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Are Forest Service access roads open?*All roads are currently open.
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Is the road open to the Lands End Observatory?*Snow is on the ground. Car access is currently not an option.
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Are the nearby campgrounds open?*All campgrounds are open right now.
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Is the Visitors Center open?*No it is closed for the year. We have the same maps the center carries available at out our lodge. You can see their website here.
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Has the ice on Island Lake melted?*Yes the lake is open.
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Are people ice fishing? / Is it safe to ice fish?*The lakes are melted. It would not be safe to ice fish, but also impossible, because all the ice has melted. :)
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How much snow is on the ground?Check out our live cam or Facebook page for snow updates!
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Is there a fire ban?There is no fire ban at this time, but this can change quickly depending on the weather. See up-to-date status on fire bans here.
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How are local road conditions?See a nearby road camera here.
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Is highway 65 open?Yes. You can see local road closures at maps.cotrip.org.
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Are the Cross Country Skiing trails being groomed?Yes they have begun grooming these trails.
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How much snow is on the ground?Check out our Facebook page! We post regular snow depth updates there!
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How is the fishing?There is open water, fishing is good. Surface flies, wet flies, lures and bait are all working well.
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What is your cancellation policy?A credit card is required to guarantee all reservations. A 50% deposit is charged upon booking. The remaining balance is charged 14 days prior to check-in. If you book your room less than 14 days prior to your stay, then the full balance will be charged at the time of booking. We require a 14-day cancellation notice to issue a full refund. Cancellations made within 14 days, or in the case of no-shows, are non-refundable. However, you may reschedule your stay.
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Do the cabins have Wifi?The cabins are remote, rustic cabins in the woods. They do not have Wifi. However the lodge has high speed internet and a great Wifi connection. Lodge guests and restaurant guests are welcome to and use it. Just remember, the great thing about the lodge is it gives you a chance to disconnect!
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Do the kitchens have cookware?The kitchen is fully furnished with pots, pans, utensils, and cookware.
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Do the cabins have linen and towels?Yes, all linens and towels are provided.
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Are the cabins close to the lodge? Can you park next to your cabin?In the summer you can drive to all of the cabins. And you can park right next to them. The farthest cabin is only a couple hundred yards from the main lodge. In the winter four of our cabins are not accessible by vehicle. Cabins 3, 4, 14 & 15. These cabins are ski / snowmobile access only. You can still book these cabins if you don’t have a snowmobile or skis, you will just have to walk a couple hundred feet down a snowmobile trail to get to them doable, but may be adventurous if it’s in the middle of a storm. Bear in mind that the winters have a lot of snow. So if you book one of the cabins that are snowmobile, ski access only, you may need to strap on snowshoes to get there. Even though it is only a couple hundred feet.
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How many people can sleep in the cabins?Different cabins have different sleeping capacities. You can see the sleeping capacity of each cabin here.
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Do the cabins have BBQ grills available? And are they charcoal only?We have charcoal Weber grills available in the summer. There is one by every cabin. We also sell charcoal.
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What is your cabin availability?You can see our availability here.
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Can I bring my dogs?You are welcome to bring your dogs. Dogs are not allowed in the restaurant, in the main lodge, or in the gift shop/store. They are allowed in the cabins, and they must be leashed when outside. There is a pet fee of of $20 per night per pet.
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Can I book a one-night stay?You can book a one-night stay in some situations. If there is a one-night gap in our schedule, the website will allow a visitor to book that cabin for one night in order to fill the gap. Sometimes we also allow one-night stays in our slow season. Otherwise, our minimum stay is normally 2 nights, and during some holidays it is 3 nights.
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Do the cabins have TVs?They do not. Disconnect and enjoy the scenery :)
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How old do you have to be to rent a cabin?18 years old.
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Do you have firewood for the fire pits?Yes, we sell bundles of wood (approximately 8 pieces) for $7 at the lodge.
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How new are your snowmobiles?Most of the fleet is brand new.
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When are the snowmobiles available to be rented?We rent out the sleds when there is at least 3 feet of snow.
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Can I put snowmobiles on hold/reserve if I am not sure I want to rent?We do not hold sleds in reserve. A rental must be scheduled and paid for by the customer in order to be held.
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What are the years, make, and model of the sleds?The 600 cc - 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024 Ski-Doo Summits The 850 cc- 2024 Ski-Doo Summits The Double Deluxe - Arctic Cat Trail Sled
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How many of each kind of sled do you have?5 - 600cc 5 - 850cc 1 - 2up Deluxe Trail Sled
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Can I rent a snowmobile without doing a guided tour?In some cases, we will rent to individuals without a guide; we only do this for those with backcountry riding experience on the Grand Mesa. Typically this requires customers to hire a guide for at least one day. If you rent a sled without a guide you will be fully responsible for any damage to the sled.
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Do you do half day rentals for sleds?Guided rides are 3 hours in the saddle. A non-guided snowmobile rental is 24 hours.
