While the ranch is conveniently accessed off the Zion Scenic Byway it is unique in its quiet and solitude. The property is practically surrounded by public lands with over 9 miles of common boundary with Zion National Park, Canaan Mountain Wilderness and BLM land. The Trees Ranch currently leases 9,630 acres of adjoining BLM land and 720 acres of Utah State land for grazing.
The property is located entirely within Washington County and approximately 80 acres are also located within the town of Springdale. The property is zoned agricultural in Springdale with the remaining portion in Washington County zoned OSC (Open Space Conservation) with a majority zoned OST (Open Space Transition) a holding or transition zone which allows agricultural uses.
- The ranch’s unique geographic location and variety of life zones combine to create a variety of habitats for a surprising array of plant and animal species. Sitting at the boundaries and meeting points of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, Basin and Range and Mojave Desert geographic zones, animal life in the area is vast and varied. Many animals take to burrows or dens in the heat of the day, or choose to be nocturnal and use our hours of slumber to live upon the landscape in cooler temperatures. Mule deer and turkey wander forested plateaus and up canyons grazing the many fields and streambeds while desert bighorn sheep forage in canyons. Other species in the general area include mountain lions, golden eagles, Peregrine Falcon, Mexican spotted owl, California condor, and desert tortoise.
- Trees Ranch is located along the edge of a region known as the Colorado Plateau. The rock layers have been uplifted, tilted, and eroded, forming a feature called the Grand Staircase, a series of colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. In an area from Zion to the Rocky Mountains, forces deep within the earth started to push the surface up. This was not chaotic uplift, but very slow vertical hoisting of huge blocks of the crust. Zion’s elevation rose from near sea level to as high as 10,000 feet above sea level starting 13 million years ago. At various periods in that time warm, shallow seas, streams, ponds and lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments covered the area. This uplift gave the streams greater cutting force in their descent to the sea. Zion’s location on the western edge of this uplift caused the streams to tumble off the plateau, flowing rapidly down a steep gradient. These streams began eroding and cutting into the rock layers, forming deep and narrow canyons carried away several thousand feet of rock that once lay above the highest layers visible today. The geology of the area Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
- The ranch has a diversity of plant communities and varying amounts of sun and water, as well as species from the Colorado Plateau, Basin and Range, and Mojave Desert. Desert shrubs are well adapted to high temperatures and throughout the summer, grasses bloom and go to seed before drying in the sun, and numerous types of cacti are abundant. Common plant species include cottonwood, cactus, juniper, pine, boxelder, sagebrush, yucca, and various willows. The arid grassland and desert shrub communities give way to the pinyon-juniper community, a desert forest full of life. These slow growing evergreens are both cold and drought tolerant, supporting a diversity of wildlife to rival the riparian areas. Juniper trees, being more drought tolerant, dominate the transition zone between the lowland communities and the pinyon-juniper forests. In the higher reaches of the ranch one can find ponderosa pines.
Improvements
Trees Ranch includes inimitable and original architecture with four homes and ranch buildings reflecting the geology, history and vernacular of the area. Designed by renowned architect William McDonough, the homes rest near the orchard, fields and rivers. Many utilize pressed adobe-like blocks, rocks and timbers made from local materials. The main entrance to the ranch is located just off of the highway near the confluence of the East Fork and North Fork of the Virgin Rivers and contains the main fruit orchard and the supporting fruit market and fruit packing barn. Resting along the eastern edge of orchard is the first of four homes on the ranch.
Amidst the tree orchards lie House One, the market store, and fruit packing. House One is a two story three bedroom, 2.5 bath home with approximately 1,600 square feet that adjoins the main fruit orchard. The home has a timber/rock exterior with shake roof and covered porch and patio similar in design to House Two and Three. The home includes wood flooring, wood counters, custom cabinets, plaster walls and fireplaces. The fruit market is a 1,100 square foot free standing timber/stucco store that adjoins the highway. The owners have operated this as a store to allow park visitors an opportunity to pick organic fruit in the orchards and to purchase fruit juices from the ranch, sandwiches and other snacks. There is a covered porch and wooden deck around the entire exterior of the building. Located nearby is the fruit-packing barn used to sort, pack and store apples. The 5,900 square foot building has a loading dock, sorting equipment and a covered outdoor packing area.
