Located nine miles east of the quaint town of Crawford, the Hawks Nest Ranch is hands down one of the most strikingly beautiful parcels Colorado has to offer.  This 160-acre, pure in-holding is directly bound on all sides by Gunnison National Forest lands (1.70-million acres) the West Elk Wilderness (176,500-acres) and has remained under the same ownership dating back to the 1940’s.  LandThere is not another privately held parcel to the north, south or east for miles and public access to the Wilderness areas outside of the ranch are extremely limited.  The end-of-the road location provides the ultimate in privacy and solitude.  The Through Line hiking and horseback trail (auto and ATV restricted) originates on the ranch and extends through the Wilderness and National Forest for endless miles, eventually connecting with points as far northeast as Aspen, Snowmass Village and Crested Butte.  Access to the trail embarking from the ranch is only permitted by the ownership.  A public access point to the trail exists east of the ranch on National Forest.  The topography of the property ranges from level hay meadows, cottonwood lined creek bottoms and gently sloping foothills contained below the immense mountains that surround the property.  The varying elevations, shapes, sizes and differing timber cover of the adjacent mountains are what establish Hawks Nest as a truly distinctive parcel.  The ranch affords prominent views of the Big and Little Sand Mountains, Tater Heap, Saddle Mountain, Sheep Mountain, the Needle Rock formation and Grand Mesa to name a few.

ImprovementsBuilding improvements for the ranch consist of a well-built, hand-hewn log home that was originally constructed in 1922.  The home has been consistently maintained by the owners and is of a two-story, five-bedroom, two bath design.  Amenities include covered porches overlooking Smith Fork Creek, large living room with fireplace and partial basement.  A restored primitive cabin along the creek provides extra room for guests and there are older out-building structures of varying utility (historic log-built storage sheds, blacksmith shop, lean-to and tack room) and a set of sturdy working pens.  The property is powered by electricity and propane gas.

RecreationIn addition to the virtual private use of the Forest lands and Wilderness, there are numerous nearby recreational attractions:

Needle Rock Natural Area (5-mins.)

Crawford Reservoir State Park (15-mins.)

Black Canyon National Park (45-mins.)

Blue Mesa Reservoir (largest reservoir in Colorado – 1 hr.)

Aspen/Snowmass, Telluride and Crested Butte Ski Resorts (approx. 2-hrs.)

From Crawford, primary retailers and restaurants are located in Delta (30-mins.), Montrose (1-hr.), Gunnison (1.5-hrs.) and Grand Junction (2-hrs.)

AgricultureNorth and South Smith Fork Creeks are tributaries of the Gunnison River and flow through the ranch, converging near the western property boundary.  The creeks are fishable year-round and contain good numbers of brook, brown and rainbow trout.  Lone Pine Creek enters the property at the top of the northern pasture and serves as one of the irrigation sources.  There are also (3) ponds that could potentially be stocked, if desired.

Few places in Colorado are of equal to Hawks Nest Ranch.  The vast Forest and Wilderness lands essentially serve as an extension to the deeded acreage when considering the prohibitive public access and a starting point of the Through Line Trail within the ranch boundaries.  Live trout-filled water, abundant wildlife, pine and aspen forests and awe-inspiring panoramas are just a few of the attributes that make this property a once in a lifetime opportunity to own.  To request additional information or schedule a qualified showing call Brent Hedrick.