Elk Highlands Ranch

Land Description

Elk Highlands Ranch spans 850 deeded acres of prime Colorado mountain land, offering a rare combination of recreational opportunity, agricultural functionality, and long-term investment value-less than two hours from both Denver and Colorado Springs. Set against a backdrop of expansive views and bordered by 1.75 miles of the Pike National Forest, the ranch is a compelling candidate for conservation-minded ownership, legacy stewardship, or thoughtful development. Currently, the ranch offers an expansion opportunity of 500 additional deeded acres and 640 acres of contiguous Colorado State Trust Land leased grazing land for a total of 1990 acres. The property's varied topography includes open meadows, coniferous ridgelines, and drainages that support healthy native grasses, aspen stands, and wildlife habitat. These characteristics not only attract big game-including Elk, Mule Deer, and Pronghorn-but also provide productive summer pasture for livestock. With abundant natural forage, the ranch is well-positioned for spring and summer grazing. Year-round Currant Creek makes its course along State Highway 9 at the lowest elevation of the ranch for about a quarter-mile, sub-irrigating the nearby meadows watering livestock using the adjoining pastures. Spring-fed Sheep Gulch flows from the National Forest to its confluence with Currant Creek, providing excellent big game habitat along its riparian corridor. Sheep Gulch is a particularly special area on the ranch where mature aspen stands, spruce, and grassy hillsides coalesce into quintessential hunting grounds that any discerning sportsman would be happy to find themselves on opening morning. No matter the season, the presence of deer and elk in Sheep Gulch is ever apparent with countless rubbed trees, droppings, and tracks that always seem to be at arm's reach. Elk Highlands Ranch offers real conservation potential, with its proximity to vast public lands, native habitat corridors, and scenic mountain views. Its scale, location, and ecological value may qualify it for a conservation easement-providing significant tax advantages to a buyer interested in protecting the landscape while preserving private-use flexibility. Located in Colorado Parks and Wildlife's limited-entry GMU 58, Elk Highlands Ranch qualifies for Landowner Preference Program tags and sits in a highly regarded zone for trophy-quality Mule Deer, Elk, and Pronghorn. Unit wide Mule Deer tags are valid in GMUs 49, 57, 58, and 581, while unit wide elk tags are generally valid in GMU 57 and 58. Pronghorn Antelope hunting in South Park is highly regarded for trophy potential, with some of Colorado's top Boone and Crockett bucks having been harvested in the area, which includes unit 57, 58, and 581. Such opportunities afford a landowner a complete wildlife experience that is difficult to find on a ranch of this size. The spring-fed ponds found across the ranch serve to water wildlife, as well as livestock, and were historically stocked with trout. Renowned angling opportunities exist nearby including on the Gold Medal waters of the South Platte River, locally known as the Dream Stream, as well as still water opportunities on Antero, Spinney Mountain and Elevenmile Canyon Reservoirs. Recreational access to these nearby reservoirs, alpine lakes, and thousands of acres of public land offers a nearly unlimited list of year-round outdoor activities. The main house features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a spacious living area, kitchen, and mudroom. In addition to the original homestead residence, there is a modestly renovated log cabin with a kitchen, living area, one bedroom, a bathroom, and a large loft. Log barns and another log cabin built during the early days of the ranch still serve the property. Other improvements include well-designed steel corrals, a water well, fully off-grid utilities, stock tanks, two-track roads, and 4-strand wire fencing-functional assets that support its current use and offer a foundation for future development. Numerous prime building sites across the ranch feature commanding views of Thirtynine Mile Mountain, Pikes Peak, and the Currant Creek valley. With direct access from Highway 9 - a plowed, year-round route - the property is accessible throughout all seasons. Whether held as a private retreat, working ranch, conservation asset, or long-term investment, Elk Highlands Ranch offers a rare opportunity to own significant acreage in one of Colorado's most desirable high-country markets. Download our brochure for full property details and investment considerations. Note Final acreage calculations, boundaries, and price are subject to survey. For more information, Contact Us.