The private main access road curves along the orchards and cottonwood lined rivers and various river crossings to reach the main part of the ranch. After passing the main office and the first hay field, the road rises and then falls providing an expansive view of the private East Fork Virgin River valley that comprises the Trees Ranch. Just below this hill at the foot of the valley floor and near the banks of the East Fork lie House Two and Three. Using pressed adobe-like block made from local materials; volcanic cinders or aggregate, sand, and cement with iron oxide for pigmentation; the builders of House Two and Three took a ‘green’ approach to construction. The interior has wood plank floors, hand-hewn beams, and four-panel fir doors. The building is naturally cooled by design utilizing a passive heating/cooling style.
House Two is set off the road near the boundary of the Zion National Park. The covered front porch is further shaded by large cottonwood trees and provides views of the Eagle Crag to the south. House Two is a two -story, three bedroom, and 2-bath home consisting of approximately 1,771 square feet. Like three of the other homes, it has wood floors, plaster walls, custom cabinets, wood counters and two fireplaces and a covered front porch and patio. House Two has been primarily used as the manager’s home. Situated just a little further down the road above the banks of the East Fork of the Virgin River is House Three. Almost an identical twin to House Two it has more privacy and includes adjoining gardens and direct access to the river. It has a similar layout as House Two but its front porch sits higher affording views across the East Fork and beyond into the Canaan Mountain Wilderness.
Leaving House Three the road heads east crossing the East Fork of the Virgin River through irrigated sycamore tree lined meadows to the corrals and tack shed and beyond to House Four, the largest and most stunning home. The approximate 3,321 sq. foot, 4 bedroom and 3.5 bath home sits on a small protected bluff above the banks of the East Fork of the Virgin River and overlooks the pioneer settlement of Shunesburg and beyond to the Parunuweep Canyon of Zion National Park. Inspired by an abandoned home built in 1865 by the Mormon settlers, renowned architect William McDonough was contracted to design an environmentally oriented structure. In contrast to most modern construction methods, the timbers of the structure are of mortise and tenon joinery.
In addition to the timbers the exterior of the home includes precision carved stonework from indigenous rock from the area. There is a large covered porch in front and an expansive patio in the rear of the home with pathways down to the river. The home is characterized by a large great room combining the kitchen, dining and living room all with windows providing views of the incredible scenery that envelopes the ranch. The master room, master bath and study flank the great room to one side with three additional bedrooms, two baths and utility room on the other wing. The home also has an infinity pool just steps away from the home cut within a hillside and rocks overlooking the Virgin River valley below.
Continuing past House 4 the road splits providing access to three unique areas including: the 60 acre Loma Va reservoir, the South Creek drainage and the Canaan Mountain Wilderness; the north bank of the East Fork of the Virgin River with the pioneer settlement of Shunesberg and access to Zion National Park; and the far east side of the Trees Ranch with the remote cabin and bunkhouse. The cabin and bunkhouse sit in a wooded oasis along Shunes Creek at the foot of Shunesberg Mountain and directly adjoins Zion National Park. Water is supplied by vibrant and pure spring and the area surrounding the cabin compound is well irrigated and includes a small rock pool. The two bedrooms and one bath cabin has wood floors, rock fireplace and a small kitchen with dinning area. A small one bedroom pod connects to the cabin by a breezeway and the one bedroom bunkhouse is just steps away.
Climate
Elevation ranges from 3,750 to 4,600 feet above sea level. Vegetation varies from the irrigated alfalfa, hay, orchard grass and milo to shrubs and cottonwoods lining the rivers and streams and juniper, pinyon and cedar trees.
The climate in the area allows for full year-round use and enjoyment of the ranch. Spring weather is a mixture of wet days, as precipitation is heaviest in March mixed with occasional warm, sunny weather. Wildflowers bloom from April through June, peaking in May. Summer days are hot and in the upper 90’s, but overnight lows are usually comfortable between 65°F to 70°F. Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July through mid-September and storms can produce waterfalls as well as flash floods. Fall days are usually clear and mild with cool nights and autumn tree-color displays usually peak in late October. Winter is fairly mild, and storms bring rain or light snow to the ranch. Clear days may become quite warm, reaching 60°F and nights are often 30°F.
Location
The Trees Ranch adjoins the town of Springdale, Utah, the gateway city and main entrance to the Zion National Park in Southwestern Utah. It is 45 miles east of St. George, Utah, 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada and 300 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. The adjoining Zion National Park is part of the Southwest’s “Grand Circle” of national parks, monuments, historic areas, and recreation areas – one of the world’s great concentrations of outstanding natural and cultural features. Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument are within 85 miles; the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is 95 miles; Lake Powell is 115 miles and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is 130 miles away.
