The owners of Ute Ranch are proud to offer two exclusive building sites and full shared interest in this 330-acre conservation gem along the banks of the Cucharas River.
The owners of Ute Ranch are offering the opportunity to purchase one of two building sites on this stunning conservation property. The acquisition would include exclusive access to 2 acres of personal property and shared access rights to the balance of the 330-acre ranch.
Not even a five minutes drive from Grandote Peaks Golf Course, this beautiful and bucolic agricultural property is located along the banks of the Cucharas River, 2.5 miles south of the scenic town of La Veta, Colorado. The ranch includes ~125 acres of lush irrigated hay ground, private access to 1.25 miles of the Cucharas River, which boasts excellent fishing for brown and rainbow trout, and a pleasant mix of grasslands, scrub oak, irrigated meadows, and riparian woodlands.
Highlights of the ranch include stunning views of the Spanish Peaks and Culebra range, and beautiful cottonwood-lined hay meadows. The ranch is also graced by the many prominent geologic features that define the Cucharas River Valley, including the dramatic Big Wall volcanic dike, Goemmer Butte, and the Devil’s Staircase. The family intends to keep their legacy homestead on their own 2-acre restricted lot and share reciprocal access to the remaining balance of the ranch. The working ranch headquarters which includes a handsome 2,200 sq. ft. manager’s home, as well as a number of barns, work sheds, and functional out-buildings, will be owned in common.
The ranch is headquartered by a 2,200 sq. ft. managers home with a two-car garage, two barns, five work sheds, and hay barn. The owner’s legacy homestead sits on two acres across the river from the main HQ and is not for sale, but intends to share full access on the 35 acres they will retain. The ranch is perimeter and interior fenced and generally serviced by full service and two-track ranch roads.
Situated 2.5 miles south of the town of La Veta, Colorado, Ute Ranch is located in the heart of the Cuchara River Valley. With unparalleled views of West Spanish Peak, Trinchera Peak, and the greater Culebra Range, the ranch is also graced by the many prominent geologic features that define the immediate area, including the dramatic Big Wall volcanic dike, Goemmer Butte, and the infamous Devil’s Staircase.
Set at the foot of the Spanish Peaks with the Curcharas River running through, La Veta, CO is a beautifully scenic town with a rich history, and friendly neighbors who take close care of the vibrant agricultural heritage of the area. La Veta offers a traditional mix of grocery, hardware, motels, and most other major services. With the full-service Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center located between La Veta and Walsenburg (County seat), the area also serves a vibrant retirement community.
Ute Ranch is bordered by Co Highway 12, the reknown scenic Highway of Legends which links the Spanish Peaks country from Walsenburg to Trinidad, Colorado. Blessed with a diversity of outdoor recreational opportunities, the surrounding area, commonly referred to as the Cucharas Valley, includes East and West Spanish Peaks, the Culebra Range, and a vast swath of the San Isabel National Forest which draws hundreds of visitors year-round. Skiing, hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, hunting and horseback riding are just some of the reasons people are attracted to the area.
The ranch controls 1.25 miles of the Cucharas River and boasts excellent fishing for brown and rainbow trout. The Cucharas is a classic freestone stream with riffles and pools, and excellent pocket water formed by rock and log obstructions. While this fine water holds healthy fish for the length of the ranch property, there is an excellent habitat enhancement opportunity to develop and convert the stretch of the river into a world-class fishery. Additional fishing can be found further up the Cuchara Valley at Bear and Blue Lakes and a number of high alpine streams and lakes on the neighboring San Isabel National Forest.
The ranch has critical natural habitat for plants and wildlife, and the general area has been identified as a priority landscape in Colorado worthy of preservation and protection. The ranch lies within game management unit 85, one of the best elk and deer hunting units in the state. While the property has not been actively hunted for years, over-the-counter elk tags could be available for the ranch, and deer tags can be drawn with no preference points. The area also holds the Trinchera elk herd, one of the largest elk herds in Colorado, with one of the highest bull-to-cow ratios renown for its trophy quality. A large deer population with a very good buck-to-doe ratio is in the area as well. The scrub oak shrubland is excellent habitat for black bears. The Cucharas River provides excellent water for recreation and livestock and is a sanctuary for all types of wildlife. Ute Ranch serves as an important winter and spring elk calving ground as well as year-round habitat for mule deer, wild turkeys, foxes, coyotes, black bears, and mountain lions.
Ute Ranch has been seasonally managed for decades as part of a larger cow-calf operation on a neighboring ranch. The property includes hay production on ~ 125 acres of irrigated and sub-irrigated hay ground, and 205 acres of high-quality upland pasture. In addition to the main ranch manager’s house (see Improvements above), the ranch has additional working improvements including two barns, a work-shop, an equipment shed, a hayshed, and working pens. The ranch is perimeter and interior fenced and generally serviced by full service and two-track ranch roads.
The ranch includes ~125 acres of irrigated and sub-irrigated hay ground and controls the following senior water rights:
A unique conservation investment opportunity, Ute Ranch is protected by a deed of conservation easement held by Colorado Open Lands which allows the development of two additional building sites on the south end of the property. The owners have worked to preserve the historic legacy of the ranch by providing reciprocal rights of access to their family’s homestead parcel on the north end. The ranch is also adjacent to and part of a larger conservation effort in the greater La Veta area with permanent protection of over 7,000 acres of private land, assuring future generations of the open rural character and agricultural legacy of the valley.
