Double R Ranch

A historic and scenic working ranch with infinite recreation, the Double R Ranch consists of 3,676 +/- deeded acres, 9,570 +/- acres of BLM (822 AUMs), and 640 acres of State lease lands. All combined, it is estimated the ranch has a carrying capacity of 925 cow/calf pairs and valuable water rights that irrigate 3,150 acres of hay ground. Fly fishermen will enjoy frontage on 4.4 miles of the North Platte River. Double R includes numerous well-maintained improvements that fit the scale and needs of an operating cattle ranch, perimeter fencing with good interior roads, wells, access to utilities, and direct access to public roads.

Double R Ranch is a reputable cattle ranch with extraordinary water rights located in a scenic northern Colorado valley known as North Park in Jackson County, Colorado.  It is only 7 miles southwest of the authentic western ranching community of Walden, just a little over an hour from either Steamboat Springs or Winter Park, and only 3 hours from Denver.  

This productive ranch is nestled in a protected valley against the base of the Routt National Forest and the Park Range with its dramatic 12,000-foot peaks.  The cattle operations are further enhanced by the adjoining 9,570-acre BLM lease and 640 acres of  State land, creating a large contiguous ranch that is laid out perfectly for a hay and cattle operation.

Improvements

Double R Ranch is a classic working cattle ranch with numerous improvements, including modern residences, historic barns, and very functional cattle handling facilities. The structures on the property strengthen the ranch’s historic integrity.

The headquarters comprises the main home, guest cabin and lodge, manager’s home, brand new shop, a historic barn, outbuildings, employee housing, two new storage barns, and handling facilities. The 3,121-square-foot owner’s home was built in 1939 and has been substantially upgraded recently with hardwood floors, wood-clad windows, oak-sawn doors, plaster walls, and a spacious and modern owner’s suite. Nearby is the lodge pavilion and log home for guests and entertaining; a 3,160 sq. ft. manager house constructed in 2011 with an attached garage; and 3 additional manufactured homes for employees. The main yard revolves around a 4,485 sq. ft. historic red ban with a gambrel roof constructed in 1918 with a hay loft and numerous stalls. A new heated shop with concrete floors, additional barns, sheds, piped corrals, hydraulic chute, gathering pens, bulk and grain bins, and a Quonset hut complement it. Utilities include Mountain Parks Electric, well water, septic, and propane.

Locale

The property is in North Park, Colorado, a glacial valley between snowy mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains in north-central Colorado. The valley has a rich grassland climate supporting large ranches and a wide selection of big game. Numerous rivers and creeks provide incredible fly-fishing opportunities.

The basin is approximately 35 miles wide and 45 miles long, encompassing approximately 1,600 square miles, more than one million acres, and the elevation ranges from 7,800 feet on the valley floor to nearly 13,000 feet on the surrounding peaks.  It is the northernmost of four such “parks” in Colorado and is known locally as North Park. North Park opens north into Wyoming and is rimmed on the west by the Park Range, on the south by the Rabbit Ears Mountains, on the southeast by the Never-Summer Range, and on the east and northeast by the Medicine Bow Range. Numerous slow, meandering streams are interspersed on the basin floor and eventually come together to form the headwaters of the North Platte River, which flows through the ranch. Most of the floodplains along the streams are irrigated meadows, while the low rises adjacent to the floodplain and the higher rises on the refuge are characterized by

Climate

• Average annual precipitation: 10.8 inches
• Average annual snowfall: 57.5 inches
• Average January temperatures: High 28 Low 4
• Average July temperatures: High 78, Low 40

The Double R Ranch offers world-class fishing and year-round outdoor recreation. With plentiful snow-pack draining the surrounding mountains, small high-country creeks combine to create tributary streams that flow out of the foothills and into the valley floor. As the gradient reduces, the water slows and begins meandering through willow-lined hay meadows.  The meandering streams from the Park Range combine to create a world-class fishery: the North Platte River. The headwaters of the North Platte River flow for over 4.3 miles through the headquarters. The North Platte offers classic wide riffles, deep runs, braids, and plentiful native Browns, Rainbows, and Brookies. Outstanding water rights will enable the buyer to enhance the exceptional fishery habitat further.

Still Water Fishing

In addition to the private fishing on the ranch, there is excellent still-water fishing in the adjoining Delaney Butte Lakes State Wildlife Area. These three lakes provide some of the best still-water fisheries in the state for trophy Cutthroat, Rainbows, and Browns. The North Delaney Buttes Lake is one of only two Gold Medal Lakes in Colorado.

Hunting

The area also offers big game hunting with record-class moose, antelope, elk, and mule deer. Nearby is the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, which provides nesting and rearing habitat for migratory birds.

North Park is one of the premier ranching communities in the West, with some of the finest operating ranches in Colorado.  Numerous rivers, streams, and creeks flow down from the surrounding mountains, providing the necessary water to irrigate the lush hayfields.  Ranches cover much of the valley floor ringed by forested hillsides, mountains, and National Forest lands.

Ranch Operations

The Double R Ranch is a historic working ranch that has operated as a traditional cow-calf cattle ranch for over a hundred years. Abundant with water rights, 3,150 acres of hay ground and remaining dryland deeded ground, and thousands of acres of BLM and State grazing land, Double R Ranch is a successful working ranch that currently runs 925 cows.

The headquarters adjoins thousands of acres of the ranch’s BLM and State land leasing/handling and feed facilities used in the cow-calf operation.

Mineral Rights

The owners will convey all the mineral interests it possesses.

Water Rights

The ranch has substantial and valuable water rights consisting of approximately 166 cfs that date back to the 1880s and 936 acre-feet of storage rights. These rights irrigate 3,150 acres of hay meadows and 1,808 acres of pasture, with the balance and adjoining public land leases dry land vital to the existing cow-calf operation. A breakdown of these water rights can be provided to qualified prospects. The ranch produces a mixture of timothy grass and clover and is renowned for its quality.

Conservation Values

The ranch has significant conservation values, particularly the montane aquatic ecosystem along the riparian areas, including the North Platte River. A conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy allows additional building envelopes, new residences, and an indoor horse arena. The remaining ranch is an ideal candidate given the numerous conservation values, including scenic, wildlife, and historic agricultural uses.