Charming Historic Mountain Cabin at Dreamy Art & Nature Retreat Center

Beyul Retreat is a wilderness lodge, personal refuge, and gathering space unlike any other. Set between Aspen and Vail, Beyul Retreat at the Diamond J lodge includes 32 private acres of meadows, forest, creeks, waterfalls and ponds, with trails leading right into the White River National Forest. The Frying Pan River remains a wild solitude, traveling through a gorgeous canyon formed from the 250 million-year-old red sandstone Maroon Formation.

We share this place with foxes, elk, black bears, hawks, eagles, and trout. Surrounded by the red rock of the river valley, the retreat is nestled in groves of Colorado blue spruce, Aspen and, Douglas fir trees. The extensive property has both welcoming gathering spaces and private corners for solitude.

At 8200’, our mountain ecology means changing magic throughout the seasons: a blanket of pristine deep Rocky Mountain powder in the winter, the sweet green emergence of spring, the glory of summer among the peaks, and a fireworks show of glowing hues in the fall.

The retreat is surrounded by the White River National Forest, which creates privacy and access for backcountry skiing, hiking, backpacking, and hunting. It’s 26 miles up from the confluence with the Roaring Fork, just five minutes beyond Ruedi Reservoir, a beautiful 1,100 acre lake where you can enjoy sailing, water skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, and fishing. World-class mountain-biking, climbing, paragliding and skiing are within a short drive.
The Longbranch cabin is the most historic cabin at Beyul, originally the home of the family that built the guest ranch in the 1930s. Lodgepole pines form the charming exposed framing in the middle of the main room, bark still intact. With 2 bedrooms as well as two twins in the main room, Longbranch can sleep up to 7 (6 in beds and 1 on a pullout couch), and has a cute front porch as well as a back porch overlooking the ponds. You'll enjoy a cast-iron woodstove as well as electric heat, modern bathroom, and kitchenette.