Eppich Ranch in Montezuma County, Colorado

Features & Description

This gorgeous historic 490-acre ranch has exquisite views of the La Plata Mountains, Weber Reservoir, and Mesa Verde, and is now available after 70 years of ownership by one family. Bordered on two sides by thousands of acres of National Forest, this ranch is an exceptional land holding with abundant wildlife, lush meadows, stands of ponderosa pine, gambol oak, aspen and cottonwoods along a seasonal stream that flows through the heart of the ranch. It is truly one of the “last best places” with several magnificent building sites.

Location & Directions

Nestled in the picturesque Mancos River Valley, against the backdrop of the rugged Rim Rock area and La Plata Mountains—it borders State lands to the west and National Forest to the north and east. It is a convenient 10 minutes from the town of Mancos and thirty minutes west of Durango’s historic downtown area. It is located on the north side of Weber Reservoir off of County Road 44, .6 of a mile off of Echo Basin Road, 1.5 miles from US Highway 160. The ranch is at an elevation 8,000 ft. above sea level, with scenic mountain, canyon and valley views, and over 300 days of sunshine each year. Comfortable summer temperatures reach the upper 80s, while the autumn days are clear, cool and full of vibrant foliage colors. The crisp and sunny winter days often feature abundant, light powdery snow. Mancos sits at the base of Mesa Verde National Park, and as a small rural town, offers basic services to the surrounding community. The charming town of Durango is located 25 miles to the north, and has many big city conveniences, including a state-of-the-art new hospital, many fine restaurants, hotels, shopping, a four-year college, and numerous cultural activities. The four-corners area provides endless activities for the outdoor sports enthusiast. The Montezuma County area, which includes Mancos, Cortez and Dolores, has a population of approximately 30,000 and is the most southwestern of the 64 counties in the state of Colorado. Mesa Verde National Park, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Yucca House National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument preserve hundreds of ancient American Indian structures, including the famous cliff dwellings, found in the county. Roughly 1/3 of the county is tribal land, 1/3 is federal land (administered by the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management), and 1/3 is private or state/county land. The La Plata County area, including Durango and Bayfield has a population of 45,000. La Plata County Airport runs daily commercial air service to Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City and Phoenix, with seasonal service to Houston and Dallas, and includes facilities for full service general aviation. The property is approximately 75 miles from Telluride, 170 miles from Grand Junction, 210 miles from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, about 320 miles from Denver and Colorado Springs and 430 miles from Phoenix.