Gore Canyon Ranch is an available parcel at the coveted Grand River Ranch. This past week I had the opportunity to stay at Grand River Ranch and experience what it feels like to be an owner coming up to the property.
I left Denver at 8:00 AM and made it to the headquarters around 10:00 AM, an easy drive up I-70 to Highway 9. I even had the chance to grab a coffee in Kremmling at Big Shooter Coffee.
I met with our client at the headquarters and we began our day.
The greatest thing about Grand River Ranch is that there are activities for everyone.
Infinite Recreation at Grand River Ranch
Clay Range
Shared Horses at Equestrian Facilities
1.5 Miles of Muddy Creek
Take a look. All of the following are onsite activities provided by the Owner’s Association:
- Horseback Riding:
- Horse barn, riding arena, and stalls
- Boarding available to owners
- Shared horses with tack used for entertaining guests
- If you would like to start a ride on your own property, the ranch hand will walk horses straight to your front door!
- Shooting Ranges:
- Pistol range, rifle range, and clay range.
- Clay range has 10 separate stations
- If owners would like to rent guns, just let the office know!
- Fly-Fishing Along Muddy Creek:
- 2 fishing cabins along Muddy Creek
- Overnight cabins or day trip opportunities
- No guides required
- Incredible stream enhancements along Muddy Creek
- Cold and oxygenated water from Wolford Reservoir
- Enjoy the 20 Acre Lake:
- Storage for personal kayaks/canoes/paddleboards available
- Two existing canoes
- One electric fishing boat
- Day-time use cabin with rod storage
Offsite Recreational Opportunities
- Enjoy a day at Wolford Reservoir
- Raft down the Colorado River
- Fly-fishing on the Colorado River
- Skiing at nearby Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Keystone, or Breckenridge
After only touching the surface of the activities available to us, we made our way to the available parcel, Gore Canyon Ranch.
Owner’s Association Maintenance
As you drive up the year-round maintained road, you notice the care and maintenance that is put into every aspect of the ranch including the fences, the road grading, the lack of invasive weeds, the individual private gates, and the timber clearing that the Owner’s Association has administered.
You also notice the cows along the fenceline. As owners of Grand River Ranch, you are afforded the ability to enjoy ag-status when paying property taxes. This is because the Owner’s Association has a partnership with a local cattle rancher that authorized grazing on different parts of Grand River Ranch throughout the year.
The private gate that leads you to Gore Canyon Ranch is an access point to four other parcels, to ensure maximum privacy and security. Even after you leave the county road, the road to your personal property is maintained year-round, so plan on Christmases and Fourth of Julys.
Cows from private lease owner affording Grand River Ranch owners ag-status
Views from Gore Canyon Ranch
Gore Canyon Ranch has end-of-the-road privacy from the rest of the parcels and enjoys some of the greatest views at Grand River Ranch from atop Gore Canyon. These views include:
- The Continental Divide
- The Gore Range
- The Sleeping Indian
- The southern tip of The Flat Tops Wilderness
Snowmobiling at Grand River Ranch
Golfing on Gore Canyon Ranch
Existing Amenities on Gore Canyon Ranch
We hopped into our ATVs and grabbed a few golf clubs before touring the parcel. The current owner has created an inviting investment opportunity by:
- Clearing down timber on the majority of beetle kill lodge poles
- Creating a 4-mile network of ATV trails
- Clearing a building site for future owners
- Creating custom signs for the entrance of the parcel
Recreation on Individual Parcels
In addition to the activities mentioned earlier, you will have even more opportunities on your own parcel for recreation. Current owners have done everything from building personal ski runs to archery ranges. A few more examples are:
- Elk and deer hunting
- Horseback trail riding
- Golf tees and holes
- Ski runs
- Shooting ranges
- Snowmobiling
- Rock climbing
Building Envelopes
After hitting a few holes, we enjoyed a cocktail at a yurt on one of the other parcels. Although some owners have chosen to build more extensive homes on their parcels, it really is up to the individual owners as to what type of structure meets their needs. Each parcel has:
- Three existing building envelopes
- Underground electricity to the property
- Wells sites at the property
The existing building envelopes are recommended to owners based on water and electricity access, but you can always choose to build wherever you want.
The Lodge
For dinner, we headed down to the Grand River Lodge for a three-course meal. Dining at Grand River Ranch is a five-star experience with a laid back attitude. The chef makes it easy by planning menus with owners ahead of time to meet all dietary needs and taste buds. We had steak with a savory mushroom sauce, mashed cauliflower, salad, and fruit cobbler for dessert. The Lodge also has a fully stocked bar and incredible wine selection that we may have dabbled in.
In addition to incredible dining, the Lodge is also a place where owners can stay with guests. The Lodge has 4 ensuites and one other room to accommodate the whole family at Thanksgiving or a random weekend when you want to getaway. So even if you don’t have an image in your mind of what you want to build on your own parcel, there is no pressure to do so right away.
The Fishing Cabins
After dinner, we made our way to the overnight fishing cabins along Muddy Creek. We left our windows open so we could hear the river while we slept and woke up to the sunrise over the Sleeping Indian.
Sometimes owning a ranch can be intimidating. What my stay at Grand River Ranch taught me, was that it doesn’t need to be. From the drive up to the curated activities to the ATV adventure to the fine dining, my day was what I wanted it to be. When you buy at Grand River Ranch, you get to choose what it means to be a cowboy.
Now come take a tour with me: