High Meadow Ranch

Land Description

Steepedin history and wrapped in breath-taking beauty, the 417+/- acre High Meadow Ranchis one of the most desirable properties on the market today. Located above thebanks of the Uncompahgre River, overlooking Ouray, Colorado, known as the Switzerland of America and the Outdoor Capital of Colorado. Nestled in theSan Juan Mountains, the ranch is extremely private, creating the opportunity tobask in the grandeur of jagged peaks and alpine forests uninterrupted. Bordered by public lands giving you unlimitedrecreational opportunities. Horseenthusiasts can ride their horses off the property above the Dallas Trail intoNational Forest, giving you thousands of acres to explore and enjoy.

Situatedin the high peaks of the San Juans, the ranch has stunning views of DallasPeak, Box Canyon, Sisters Peak, Abrams Mountain, Treasure Mountain, Twin Peaks,Cascade Mountain, Baldy, and Whitehouse Peak, just to name a few. Elevations on the ranch range from 8,000 feetto 9,500 feet. Included in the ranchsale are the Millersburg and Silverspur mining claims, each with its own bit ofhistory.

In afederal patent issued in 1886, President Benjamin Harrison authorized theoriginal ranch. Founded as a working cattle ranch, the Erickson family laterconverted it to an alpine dairy ranch to furnish milk and dairy products to thetownsfolk of Ouray and the hard rock miners searching for gold at the legendaryCamp Bird Mine.

Inthe winter, Mrs. Erickson and her children moved to Ouray so the children couldattend school. Mr. Erickson and a helper attended to the dairy cows andfarm. The milk was delivered to the townover the alpine road, which required plowing by the horses in the wintermonths.

AfterMrs. Erickson's passing, the family sold the historic dairy ranch. Since then,the ranch has been used for recreation, hunting, and cattle grazing. A smalldovetail log cabin and the historic Erickson Dairy barn, built by aScandinavian shipwright, stand as testaments to the past, while the stunninglandscape remains a blank canvas of opportunity.

Ownedby a local ranching family in the Montrose Valley since 1963, the propertyqualifies for agricultural tax valuation. Plentiful water helps ensure the land'sproductivity. The ranch boasts 50 AAA irrigated acres of mountain meadows thatare enhanced by 4 cubic feet per second cfs of historic water rights as wellas three ponds, one is stocked, and numerous springs, including one that isadequate for domestic use.

Theranch's agricultural opportunities include a BLM grazing permit with profusegrazing in its lush forest. The ranch isbordered Usfs and BLM public lands for 3Aaa miles, ensuring that the ranch'senviable privacy will be protected from encroaching development far into thefuture. While the neighborhood is protected, the ranch itself isnot under a conservation easement, leaving all options on the table for thenext owners and their heirs.

Becausethe ranch borders more than a million acres of National Forest Lands, manyspecies of wildlife including elk, Mule deer, and bear can be found on theranch. Historically, High Meadow Ranchqualifies for big game landowner tags. Located in GMU 65, which has over bull tags, and 85.6 successfor first choice draw requests in the overall unit, the ranch is positioned todeliver memorable hunting year after year. The Uncompahgre and Mount SneffelsWilderness Areas at the south end of GMU 65 offer challenging terrain, but goodhunting potential.

Withunparalleled privacy, grass-filled mountain meadows, unimaginably beautifulpeak views, big timber, and aspen-filled benches, and abundant wildlife, noother mountain property offers what the High Meadow Ranch does. In an area known for yielding gold to thosewho dared to dream big, High Meadow Ranch is the undeniable gold standard.