Cozy Swiss chalet with dazzling views 10 minutes from Mesa Verde National Park.

If you’ve ever wanted to stay in an enchanting Swiss chalet that overlooks a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and mesas, this is it! The Sunset Chalet at Sweet Surrender Ranch offers three interior floors comprising a master suite loft, a first floor second bedroom, two full bathrooms and a partially finished basement with third full bath across 1,700 square feet of interior living space and 900 square feet of outdoor deck and patio space in a cozy vacation home perched majestically on a ridge overlooking the Montezuma Valley. In addition to stunning high-ground vistas, which you can view from the deck’s private spa hot tub, the Ranch has 10 private acres with trails for guests seeking a tranquil communion with nature, without giving up the comforts of home. The Ranch also borders approximately 2,000 acres of public wild lands, which are available for hiking and walks. During your stay at the Ranch, your privacy is guaranteed—the Chalet is the only living quarters on the Ranch. The Ranch grounds and Chalet are also smoke/vape free and pet-free. Your host, David, a former Mesa Verde National Park ranger, lives three miles away and will only show up in person if you need him to or would like him to show you around a bit, though he is always available by telephone and is always on-call to assist you. The Chalet commands spectacular views of Mesa Verde National Park, the famed Sleeping Ute Mountain, and the La Plata Mountain subrange of the San Juans. The Ranch is nestled peacefully among the indigenous Pinyon Pine, Juniper, and Scrub Oak just 10 minutes/6 miles from Mesa Verde National Park, 20 minutes from Cortez, and 45 Minutes from the famous mountain town of Durango. The Ranch is only 5 miles from the U.S. Rt.160 Mesa Verde National Park exit (the same exit for the Ranch) and accessible by a well maintained subdivision gravel/dirt road, and the Ranch's own asphalt driveway. A number of local attractions are within minutes including the county fair grounds where rodeos are regularly scheduled and the exceptional Phil's World mountain biking area. For those guests who like to take walks or hikes, or who bring their ATVs or UTVs, the Ranch includes a trail system around the property and on the 2,000 acres of wild land surrounding the property. The trails are hilly and strenuous and in a natural state so caution must be observed when using them, but they are marked for safety and convenience. Please see the Ranch’s Hospitality Guide for a trail map and important safety information before using the Ranch’s trail system. The Ranch’s asphalt and gravel driveways can be used for easier walks. The Ranch is also trailer friendly—no need to worry about backing up. The main driveway is supported by a loop driveway that was built to allow trailers and large vehicles like motorhomes convenient access. There is also a 30 amp outdoor RV receptacle on the loop driveway. Designed to fit well within the natural environment around it, the Chalet is decorated with Dine (Navajo) art, and a southwestern motif, with traditional western accents. The main southwest facing exterior wall of the Chalet is a Swiss styled angled prow design made nearly entirely of glass 2 stories high—so even when you're inside, you feel like you're outside! There are dining tables on the deck and patio that invite you outside. There is also a 4 person western themed dining/game table and cozy sitting area next to a beautiful soapstone wood stove inside the Chalet. The coffee table in the sitting area has a top that raises up to accommodate laptop computers or meals. Simply hold the edges of the table top and pull upwards. In the loft you will find the master bedroom complete with a luxurious two person whirlpool bathtub and an olympic/extended queen bed (six inches wider than a standard queen). Above the jet tub is a large picture window facing northeast through which the La Plata Mountains and the summer morning sun are in full view. There are also two small closets, double vanities, a shower and a toilet with bidet. Finally, there is a small smart TV with access to 200 channels on the Chalet’s Dish Network account, including local channels and some movie channels. Streaming internet services such as Netflix are also available through ROKU. There is no door to the loft/master bedroom—which increases the open feel of the Chalet, but reduces privacy. However, the beautiful custom crafted bed is not visible at all from outside the bedroom so your privacy while sleeping is secure. Additionally, the toilet and shower area in the loft does have a pocket door for complete privacy (see photos). Wireless Internet service is the fastest in the area, though still not on par with urban areas. The