12590 Derby Mesa Loop Burns, CO 80426

The Gates Ranch is that Colorado legacy ranch that speaks to a long heritage of cattle ranching, grazing, hunting, fishing, and recreation. Comprised of 744 acres above the Colorado River about an hour north of Vail, the Gates Ranch has never before been offered for sale since it was patented in the late 1880's.

The ranch offers a terrific combination of a productive cattle ranch, supporting about 150 head year-round, along with hay production, grazing, and excellent elk hunting. 340 acres are irrigated with a huge 15-CFS water right out of Derby Creek, with the balance of the acreage comprised of beautiful wildlife habitat. The owner offers guided hunts to as many as 24 elk hunters a year with excellent success on elk, deer, and bear. To top it all off, there is a beautiful 3-acre lake with big trout and a lovely picnic area.

The look and feel of the place is ''Old Colorado''. None of the improvements are extravagant, but everything is cool, with a 6-bedroom, 2-bath log bunkhouse with an old-fashioned wood-fired cookstove and Western antiques. The manager's log house is 1,158 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. There are numerous outbuildings, including two metal-sided shop buildings that can house several cars, tractors, and other farm equipment.

Just a mile or so up the road from the ranch is a main trailhead into the famed Flattops Wilderness Area, where you can ride for miles across some of the West's most spectacular terrain with excellent high-country lake fishing, elk hunting, and wilderness camping and trekking.