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Do you have 4 Stroke or 2 Stroke engine snowmobiles?All of our snowmobiles have 2 Stroke engines except the Double Deluxe. The Double Deluxe is a 4 Stroke engine.
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Are the snowmobiles able to be ridden on powder?All of our sleds are suitable for powder and trail riding except the Double Deluxe. The Double Deluxe is only suitable for trail riding.
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What are the weight limits for the snowmobiles?Ski-Doo 600 weight limit is 350 pounds Ski-Doo 850 weight limit is 450 pounds Arctic Cat Double Deluxe weight limit is 700 pounds
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Can my child ride with me on the same sled?Yes! Children over 8 can ride with an adult as a double on a sled. Please note that our guided rides are 3 hours long, so dress children appropriately for the weather. If your child gets too cold and needs to return to the lodge, your ride may be cut short. Partial refunds will not be provided for rides that are cut short.
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What time does my guided ride begin?All riders need to meet at the main lodge at 9 am. They will complete safety debriefing, sign waivers, purchase equipment protection plans (if applicable), and get dressed. The guided rides will leave around 10 am. If members of your party are late, the guide may leave without them.
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Can I purchase an equipment protection plan if I rent sleds but do not purchase a guided tour?If you are only renting sleds for the day with no guide, we do not offer equipment protection plans. Our liability policy on self guided is that the customer is responsible for any damage. The total buyout price of the 600 sleds is $14K. The total buyout price for the 850 sleds is $17K. These are the max amounts a customer can be liable for damage on a self guided rental.
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Do I have to purchase an equipment protection plan?An equipment protection plan must be purchased for all guided rides. These are purchased at the lodge the day of your guided ride.
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What is the minimum amount of sleds needed to reserve a guided ride?We have a 2 sled minimum for a guided ride.
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Will my group be able to ride in powder on my Beginner/Intermediate Guided Ride?There is usually powder on the trails since it snows nearly every day. Being able to ride in powder meadows depends on the visibility, group size, weather, time of year, and rider ability. Your group will have an amazing time regardless as the views are amazing and unforgettable. We also take our groups to beautiful observatory sites.
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Are the snowmobile trails being groomed?Yes they have begun grooming these trails.
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Can we bring our own snow gear?We recommend that you bring your own gear, and we will supplement you with anything you don’t have.
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How good is your snow gear? Will I get a cold?We have very good snow gear. We should be able to keep you warm for the duration of the ride.
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Can I get a refund? What if I can’t make the ride due to the weather?Our policy is that if we cancel the ride due to weather, we will refund the customer 100%. If the customer doesn’t show up we will not give a refund. We only have about 10 snowmobiles. And if you book a ride, and then don’t show up, we can’t rebook someone else, and we have probably already turned many people away because we were full. As far as weather goes, highway 65 is a priority highway for CDOT. They run plows constantly during a storm to keep that road open so you can make it.
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How large of a snowmobile group can you accommodate?Our fleet is about 12 sleds. Generally we try to keep guided rides to about 8 sleds because larger groups are difficult to manage and get too spread out. If we have more than 8 we typically do a split ride with one leaving at 9 am and the other at 1 pm. As needed, we will facilitate a larger group.
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Can anyone use Island Lake of is just for guests of the lodge?Island lake is Forest Service property. It is open to the public. The Grand Mesa Lodge owns a boat dock on the lake. But the lake itself is all public land. There is also a boat ramp near Island Lake Campground with some amenities like an outhouse.
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Does the Visitor Center have RV spots?There are no RV spots at the visitor center.
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Do the nearby campgrounds have RV access?All of the campgrounds around Island Lake have RV access. However they do not have sewer hook ups. There are no campgrounds on the Grand Mesa that have sewer hook ups.
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Do you have a restaurant?The Grand Mesa Lodge Restaurant is the name of the restaurant that is inside the Grand Mesa Lodge.
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Are there trash receptacles on the Mesa? Or at the Grand Mesa Lodge?There are no trash receptacles on the Mesa. If you’re a customer of the Grand Mesa Lodge, and you spend $100 in either the gift shop or the restaurant, or if you are a lodging guest, you can use our dumpster. (within reason! Typically one or two bags. You cannot unload a truck bed and completely fill our dumpster).
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How far is Island Lake from the lodge?To walk to the lake, it takes about five minutes. The trail is 250 yards long. It goes down a moderate slope towards the lake. If you would like to drive to the lake, it also takes about five minutes to get to the Island Lake boat ramp.
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Do you sell hunting/fishing licenses, out of state licenses, and snowmobile registration stickers?We used to sell hunting and fishing licenses, as well as OHV stickers for four wheelers, side-by-sides, and snowmobiles. However, CPW lets you buy those online and has made buying all of those things on the website, (or on the CPW app) super easy. Because of that, we no longer sell hunting and fishing licenses, or ATV stickers. However we have Wi-Fi at the lodge, and we can show you how to easily purchase the licenses online.
