TAYLOR CANYON RANCH COLORADO - ROUTT COUNTY - STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Tucked up against the steep valley shaped by Mt. Pau and rising to the Routt National Forest, Taylor Canyon Ranch is an easily accessible, well located holding north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Encompassing 133 acres, the ranch has a comfortable home, historic barn and charming cabin. Traditionally used as a big game outfitting base camp and horse property, the ranch is fenced into several pastures for easy livestock management and rotation. Tall cottonwood trees line the creek, which during the spring and summer tumbles from the upper reaches of the ranch. The paved driveway meanders through the trees and along the creek; it is an inviting setting in the sought after Elk River Valley of northwest Colorado.
LOCATION Steamboat Springs is a lively mountain town known for its world-class skiing and friendly Western atmosphere. Taylor Canyon Ranch is 14 miles north of Steamboat on paved County Road 129. The scenic drive from Steamboat through the coveted Elk River Valley runs north to Clark and beyond to Steamboat Lake, the Routt National Forest then into Wyoming. The ranch is 3 miles south of the charming community of Clark which has a well-stocked convenience store, liquor store, post office and a deli worthy of the drive from Steamboat. Denver, the State Capital, is a 3-hour drive from Steamboat. Commercial air service is 20 miles west of Steamboat at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport with direct flights to several cities around the country. Flights from YVRA to Denver are offered every day of the year. The regional airport and Bob Adams Field on the northern edge of Steamboat offer private air services.
AREA Taylor Canyon Ranch is bordered on the eastern side by the Routt National Forest 1+ million acres stretching from Wyoming to Steamboat Springs and then south toward central Colorado. The northern and eastern boundary is a 1,100-acre cattle ranch that has been placed into a conservation easement, prohibiting future development. Steamboat Springs, with a population of about 12,000, is a pleasant resort community with many amenities found in larger towns. The Yampa Valley Medical Center, constructed in 1999, is a full-service acute-care hospital. The Bud Werner Memorial Library, constructed following an $11,000,000 voter-approved tax in 2005 is a 28,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. Colorado Mountain College, an established community college, continues to experience growth and continues to expand its 4-year degree programs. The Steamboat Ski Resort, among the top ranked in the nation for powder, variety of runs and hospitality, has nearly 3,000 acres of skiable terrain ranging from 10,500 feet along the Continental Divide to 6,900 feet at the mountain village.
ACREAGE One of the few rural properties with paved road access to the front door, Taylor Canyon Ranch is an attractive property in the picturesque Elk River Valley. The property consists of rolling, grassy pastures bisected by a seasonal creek lined with mature cottonwood trees. The creek originates from the east, draining a rugged canyon that leads to the national forest. A small meadow scattered with aspen trees is flanked by a pine forest on the north-facing slopes and oak brush on the south-facing slopes. Two trout ponds are at the mouth of the valley which overlooks the house and pastures below.
CLIMATE Weather in Clark, Colorado is generally cool and dry with an abundance of sunshine. Average precipitation is just over 16 in rainfall and nearly 400 inches of snowfall. January is the coldest month with lows averaging 1 and highs averaging 28 degrees. The warmest month is July with an average low of 42 and high of 82 degrees. Four distinct seasons allow for a wide range of outdoor activities. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on several feet of white powder snow during the winter, hiking and biking along mountain trails during the summer and long horseback rides in the golden aspen groves during the fall are among a long list of activities area residents enjoy.
IMPROVEMENTS The improvements have been impeccably maintained by the owner/builder. A retired Marine officer who led hunters into the Zirkel Wilderness for years, the seller has been diligent with the construction and maintenance of the ranch during his ownership. The well-designed home has an open kitchen/living/dining area and a master suite on the main level with a small workout room attached. An office and laundry are also on the first floor. Upstairs is a two-room guest suite with views up Taylor Canyon. The cabin and barn, originally built in 1929 and 1948 respectively, have been remodeled; they are comfortable and functional but their rustic charm remains. The meadows and rolling hills of the ranch have been fenced and cross fenced and each pasture has access to water. Two spring-fed trout ponds support healthy trout.
GENERAL OPERATION The property has been used in the past as a base for a pack-in big game outfitting business. Today, the land is leased to a local rancher for grazing cattle. As with the improvements, the land has been well cared for and the pastures are in excellent condition. WATER RESOURCES Three adjudicated springs on property supply water to the house and the ponds. A seasonal creek also flows in the spring, early summer and late fall after the leaves have fallen from the cottonwoods. The treelined Elk River corridor is just west of the property.
RECREATION This area of northwest Colorado is popular for recreation enthusiasts: national forest trailheads, lakes and reservoirs, and groomed trails are only a few miles from the ranch. The ranch is in Game Unit 14. The national forest on the east edge of the property is difficult to access and not heavily used by the public. Deer, elk, moose, bear, mountain lion and several small game species can be found. Steamboat Lake, Pearl Lake and Hahn s Peak Lake are easy to access a few miles to the north. The Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, with several access points nearby, is loaded with high mountain lakes and streams. Unlimited access to the Routt National Forest trails is convenient for hiking, riding, biking and skiing. There are motorized areas of the forest within 10 miles, allowing ATV and snowmobile access to remote pockets of the Rockies.
TAXES $1,634/year MINERAL RIGHTS All non-severed minerals will convey with the property. PRICE $2,499,000
BROKER S COMMENT Taylor Canyon Ranch is located north of Steamboat Springs in the sought-after Elk River Valley. One of the few rural properties with fully paved access to the front door, the ranch is an attractive combination of convenience, aesthetic appeal, and well-maintained improvements. Tall cottonwoods line Taylor Creek and follow the driveway that meanders up the gentle hill to the house. The ranch is bordered by a large, conserved ranch on the north and west boundaries and by the national forest on the east. This particular area of the national forest is not easily accessed by the public, which translates into added privacy and outstanding hunting opportunities. Two ponds support healthy trout and are fed by springs and seasonal creek. Taylor Canyon itself is a dramatic, steep-sided valley that provides a scenic backdrop to the ponds, house, meadows and a clear, mountain stream of Taylor Canyon Ranch.
CHRISTY BELTON 970.734.7885 CHRISTY@RMABROKERS.COM