Highland Vallis Ranch

Farm Description

Highland Vallis Ranch consists of 9,000 acres. 4,277+ acres of deeded land and approximately 4723 acres of leased BLM land is a fantastic combination of excellent soils, good water, fertile valleys and high mountain vistas, Cathedral Canyon, fantastic rock formations, and outstanding building locations. The ranch is well watered with several springs and High Creek.

Land

The water has been tested all along the ~ 6 miles of High Creek that runs through the entire property. The ranch land along with the leased BLM land has several large fenced pastures organized on an outstanding rotational grazing system to allow for maximum use of the land and great land stewardship.

There is an incredible array of history on Highland Vallis Ranch. Across the entire property, you can find over a half a dozen homesteads and old home sites. The headquarters of the ranch is just off the highway with easy access to and from town. Improvements on the ranch include a storage barn and all of the pens needed for running and working cattle. The small ranch house is ready to be remodeled if desired. Beyond this home site, which consists of a ten-acre building envelope, there are two additional five-acre building envelopes strategically located across the 3498 acres on the ranch which is under a conservation easement. 794 acres, not in the conservation easement, offers a plethora of choices for additional building sites and development.

Improvements

Improvements on the ranch include a metal shop with concrete floor, corrals, an old ranch house structure.

Recreation

Hunting Gmu 581

Qualifies for application of around 7 landowner tags.

OTC Archery & OTC 2nd, 3rd Rifle

This exquisite ranch offers opportunities for great hunting. Known as a strong wintering spot for elk, the wildlife on Highland Vallis Ranch is second to none. Everything from heavy-horned mule deer and majestic bull elk to turkey and predator hunting is available on this ranch. It's not uncommon to see turkey, waterfowl, mountain lion, coyote, bighorn sheep, elk, deer or bear all roaming around the property on any given tour.

Agriculture

THE Science OF The Soil in Summary The migmatite, ignimbrite, and tuff parent bedrock outcrops in the mountainous terrain of Highland Vallis Ranch are forming youthful soils and include mostly sand and silt-sized granitic material abundant feldspars, and many of the clays that are present are of excellent quality such as vermiculite forming from both the ignimbrites and the biotite from the migmatites. This results in soils that have good infiltration rates, which minimizes rapid runoff and provides good permeability for underground water movement. The high-quality clays provide high Cation Exchange Capacity CEC. The CEC provides for good soil nutrient quality. This combination of bedrock, topography, and soils with the moisture from both winter traces of snow and summer showers provides for excellent native forages from forests to grasses. These forages are excellent for wildlife such as elk and mule deer to domesticated animals from cows to lamas.

Lubbock, Texas, gets its good water from Ogallala water sands under the US Great Plains. The water from High Creek on Highland Vallis tests better than Lubbock city water. There are about half the constituents in Highland Vallis water as Lubbock water. The Highland Vallis primary water is melted snow and summer rainwater migrating through the natural gravels and soils along High Creek. Moreover, because most of the water is running through subterranean porous and permeable gravels and soils, the water is not lost to evaporation and has developed a perfect natural irrigation system.

The combination of excellent soils and natural irrigation system water has provided an excellent Desert Willow habitat, an indicator species for a healthy Colorado environment. Being careful with the willow density and stream hydrostatic pressure stream gradient, it would be nice to convert the Desert Willow environment into an orchard or vineyard environment.

Regardless of present indicators, the last glacial peak was about 30,000 years ago, and the climate has been warming and melting glaciers since that time. It is likely that warming air temperatures will evaporate more seawater and carry more moisture. The moisture at Highland Vallis is derived primarily by condensation of moisture from both Gulf of Mexico and Pacific sources, and that moisture is condensed into precipitation as the air is moved up onto the mountains. Further, a warming climate will lengthen and enhance the growing period of the area over time.

Water/Mineral Rights & Natural Resources

Please see Highland Vallis Science Info link at the bottom of this page.

General Operations

INCOME Opportunities Beyond running a strong cattle operation, the income potential of this property is limitless. The jaw-dropping vistas are the perfect backdrop for a wedding venue in Cathedral Canyon, a guest ranch with miles and miles of horseback riding & hiking, rich soils for orchards and/or vineyards, or a fully functioning guiding operation, to name a few.

Location

LOCATION Located 40 minutes from Canon City, 21 miles to Cripple Creek, The Highland Vallis Ranch is both convenient and private. Great access from the county maintained and paved High Park Road. The ranch itself falls into three counties Teller, Fremont, and Park, and is just an hour from the Colorado Springs Airport.