SOLD! 447-acre mountain ranch for sale near Vail borders BLM and National Forest lands The Sawmill Ranch is a premier Colorado mountain recreation, hunting, and fishing property with some of the finest attributes of beauty, splendor, views, wildlife, privacy, seclusion, water, recreation, hunting, and fishing of ANY property in Colorado. Located high above the Colorado River near Sweetwater, the 447-acre ranch is bordered by thousands of acres of BLM lands to the south and the White River National Forest to the north. A mile or so to the north, the Flattops Wilderness begins, with hundreds of square miles of pristine high-country terrain accessed by the historic Ute Trail and a network of horse and hiking trails extending all the way to Meeker and New Castle. The ranch is situated midway between Glenwood Springs and Vail, Colorado, north of the Colorado River at Sweetwater. Vail and Glenwood Springs are each about an hour and a half away. abundant water rights, springs, ponds, and lakes with excellent fishing Water is abundant on the Sawmill Ranch, with two year-round ponds and four spring-fed lakes that are teeming with trout. Large water rights and storage rights have been adjudicated and proven by the ranch owners. Fishing is superb for brook, cutthroat, and rainbow trout, with some fish weighing in over 6 pounds and 24" in length. With a fairly minimal stocking and lake and stream improvement program, the fishing could be even more outrageous than it already is. stunning 360-degree views of the Elk Mountain Range and the Flattops The views from the Sawmill Ranch are some of the finest Colorado views we've ever seen. The viewer sees the entire panorama of the Elk Mountain Range from Mt. Sopris, the dominant peak of the Aspen area, to Capitol Peak and the Mountain of the Holy Cross far to the east. To the north is W Mountain on the edge of the Flattops; to the east is Sugarloaf Mountain and Little Sugarloaf. The setting is fantastic. The ranch is fairly level, with some topographical relief. Elevations range between 9100 and 9500 feet. Terrain ranges from conifer forests of sub-alpine fir, blue spruce, lodgepole pine, and Englemann spruce to sagebrush and grassy meadows; aspen groves; and ponds, streams, and wetlands. superb Colorado elk and deer hunting property for sale In the 35 years that these owners have hunted the ranch, they've taken well over 100 elk off the property, never hunting outside the boundaries of the ranch. They cannot recall a group of hunters on the property who have not filled all their tags. All the animals were accessible by vehicle for easy retrieval. As well, the owners have taken two mule deer bucks on the property that made the all-time Boone & Crockett record book. For the adventurous hunter, myriads of challenging trophy opportunities beckon in the Flattops Wilderness, just a mile away, with access to hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness and trophy animals. The property is in Colorado Game Management Unit 25 and is eligible to receive coveted landowner mule deer and elk tags. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation conservation easement property has two off-grid cabins, two available cabin sites This property made history when it was protected for perpetuity by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as their first conservation property in Colorado. The owners reserved four cabin sites. Two sites have newer cabins with good improvements, including spring water, solar power, nice balconies, and hot and cold water. The other two sites have cabins from the 1930's that are in very poor repair and need to be removed. It is a perfect property for two or three groups to partner in the entire property, with each owning one of the cabin sites for themselves. elk, deer, bear, ducks, eagles, blue grouse, trout on this Colorado recreational property The Sawmill Ranch is home to many more species of wildlife than you'll normally see on a Colorado mountain property. Elk are present in large numbers. Mule deer, bear, and blue grouse are commonly seen on the property. Because of the vast water resources, unusual species such as tiger salamander, osprey, teal, wood ducks, and many species of waterfowl raise their young on the ranch. It is a bird-watcher's paradise. Golden eagles, the occasional bald eagle, and many species of hawks are found on the property. 4WD access to a Colorado mountain retreat The ranch is accessed from the Dotsero Exit on the east end of Glenwood Canyon on Interstate 70. Drive seven miles north on the Colorado River Road to the Sweetwater Road, and then 5.6 miles north to the Sheep Creek Road, which is on the right. The last 6 miles to the ranch are rugged jeep road for 4WD vehicles only. The ranch is all the way at the end of 8450 Road. Make no mistake, the property is rural and very remote, and you won't be driving to town for dinner. This is a retreat property where you'll want to bring groceries for a several-day stay. And once you're there, you just won't want to leave.