Middle Creek Ranch - Colorado, Huerfano County, La Veta

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The ranch is situated along the north side of County Road 30 less than 1 mile from the heart of town. The tree-lined Middle Creek meanders from west to east through the property for over ½ mile, naturally dividing the property into two separate irrigated pastures. There are numerous building sites throughout the property, and two ponds add to the scenic beauty and wildlife habitat.

There are currently no improvements on the ranch providing a clean slate for future owners to personalize the property however they like. The adjacent 200-acre Abeyta Creek Ranch is equipped with a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, and can be purchased for an additional $997,500.


Middle Creek Ranch is less than a 1-mile drive from the town of La Veta in south central Colorado. Access from Interstate 25 at Walsenburg is via Highway 160 to La Veta, south on State Highway 12 for ½ mile, and then take Indian Creek Road for approximately 1.5 miles. Take the first left on County Road 430 to the ranch entrance.


The area is rich in scenic beauty and unique history dating back to the Comanche and Ute Indians as well as the Spanish Conquistadors who named the Sangre de Cristo (“Blood of Christ”) mountain range. The Sangres are one of the longest mountain chains on earth with ten peaks over 14,000 feet high and over two dozen rising 13,000 feet. This area was once part of an original Spanish land grant that stretched to Kansas and contained over 4 million acres. The valley provides a unique mixture of working ranches while also retaining its Hispanic heritage which dates back over 150 years. The original adobe Francisco Fort founded by Colonel Francisco in the 1860s still stands in the middle of La Veta along its many tree shaded streets. The fort served as a trading post and later became the focal point of the town of La Veta incorporated in 1876. The town was aptly named “the Vein” for the long dikes that radiate down from the Spanish Peaks. Branches of the historic Santa Fe Trail are located nearby.

The ranch provides stunning views of the Spanish Peaks rising nearly 7,000 feet above the surrounding landscape to 13,626 feet. These peaks have been among the most important landmarks of the southwestern United States, guiding Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American settlers. The Ute, Comanche, Apache, and other, earlier Native American tribes held the Peaks in religious awe and named the mountains Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth."

When the Peaks were formed, magma also surged upward into cracks in the ground and hardened. Over time, the softer sediments surrounding the hardened magma wore away, leaving giant walls called dikes. There are dozens of these lava dikes ranging from a few inches wide to 30 feet thick and up to 100 feet high that radiate from the two peaks and stretch over 14 miles.


The town of La Veta, with a population of approximately 900, features restaurants, a medical center, schools, galleries, antique stores, coffee shops, hardware and grocery stores, bakeries, motels, a museum, a library, and a post office. The Cuchara Valley and surrounding area still primarily consist of cattle ranching operations preserving the rich western culture, although the town of La Veta has become known throughout the state as an artist colony. La Veta hosts numerous music/arts festivals, rodeos, and other special events throughout the year. Adjoining town along the Cucharas River is the 18-hole Grandote Peaks Golf Club, a Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish designed championship golf course that was named a “four star award winner” by Golf Digest. The La Veta airport is situated one mile north of town at an elevation of 7,153 feet. The runway is 5,798 ft. by 60 ft., open to the public, and has jet fuel available. Commercial air service is available at Pueblo Memorial Airport, the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and Denver International Airport.


Average annual precipitation:
36.0 inches

Average January temperatures:
High: 45 Low: 10

Average July temperatures:
High: 85 Low 52

Days of sunshine per year:
300+