Couples looking for a Black Forest wedding venue usually want the same few things: tall pines, open sky, quiet, and Pikes Peak on the horizon. Younger Ranch is a sixth-generation family cattle ranch, established in 1914, near the Black Forest area and six miles east of Monument, with a Colorado Springs address in the 80908 ZIP code. It’s a private, working ranch, and from May through October we host a limited number of weddings each season.
Location Advantages
- Our address is 5060 Walker Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80908.
- Close to the Black Forest area, Monument and north Colorado Springs.
- A private ranch, closed to drop-in visitors, so the whole place is yours for the day.
- Surrounded by working ranch land for authentic photos.
What a Black Forest-Area Ranch Wedding Is Like
Come through the gate and follow the winding gravel ranch road, and the city falls away. The ceremony site sits among towering pines, with red-tail hawks overhead and sweeping views of Pikes Peak. You’ll say “I do” under a hand-peeled, blue-stained ponderosa pine arch while your guests sit on wood benches.
Cocktail hour is in our open-air hay barn, a pole barn with market lights, 360-degree views, wine barrels and a wagon, and your hors d’oeuvres are served on a refurbished antique railroad luggage cart. Then everyone moves to the reception barn: a stained and waxed concrete dance floor, historic barn-wood wainscot all the way around, and market lights hung from strands of antique barbed wire from the ranch. Step outside to the stamped concrete patio and our handmade whiskey-barrel fire pit.
Getting ready happens on the ranch too. The Bride Barn is a 100+ year-old granary with vanities, full-length mirrors and a private powder room. The Groom’s Tipi is a separate space up the ranch road in the timber, with leather couches, a paver floor and a patio among the pines. You can see every space on The Ranch page.
Your Wedding Day at Younger Ranch
From the winding gravel ranch road to the ponderosa pine arch at the ceremony site, every detail reflects Colorado ranch heritage. Your Venue Only rental gives you 12 hours of exclusive use, including set-up and clean-up. You can choose the hours for your block. The most popular is 11 am to 11 pm, with guests arriving at 3:30 pm for a 4 pm ceremony.
Unique Experiences: horse-drawn carriage arrivals (an optional add-on through a third-party provider), the Texas Longhorn Experience (an optional add-on: our Longhorns are kept near your wedding for a couple’s photoshoot with them), and evening market lights on the stamped concrete patio.
Seasons on the Ranch: May Through October
We host weddings from May through October. Colorado weather can change its mind, so we plan for it. We have Plan B and Plan C options for inclement weather that can be put into action on the day of your wedding. The reception barn is toasty warm inside if the weather isn’t. Read more in our FAQs.
Guest Logistics
- Arrival: we recommend guests arrive 30 minutes before your ceremony, which gives them time to park and find their way to the ceremony site.
- Restrooms: men’s and ladies’ restrooms are on site.
- Sound: we provide a generator for the ceremony-site sound equipment your DJ brings.
- Visiting before the day: Younger Ranch is private property, so family who’d like to see it first can request a Visitor’s Pass from us.
- Dogs: welcome, if they stay on a leash, you clean up after them, and they’re supervised for the whole event.
- Fire safety: because of the high fire danger in our area, sparklers, Chinese lanterns and fireworks aren’t allowed.
Venue Only Pricing
One Venue Only rental, for up to 150 guests, with 12 hours of exclusive use of the ranch:
- Monday–Thursday: $6,000
- Sunday: $7,500
- Friday: $8,000
- Saturday: $8,500
It includes the ceremony site with wood benches, the reception barn with tables and chairs, the hay barn for cocktail hour, the patio with a propane fire pit, the Bride Barn, the Groom’s Tipi, a one-hour rehearsal the day before, and an on-site ranch manager for your wedding day. You’ll hire a coordinator and caterer from our list, alcohol comes through Peak Beverage, and event insurance is required. Florists, DJs, photographers and the rest are up to you. There’s no service charge on the site fee, and an $800 refundable damage deposit is required, separate from the venue rental price. See every detail on our Wedding Packages & Pricing page.
Why Couples Choose Us for Black Forest Area Weddings
A private, exclusive rental, published pricing with no service charge on the site fee, and family-owned warmth set us apart from typical venues. Rex and Gina Younger host the weddings, and this ranch has seen family weddings of its own: our very first wedding, on June 28, 2014, was our daughter Brooke and her husband, Matt. Read the family story.
Come Walk the Ranch
The best way to know if Younger Ranch is the right fit for your Black Forest-area wedding is to see it in person. Walk the ceremony site, explore the barns and take in the Pikes Peak views. Schedule your free private ranch tour, or call or text 303-648-3311.