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Where is the best place to go fishing?Grand Mesa has 300 lakes. 300! Besides the lakes, there are miles upon miles of creeks that link the lakes together. Of those 300 lakes, 100 hold fish year-round and have vibrant populations. All of the lakes do pretty well. Island Lake at the Grand Mesa Lodge is great for fishing. Enjoy!
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What lakes have easy access?Island lake, Ward Creek reservoir, Cobbett lake, are all accessible from Highway 65.
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Do you have a restaurant?Yes! The restaurant inside of the lodge is called the Hungry Moose. Our hours of operation are 10 am - 7:30 pm.
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What other lodges are on the mountain?There are 3 other operating lodges On our part of the mountain. Mesa Lakes lodge, Thunder Mountain Lodge, and Alexander lodge. Thunder Mountain Lodge does not operate a restaurant. Alexander lodge does operate a restaurant, but they have special hours and a lot of times by reservation only. ADVANCED RESERVATION ARE REQUIRED. Mesa Lakes has a restaurant that is open seasonally. There is another lodge called Altitude Outdoor Adventures, but it is not open. ***We (Grand Mesa Lodge) has the most uniform hours, we operate a restaurant, and we have more cabins than the other lodges. We also have the largest store/gift shop.***
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How accessible is the lodge?We are extremely accessible. We are located right off of Highway 65 which is maintained year-round.
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Do we offer discounts?We don’t offer any special discounts because we strive to bring EVERYONE the absolute lowest cost that we can. 🙂
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Do we do weddings / events?We sure do! Give us a call at 970-444-1517 to learn more about hosting your wedding at the Grand Mesa Lodge. We host live music and other events regularly, you can see what events are coming up by going to our Facebook page.
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What kind of wildlife is there on the Grand Mesa?The Grand Mesa is home to deer, moose, elk, bears, mountain lions, foxes, marmots, rabbits (hares), and a whole host of birds.
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Are the bears or mountain lions dangerous?Unfortunately, Grand Mesa Lodge cannot vouch for the disposition of all wild animals, and especially predators. However, in the past, bears and mountain lions have not attacked humans on the Grand Mesa.
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What is hunting like on the Grand Mesa?Grand Mesa offers outstanding hunting for mule deer, elk, moose and bears. Grand Mesa is a great place to stay during hunting season. You can find out more about regulations here: https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/regulations.aspx
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Tell me about your boat rentals.We rent kayaks, canoes, and a John boat which has a motor on it. It’s an electric motor that runs off of a car battery. It’s a great fishing boat for trolling. The kayaks are great for fishing out of. Hazard they can use. If you want the quintessential mountain experience you’ll probably want a canoe. You can learn more about our rentals here.
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Where can I park?In the summer, we are pretty liberal on who can park there. In the summer, we have abundant room, and we don't have to move snow. Any lodge or restaurant customer can park there for the day. We don't allow overnight camping in our parking lot. In the winter, due to high demand and the extreme difficulty of plowing the lot, we enforce our parking permit system. All vehicles parked in our parking lot must have a parking permit. GML customers, including (cabin guests, clinic & riding clients, and restaurant/store customers, are given parking permits. One pass per cabin (valid for the entire stay) One day pass per $75 restaurant tab One day pass per $100 store transaction. If capacity is limited, cabin & clinic clients have priority. Day passes may be available for $50 per day–capacity allowing. An overnight parking permit costs $75–capacity allowing.
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Do you rent avalanche equipment?Yes we do! We rent a backpack with a saw, shovel, radio, probe and avalanche transceiver for $30 per day. Our backpacks do not come with an avalanche air bag. Avalanche backpacks can be reserved on the phone prior to your trip.
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If I rent a boat can I take it to another lake.We would actually be OK with you taking our canoes or kayaks to another lake, however, it doesn't really make practical sense. The reason is because you have to hike down about five minutes to get to our dock. And then from there it would be a very arduous track to carry the boat back up to where you could load it onto a truck and take it to a different lake. However, our paddle boards are inflatable, and they roll up into a nice little pack. You can take those to any lake. The motorized fishing boat is only allowed on Island Lake.
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What all comes with a E-Bike Rental.We provide helmets as well as a tire repair kit. The tire repair kit will have 3 CO2 cartridges and a CO2 pump. We will only charge you for the CO2 if you actually use it. Typically we don't give you the charger, simply because most people use the bikes near our property and usually for a day. If you are renting the bike for several days and you want to take the charger, let the staff know and they will let you take one. Although Colorado State Law doesn't require you to wear a helmet, your rental comes with a helmet and we strongly recommend you wear it. We rent backpacks, they cost extra but they are not very expensive.
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What comes with my boat rentals? Life Jackets?When you rent a boat, we provide PFD (life jackets) and paddles. We also give you a key to unlock your boat. We recommend you have sunscreen. We sell it at the loge, as well as bug spray. We also sell snacks and water. We sell fishing supplies too.
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