morning sun makes an effective wake-up call for those who wish to rise with our star. For others, a window blind can be rolled down to block the blazing shine as dawn emerges. On the main floor there is a dining/game table for four, a sitting area by the wood stove, a small second bedroom, a full bathroom with shower/tub and toilet/bidet, a full kitchen and an extensive coffee bar with a Keurig K-Duo coffeemaker along with complimentary k-cups, and fresh ground coffee. With the Duo, you can make a single cup of your favorite morning joe using a k-cup or make an entire carafe using the fresh ground coffee we provide. In addition to the Keurig, we have a Nespresso Vertuo espresso and coffee pod brewer, and a variety of complimentary Nespresso Vertuo pods. You will find a wide variety of coffees in the coffee bar including Starbucks and Gevalia. You will also find a variety of Torani liquid syrup sweeteners. Finally, we supply a French press as well as electric and stovetop espresso coffee makers and espresso machines. In the small 2nd bedroom, there is a queen bed, chest, smart TV with streaming services available, and closet. The 2nd bedroom is kid-size (12 x 11) (see photos), but you can be sure of getting a good night’s sleep on the high-end queen size pillow-top mattress. The guests occupying the 2nd bedroom also have their own private full bathroom so no bathroom sharing is required. In the partially finished basement you will find a smart TV and sitting area, a clothes washer and dryer and a beautiful Vermont Castings direct vent propane faux wood stove that provides heat on those cold winter nights. There is also a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi jetted bathtub, but again, the basement bathroom while fully operational and usable by guests, is scheduled to be finished in October 2024. The Chalet’s water supply is public. Outside there is a large redwood deck with a beautiful 6 person Artesian spa hot tub that stargazers will love. We also provide oversized bath towels for the spa, and an assortment of men’s and women’s swimwear for those guests who forgot their own. The towels and swimwear are usually in the smaller deck box near the hot tub. Under the large deck there is a well appointed covered concrete patio that will keep you dry during the occasional afternoon thunderstorm. The patio abuts a gravel courtyard where you can roast marshmallows in our iron fireplace, or have a romantic campfire. We provide complimentary sweet smelling juniper and pinyon firewood. There is also a water hose for dousing embers when your campfire is concluded. The spigot for the hose is next to the main entry door. The summer air conditioning system is an evaporative cooling system often used in dry climates. With this “swamp” cooler, rather than cooling air that is being recirculated, fresh outside air is pulled in from the roof, cooled and then vented back outside through an open window. This offers the benefit of open windows and constant fresh air that refrigerant based systems do not have. An additional benefit of evaporative cooling in dry climates is putting moisture into the dry air. The Chalet is powered by the local utility supplemented by our own solar and wind generation equipment. The Hospitality Guide gives detailed information on the operation of the Chalet’s systems including the air conditioning, spa hot tub, whirlpool bathtub, woodstove, and lighting, as well as a map of the Ranch’s trails. There are a variety of brochures and books about the Four Corners region in the Chalet. In June, the juniper gnats do arrive and can be quite bothersome in this region for about a month. We provide head nets and picaridin repellent spray for those guests that need extra protection. During winter, all season tires and four or all-wheel drive are highly recommended. The dirt/gravel subdivision roads are partially hilly and will be slippery during or immediately after snowfall. If snow is forecast for your stay, you should consider 4 or all-wheel drive a necessity. Subdivision roads are generally plowed to a depth of 2 to 4 inches of snow, which while effective for 4 or all-wheel drive, may be ineffective for 2 wheel drive vehicles. Our cancellation policy is more guest favorable than the standard policy. If you cancel for any reason up to the day of check-in, we will ask VRBO to refund your entire reservation fee. For Tesla and other electric car owners, we have a 50 amp, 240 volt 14-50R charging pile for level 2 EV charging and a 40 amp (9.6 kw) portable charger with both J1772 and Tesla connectors. While perhaps not quite as convenient as an actual charging station, the 40 amp/240 volt portable charger and 50 amp receptacle/pile will provide enough power to complete a charge in about 6 to 9 hours, effective for overnight charging.