications are the soft nicker of horses and the distant call of mountain birds. This is The Ranch at Emerald Valley, where guests don’t just disconnect from technology; they reconnect with something deeper.

“What truly sets the ranch apart is the sense of connection guests feel, not just with the land, but with each other,” explains Rebecca Casiano, the property’s manager. “Whether they’re casting a line in our ponds, sharing stories by the fire or riding beneath the aspens, there is a genuine sense of peace and presence here that’s hard to find anywhere else.”

The Broadmoor property, in Colorado Springs, The Ranch at Emerald Valley occupies that sweet spot between rustic authenticity and refined comfort. The historic property maintains its antique charm through tastefully curated Western art and decor, while modern touches—like fireplaces in guest cabins—elevate the experience from camping to luxury retreat. Each cabin tells its own story through carefully preserved details that speak to the ranch’s heritage, creating an atmosphere where guests feel they’re part of something larger than themselves.

The ranch’s crown jewel experience is undoubtedly the horseback trail ride through aspen meadows. “It’s by far our most popular experience,” Casiano notes. “It offers the perfect blend of adventure and tranquility, allowing guests to enjoy the beauty of nature in a calm, peaceful setting.” There’s something magical about moving through Colorado’s high country on horseback—the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves, the way sunlight filters through aspen canopies, the feeling of being small beneath vast mountain skies.

But the magic isn’t limited to horseback adventures. Guests find their own rhythms here, whether that’s casting lines into stocked ponds or simply claiming those coveted rocking chairs by the waterfall. “It’s one of those places where time seems to slow down,” Casiano reflects, “and guests can truly unwind surrounded by the sounds of nature.”

The culinary program strikes an intriguing balance between rustic charm and sophisticated creativity. “We know no bounds to the creative menus,” Casiano explains. The twice-weekly Cowboy Cookout draws guests together fostering connections that Casiano identifies as the ranch’s signature element. But it’s the Eagles Nest Ranch Wagyu Tenderloin that has earned legendary status among returning guests—a dish that perfectly embodies the ranch’s philosophy of honoring tradition while embracing excellence.

What emerges from conversations with Casiano is the understanding that The Ranch at Emerald Valley isn’t just selling accommodations or activities—it’s cultivating relationships. “The staff build authentic connections with each guest, many of whom return year after year, excited to reunite with the familiar faces of our staff,” Casiano says. Here, true restoration happens not just in solitude, but in authentic community.

Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Soul

Tucked in a red-rock canyon along the Frying Pan River, an hour from Aspen, there’s something almost mystical about arriving at Beyul Retreat. The name itself—a Tibetan word meaning “hidden land”—refers to sacred valleys said to be places of refuge and transformation. This 32-acre sanctuary surrounded by White River National Forest isn’t just another mountain retreat. This is a place where metamorphosis feels inevitable.

“It’s the kind of morning that fills you up from the inside out,” reflects Abby Stern, founder and general manager. “Porch coffee. Yoga in the barn tent with the doors open wide. A deep sweat in the sauna, followed by the raw rush of river-cold water that leaves you buzzing and awake.” Her words carry the rhythm of someone who understands that true luxury isn’t about thread counts but about those moments when you realize you are exactly where you need to be.

The land has deep roots. Once home to the historic Diamond J Ranch, it has long offered sanctuary to wanderers and trout fishermen alike. The original barn, built in 1893 as a ticket office for the Colorado Midline Railroad, still stands—a testament to the valley families who left their mark on the rustic cabins and traditions that remain.

Stern’s vision emerged from hosting wellness retreats through Lead with Love, where she identified something missing in Colorado’s retreat landscape. “We had beautiful hotels, sure, but not many places that were rooted in nature, with land to roam and trails to explore,” she explains. “That’s what I was craving, and I knew others were, too.”

The 15 private cabins and seven lodge rooms embody what Stern calls “ranch steezy”—century-old log cabin charm meeting modern touches. There is no internet access in the cabins; each has personality, perhaps best captured by the grand elk mount crowned with a disco ball. “Grounded in nature, but with a wink,” Stern says. Between the hot tub, cedar sauna, cold plunge and forest art installations, guests are free to roam—or stay still. 

“It’s still raw and untouched in many ways,” Stern notes. “Around here, you can hike to one of fifteen alpine lakes and maybe see one other person—something incredibly rare in Colorado these days.” Summer brings hiking, biking and fly-fishing steps from cabin doors. Winter offers on-site ski trails and backcountry adventures, with cozy evenings cycling between sauna and cold plunge. Beyond the retreat, Ruedi Reservoir, Gold Medal fishing and access to Holy Cross Wilderness ensure endless possibility.

But the true magic lies in permission—permission to simply be. “Nothing needs to happen next. You don’t need to go anywhere. Because you’ve already arrived,” Stern says. Wildlife inhabits the land alongside guests—foxes, elk, hawks and the occasional black bear—while each season brings its own magic: powdered silence in winter, verdant greens in the spring, a rainbow of wildflower colors in summer, fiery aspen groves in autumn.

At Beyul, barefoot in the grass with sun on your face, you discover what Stern calls “a kind of peace you didn’t realize you were missing.” The invitation is simple yet profound: reconnect to wilderness, community and self.

Whether you spend your days hiking quiet trails, soaking in a hot tub under the stars or savoring decadent food and wine, these escapes remind us how good it feels to slow down. When it’s time to return, you’ll carry a little bit of that stillness with you—until the next getaway calls.

Claremont Inn & Winery
claremontinn.com

The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley
broadmoor.com/the-ranch-at-emerald-valley

Beyul Retreat
beyulretreat.com