Steamboat Springs, Colorado With approximately 2,500’ of both sides of one of the most desirable stretches of river in the region, Pleasant Valley’s Yampa River Ranch is an impressive recreation property located just south of Steamboat Springs. Highlighted by a long stretch of private water, the ranch consists of 118 acres of open meadow and forested hillsides. Two tent platforms overlook the Yampa with a great line of sight to the tall grass meadow. Big game hunting and fishing are prime recreational attributes of the property, which is bordered on 2 sides by public land. Located just beyond the end of the paved county road, the ranch has the sought-after combination of live water bordering the US Forest Service. It is approximately 11 miles to the boutique shops and galleries, great restaurants, and the famous slopes of Steamboat Springs.
Located where a narrow, granite canyon opens into a beautiful, gentle valley, the in one of Steamboat’s most scenic areas. The 10-mile drive from town leads past two 18-hole golf courses, through the exclusive Lake Catamount neighborhood with its 530-acre private lake, and through the historic ranches of the appropriately named Pleasant Valley. The southern end of the property adjoins public land that holds an additional 1.5 miles of tailwater fishing below the Stagecoach Dam. It is a spectacular setting in an already spectacular part of the Rocky Mountains.
The ranch is 118 acres with a 12-acre meadow flanked by the county road on one side and the Yampa River on the other. East of the river, the property rises to about 7,600 feet in elevation where it meets the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, a 44,000 acre expanse within the Routt National Forest of roadless, protected, and pristine terrain. The west facing slope on the property alternates between stands of dark timber and oak brush, providing great big game habitat. The ranch has approximately 2,500 feet of both sides of the Yampa River plus an additional 850+/- feet of shared frontage. The northern reaches of the river corridor are shaded by tall cottonwood trees and the southern stretch is shaded by rugged, narrow canyon walls covered in evergreens. The public land south of the ranch has an additional 1.5 miles of improved river frontage. Stagecoach Dam, about 3 miles south of the property, provides relatively consistent water temperatures that keep the river open and fishable in the winter and cool in the summer. Large rainbows from Lake Catamount spawn in the spring and browns thrive in the cool holes during the fall. The property has the hard-to-find combination of private live water and a public land boundary.
The property shares a boundary with a vast expanse of two contiguous national forests stretching from southern Wyoming to the Colorado River corridor. Within the adjacent Routt National Forest, the federally designated Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area spans over 44,000 acres and literally backs up to the ranch. It is uncommon for a wilderness area, with stringent protection of the land and habitat, to share a border with private land; wilderness areas are more often located fully within a national forest. Only a line separates the deeded acreage from a huge backyard of quiet, roadless, pristine wilderness. The south end of the ranch is bordered by BLM and USFS land, providing additional direct access to over a million acres of rugged, high mountain terrain with miles of trails and streams. The ranch has two tent platforms overlooking the river and meadow, providing an ideal launching point to enjoy recreational activities on and off the ranch. River improvements have been completed on the private river as well as the public section upstream; fishing along this particular section of the Yampa is well-known for big trout and elusive browns. Winter skiing on two ski areas is just a short drive from the ranch. Howelsen Hill Ski Complex is city-owned and is the oldest continuously operating ski area in the U.S. It is home to many Olympians and has excellent facilities for ski jumping, snowboarding, and all kinds of winter skiing plus summer hiking and mountain biking. The Steamboat ski resort is in the final stages of a $200M expansion and improvement project and when complete will be the second largest ski resort in Colorado.
Steamboat Springs is located in northwest Colorado, approximately 160 miles northwest of Denver and about 40 miles south of the Wyoming state line. Known for its friendly, western hospitality, Steamboat has preserved its deep agricultural roots while a world-renowned ski area emerged and prospered. This area of the state is served by a busy regional airport located 20 miles west of Steamboat. The Yampa Valley Regional Airport with daily year-round flights to Denver International Airport, also has direct flights to 16 cities during ski season. Steamboat Springs, with a population of about 13,000, is a resort community that features amenities and attractions only found in larger towns. The UC Health/Yampa Valley Medical Center is an award-winning, full service acute care hospital. The public schools include two charter schools; all are highly rated with an average 13:1 student to teacher ratio. An award-winning private K-12 college prep school sends 99% of its students to college. Colorado Mountain College, a long-established community college, offers several 4-year degree programs and a long list of local-interest classes. This area of the state is known for beautiful, protected landscapes, welcoming residents, quality community events and venues, and great year-round outdoor recreation.
Pleasant Valley’s Yampa River Ranch is a prime live water ranch only 11 miles from Colorado’s second largest ski resort. Only two main rivers exist in the area and the ranch enjoys a significant stretch of private frontage. Combined with the access to the adjoining wilderness land, this hard-to-find product represents an opportunity to own a superb recreation property. Property values in the appropriately-named Pleasant Valley south of Steamboat Springs have traditionally been at the top of the market, indicating the overall appeal of the area.
