Buckhorn Lakes Ranch

Key Property Details:

• 782± acres of alpine wilderness
• Private, gated road access
• Diverse ecosystem: oak brush, aspen groves, blue spruce, and Engelmann spruce
• Three lakes on the property, two stocked with trout for fishing
• Elevations ranging from 8,800' to 9,600'
• Unparalleled views of the Dallas Divide
• Trophy big game hunting with elk and mule deer
• Access to GMU 65, known for high big game success rates
• Landowner participation in big game tags
• Adjoins Buckhorn Lakes Recreation Area
• Fishing, boating, hiking, birdwatching in the surrounding region
• Year-round recreation: skiing, hunting, OHV trails, and more
• Proximity to Montrose, Telluride, and Crested Butte for winter and summer activities

Buckhorn Lakes Ranch is a breathtaking 782± acre alpine retreat offering a stunning blend of natural beauty, prime hunting opportunities, ponds & lakes, and recreational access. The Buckhorn Lakes area 35 minutes southeast of Montrose, Colorado, is known as one of the prettiest locations in Colorful Colorado. With elevations ranging from 8,800 to just under 9,600 feet, this ranch offers sweeping views of the majestic Dallas Divide, a hallmark of the mountain West. Accessed via a gated well-maintained private road, this expansive ranch offers exceptional seclusion and privacy, beautiful homesites, recreation, and exceptional hunting for elk, trophy mule deer bucks, blue grouse, bears, and turkey.

Colorado high country ranch with aspen grove and diverse trails

The land features a diverse ecosystem, from protein-rich oak brush to healthy aspen groves, as well as towering blue spruce and Douglas fir trees. Those who are savvy about the Colorado high country know that many aspen forests have been devastated by SADS--“sudden aspen death syndrome”--whereby aging aspen groves are full of dead trees and fallen logs. It’s an unsightly mess that also poses a significant fire danger. However, the Buckhorn Lakes Mountain Ranch was logged about 30 years ago, and the new generation of aspen trees is vibrantly healthy. Additionally, the loggers bladed a network of roads throughout the ranch, now blanketed with grass, that give easy access to all corners of the ranch. It’s simply a delight to hike, go 4-wheeling, ride horses, and hunt on this ranch with great access throughout the vast acreage. Anyone who can sit in a side-by-side UTV can enjoy this property. On the upper southeast corner of the ranch, the 4WD trail climbs up through groves of Douglas fir, mature aspens, and blue spruce to a lovely lake that is an ideal place to canoe, fish, and recreate.

Springs and lakes on Colorado mountain ranch for sale

Multiple springs on the property provide excellent water assets, feeding into three pristine lakes, two of which are stocked for trout fishing. The adjoining property on the southeast corner of the ranch is the Buckhorn Lakes Recreation Area, owned by the City of Montrose. These nearby lakes offer opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, and birdwatching, along with scenic hikes and relaxing picnic spots.

Elk hunting, trophy mule deer hunting, grouse, turkey, and bear hunting in GMU 65

Big game hunting is a highlight at Buckhorn Lakes Ranch, with a thriving population of trophy-class elk and mule deer. Hunters can apply for coveted landowner mule deer buck tags and enjoy hunting in GMU 65, a vast hunting area renowned for its abundant wildlife and high success rates for big game. The ranch itself serves as a natural refuge for elk, which inhabit the ranch most of the year except for snowy winter months. There are many thousands of acres of National Forest lands to the east of the ranch. Public hunting pressure pushes game downhill into the ranch so that new herds of elk arrive on the ranch throughout the hunting seasons. The current owner of the ranch is a very experienced outfitter and he estimates that it’s possible to harvest as many as a dozen nice bull elk a year on the property, as well as several trophy-class bucks a year, including those scoring over 180.

A clear exit strategy for Colorado ranch investors

The neighbors to the east of the Buckhorn Lakes Ranch are owners of 35- 40-acre mountain land parcels who maintain the road on the north side of the ranch. The current owner of the ranch has already platted several new parcels on the ranch and can provide new surveys. There are standing offers for several 35-acre parcels, but the owner prefers to sell it as an intact 782-acre parcel. It would be a simple matter of recording the new survey to start selling lots at per-acre prices far exceeding the listing price of the entire ranch. Savvy investors have the option of enjoying the ranch for decades and then recouping far more than their original investment by selling individual parcels. There are currently no improvements on the ranch, though there are several outstanding building sites. Though the road into the ranch is good, the property is accessible in the winter only by tracked vehicle or snowmobiles. Power is not available, but solar systems are known to work very well in the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado mountain recreation ranch for sale

Year-round recreational activities abound in the Montrose area, from winter skiing at Telluride and Crested Butte to water sports at Gunnison River, Curecanti National Park, and Ridgeway Reservoir. World-class fly-fishing can be found in the gold medal waters of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the nearby tailwater fishery below Ridgway Reservoir. Mountain biking, 4-wheeling, ATV riding, horseback riding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing—all are either on the property or near the Buckhorn Lakes Ranch.