The Telluride Renegade Ranch, offering 602± deeded acres of vacant land (which has also been surveyed into 17 - 35-acre tracts), is just 25 minutes to Telluride Regional Airport, and 30 minutes to Telluride and Telluride Ski Resort. The land is well located on the western edge of Hastings Mesa, nicely positioned off a year-round county-maintained road, and within close proximity to Highway 62. The property is comprised of a combination of aspen groves, giant ponderosa pines, rolling meadows, ponds, native grasslands, rock outcroppings, and 360-degree world-class views of surrounding mountains. The topography provides a mild gradient yet has enough transitional land to create a very private enclave. Explore the caves where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out in the mid-1880s and the remnants of historical cabins. A variety of migratory wildlife, including big game and small game species, traverse through the property. The Telluride Renegade Ranch presents a good opportunity to park capital in a highly desirable land asset class, while also presenting a solid exit strategy and opportunity to build a primary residence encapsulating a truly one-of-a-kind viewshed.
Offered in cooperation with Rapaport Real Estate.
Located among Colorado’s jaw-dropping San Juan Mountains and just 35 minutes from Telluride, this property affords a rare opportunity to own one of the last remaining undeveloped tracts in the region.
Renegade Ranch occupies over 600 acres of incredibly varied landscape, dappled with mountains, valleys, creeks, and meadows. In fact, the most unique feature of the land is its astonishing geographical diversity. Located in San Miguel County on the crest of the mountains above Sawpit and Placerville, Telluride Renegade Ranch slopes down toward the base of Hastings Mesa. Leopard Creek traces the western border, while Alder Creek flows along the eastern edge. The land dips down below 8,000 feet and climbs as high as 8,600 feet at the summit of the property’s very own mountaintop.
Gambel oak, sagebrush, hundred-year-old trees, and a variety of natural grasses grow in the hills and meadows. During the springtime, a vast array of wildflowers — red paintbrush, deep purple lupine, and wild irises — add splashes of vibrant color to the meadows. Summertime brings bright blue skies and sun with cooling afternoon showers. As fall arrives, beautiful stands of aspens young and old transform into shimmering towers of gold, while massive ponderosas gently sway in the breeze. In winter, it will snow one day and be bright and sunny the next.
There are wide-open spaces for ranching, farming, or simply gazing at a herd of migrating elk or a passing flock of sheep from the local shepherd. The undeveloped nature of this property means there are countless wooded areas perfect for building a home protected from the windswept meadows and gusty peaks.
Because the land has no conservation easements, the future owner has full rights to make it their own. Many parts of the land are ideal for a vacation home or multiple homes spread out for peace and privacy. Telluride Renegade Ranch promises just what the settlers nearly 150 years ago experienced: a spectacular natural haven overflowing with possibility.
Located on the western edge of the coveted Hastings Mesa, Telluride Renegade Ranch is an excellent opportunity to invest in 602± acres of vacant land only 30 minutes from Telluride and Telluride Regional Airport. The land is extraordinarily scenic, presenting a combination of aspen groves, healthy ponderosa pine forest, interspersed with open mountain meadows, prolific rock outcroppings, and absolutely world-class panoramic views of the mountains Telluride is recognized for. The property is easily accessible, in close proximity to Highway 62 and Last Dollar road. The land has been surveyed into 17 - 35 acre tracts and features numerous iconic building sites. If one is looking to park capital, have a sound exit strategy, wishes to build a primary residence, possibly develop, place a conservation easement, and invest in a land asset class; this property is multi-dimensional and a large acreage holding for the area.
Telluride Renegade Ranch is located in southwestern Colorado, tucked along the western flank of the San Juan Mountains. Just 35 minutes from Telluride, the 602± acre ranch forms the perfect mountain hideaway without sacrificing proximity to one of Colorado’s most scenic mountain towns.
The property occupies a slice of land between Highway 62, which runs parallel to Leopard Creek Canyon, and County Road 56V, adjacent to Alder Creek. The land dips down below 8,000 feet near the creeks and climbs as high as 8,600 feet on the summit of the property’s own mountaintop. Vast open spaces and high rocky outcroppings reveal views of snow-capped peaks and windswept summits; descend to lower, wooded areas to envision prime, protected sites for a guest house or generational family homes among the aspen and pine.
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Telluride
The historic mining town includes a charming main street with local shops, the Telluride Historical Museum, and multiple outdoor festivals each year. The town connects to a modern mountain village via a free pedestrian gondola, providing transportation as well as incredible views of the postcard-perfect mountains in the distance. Telluride was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Today, Telluride is known for fine dining, luxury lodging, and laid-back mountain-town charm.
Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort’s world-renowned location creates a spectacular yet peaceful atmosphere. There’s rarely a lift line in the winter, and the challenging terrain and epic snow make it a true destination for downhill enthusiasts.
Telluride Golf Club
Play a round in crisp mountain air on one of the highest-elevation courses in the world. At 9,500 feet, Telluride Golf Club has many sought-after amenities including exclusive members-only tee times and clinics.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Black Canyon National Park is best known for its remarkable, dramatic canyon carved through solid granite, dropping 2,700 feet from the rim to the Gunnison River below. This unforgettable park is just over an hour away and ideal for hiking and camping.
Hot Springs
This area of Colorado is teeming with natural hot springs. Just 30 minutes away, on the other side of the high mountain peaks, lie two breathtaking hot spring destinations: Orvis Hot Springs in Ridgway and Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Fitness Center in Ouray. Orvis Hot Springs is a secluded, clothing-optional oasis near Ridgway State Park, while Ouray’s pool and hot springs complex brings a few more creature comforts to the rugged mountain locale. Both of these therapeutic mineral hot springs are an unbeatable way to relax.
Part of what makes Telluride Renegade Ranch so rare and special is its setting. This part of Colorado is legendary for its scenic beauty, located among the country’s highest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks.
Telluride Renegade Ranch spans four seasons saturated with sunshine. Many of the surrounding peaks are covered with snow most of the year. Summer temperatures average in the 70s, while winter averages in the high 40s.
The property rises and falls between two creeks. On the western edge near Leopard Creek, the land dops closer to 8,000 feet, but climbs to 8,600 feet in elevation at its highest point — a private, rocky mountain peak with incredible views in all directions.
This rugged parcel in the mountains carries a long and storied history. As legend has it, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out in these hills in the mid-1880s as they sought their fame and fortune. In many ways, Telluride Renegade Ranch still exudes the feeling of wide-open possibility.
Artifacts that remain on the property include several dilapidated buildings that have survived since the mid-1800s. A collapsed schoolhouse and cabin can still be found on a clearing on the property — relics of a bygone era of silver and gold mining during which a vibrant local community once thrived.
Telluride itself is a treasure trove of historical buildings and landmarks. In the 1880s and 1890s, Telluride was a thriving mining town with its own railroad depot. Many of the original buildings still stand, such as the Telluride Town Hall, built in 1883, and the opulent New Sheridan Hotel. First built in 1895, The New Sheridan still features an original carved mahogany bar, room dividers with beveled and lead glass panels, and brass chandeliers. Recently remodeled, the hotel is known as Telluride’s newest oldest hotel.
Telluride Renegade Ranch spans 602± acres and features meadows, woodland areas, hillsides, and rocky outcroppings with views of the San Juan Mountains.
Improvements to the ranch property include rough roads that wind their way throughout the entire 600± acres, offering owners and guests the ability to explore the land on four wheels. In addition, the development of several ponds on the property, fed by a natural spring, ensure access to water for potential future development.
Any and all seller-owned water rights appurtenant to the property are included in the sale. Telluride Renegade Ranch includes a natural spring that feeds several ponds on the property.
Any and all seller-owned mineral rights appurtenant to the property are included in the sale.
Telluride Renegade Ranch has its own resident elk herd with a nearby calving area. Deer, sage grouse, marmots, and wild turkeys also call this place home, with the occasional black bear and bobcat. Other interesting, if not wild, inhabitants include a flock of sheep who graze on the grasses of Renegade Ranch, thanks to an ongoing lease agreement with a local sheepherder — an agriculture tax benefit. It’s easy to reminisce about the way life used to be while listening to the bells and bleats of grazing sheep during the warm summer months on the ranch.
Preservation of the pristine natural environment is a primary objective in the sale of Telluride Renegade Ranch. In fact, the current ownership envisions close cooperation with the Division of Wildlife — and potentially a conservation easement opportunity — to ensure harmonious cohabitation between man and nature well into the future.
Telluride Renegade Ranch is a natural recreation retreat. Make it a private snowmobile sanctuary in the winter, or build your own downhill ski run. Cross country skiing, mountain biking, or hiking in one of the wide-open meadows is a fine way to take in the expanse of the land. Hike to the top of the rocky peak and brace against the gusty wind to view the surrounding mountains, from Whipple Mountain, North Pole Peak, and Last Dollar Mountain and rising up to 14,000-foot Mt. Wilson and Mt. Sneffels.