Travelers coming via Interstate 15 from California/Nevada or Salt Lake City will find the ranch is just 30 minutes away from the Interstate along State Route 9, the Zion Scenic Byway. Others coming from Arizona or Colorado may access the ranch through the east-gate of Zion National Park via highway 89. There is an international airport located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and St. George offers the largest airport in southern Utah, with regularly scheduled commercial flights by Delta Airlines, connecting through Salt Lake City, and by United Airlines, connecting through Los Angeles. SkyWest Airlines flies the Delta and United connections.
History
The ranch and general area is rich in history dating back to the Archaic period (approximately 6000 B.C.- A.D. 500), where small groups hunted game and collected wild plants, seeds, and nuts across the broad expanse of the Great Basin and western Colorado Plateau. This mobile lifeway left few traces in the archeological record, with the exception of materials recovered from dry caves and a few deeply buried sites. Within a few centuries, small-scale gardening had intensified into the full time horticulture that typifies the Virgin Anasazi and Parowan Fremont (A.D.500-1300). They established year round habitation sites signaling the importance of corn in the diets of both groups. Virgin Anasazi sites typically occur on river terraces along the Virgin River and its tributaries, overlooking the fertile river bottoms where corn, squash, and other crops could be grown. Parowan Fremont sites are found along stream courses and near springs. Both the Virgin Anasazi and the Parowan Fremont disappear from the archeological record of southwestern Utah by about A.D. 1300. Extended droughts in the 11th and 12th centuries, interspersed with catastrophic flooding, may have made horticulture impossible in this arid region. Soon after, Numic-speaking cousins of the Virgin Anasazi, such as the Southern Paiute and Ute Paiute peoples brought a lifeway fine-tuned to desert seasons and thrived. The newcomers migrated on a seasonal basis up and down valleys in search of wild seeds and game animals. Some, particularly the Southern Paiute, also planted fields of corn, sunflowers, and squash to supplement their diet.
The Historic period begins in the late 18th century with the exploration of southern Utah by Padres Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez. The padres passed near what is now the Kolob Canyons on October 13, 1776, becoming the first people of European descent known to visit the area. In 1825, trapper and trader Jedediah Smith explored some of the downstream areas while under contract with the American Fur Company. In the fall of 1861, Brigham Young called a group of people to settle in southern Utah. This group consisted of a number of people including Oliver DeMille who purchased some land along a small creek from an old Paiute Indian chief named Shunes also know as Shones. A town site was laid out and a settlement commenced which the people called Shunesburg or Shonesburg. The population grew to 45 by 1864.
The pioneers built dams and tried to tame the unpredictable Virgin River and dug irrigation ditches and cleared the fertile land. They planted orchards, vineyards, corn, cane, cotton, and other crops, but it was 1865 before they finally had a good harvest. Frequent raids by Navajo and Paiute Indians make it unsafe for this handful of people to remain and in the spring of 1866, the settlers from Shunesburg, Springdale, and Grafton moved to Rockville for mutual protection. After all the families were safely settled in Rockville, the men would go in groups to their farms with whatever firearms they could muster up to protect themselves. By 1868, the Indian troubles had subsided and some of the original settlers returned to Shunesburg. The community prospered and the population peaked at 82 in 1880. In 1872, John Wesley Powell and the Powell Geographic Expedition explored the area as part of western surveys conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Powell actually traveled down the East Fort of the Virgin River in Parunuweep Canyon and visited the town of Shunesberg. Over the years as the flooding of the river washed away farmland, the Shunesburg settlers moved on, mostly to Rockville. Shunesburg was gradually abandoned. By 1897, there were no longer enough children to hold a school. By the year 1900, only Oliver DeMille was left and he moved to Rockville in 1902. A 1904 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed 35 acres of land under irrigation in Shunesburg. Today, only the DeMille rock house, a cemetery, and some rock ruins remain.
Locale
Surrounded by the towering cliffs of Zion National Park lies the charming town of Springdale, Utah. Originally settled as an agricultural community, the town has transitioned to cater to the visitors and residents of the adjoining National Park. Springdale has a wonderful downtown district with stores and shops and is well known for having fine restaurants, shopping boutiques and art galleries and a great selection of bed and breakfasts, inns, motels and hotels. Forbes Traveler has named Springdale one of the 20 prettiest towns in America, and from town, you can gaze into Zion National Park to view many of the well-known rock formations or stroll along the banks of the Virgin River. St. George is known as “Utah’s Dixie” because of its temperate climate. Mild winters make it ideal for resorts, spas and golf year-round – 10 of Utah’s best courses are located in St. George. The city is the business and cultural center for SW Utah, and is a major gateway to nearby parks and also serves as the County Seat for Washington County.
