Disappointment Creek Ranch

Descriptions

The Disappointment Creek Ranch is a true cowboy cattle operation located in Disappointment Valley in Southwest Colorado, about 65 miles from Telluride, Colorado. The ranch is strategically placed throughout its 4,116.65 deeded acres and 81,133 leased acres of USFS and BLM land, making for a highly successful cattle operation. The ranch holds the sole permits on the USFS and BLM acreage, which is a rarity and adds to the asset of the ranch operations. The ranch currently has 7,095 AUM on USFS and BLM for cattle operations.

The ranch operations have been skillfully thought out, leading to 60 years of good ranching. The calves are processed on the winter range when they come off the summer permit, then weighed on the ranch scales and shipped out or weaned. If you choose to wean the calves, there is a weaning fence between the fields, creating less stress on the calves. The ranch can be run by two good ranch hands and occasional day help, making the cost per head much lower than most ranching operations. The corral work is done at a central location, allowing branding in the spring to weighing and shipping calves in the fall. The acreage includes some irrigated land surrounding the corrals and is critical in this operation. The water comes from Disappointment Creek and is good until early July, giving the ranch one cutting of hay, and approximately 300 round bales, leaving good pasture for the fall. There is 271 acres of irrigated land, 142 acres that are fallow, and the ranch offers 15 cfs of water rights. The ranch has enough acreage that you rarely have to feed cows, as there is enough pasture to graze. The cattle are trailed to their summer and winter range but never leave the ranch property, so no trucking is needed.

Improvements are spread throughout the ranch and leased acreage. At the working facilities for cattle and the hay fields, improvements in place are a 12 x 20 workers cabin/cook shack, a certified set of scales, a hydraulic chute, and a calf table. On the USFS permit section of the ranch where summer operations occur, there is a 1,326 square foot 2-bedroom cabin with indoor spring-fed plumbing, a one-room bunk house, a tack room, and additional corrals. The cabin and bunkhouse are privately owned and will be sold along with the cattle permit.

Disappointment Creek drainage is a small, remote watershed in Colorado's southwestern region. The creek flows from the Uncompahgre Plateau through a deep canyon and eventually joins the Dolores River. The area is known for its rugged and scenic landscape, steep canyon walls, towering ponderosa pines, and sandstone cliffs. Disappointment Creek is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, backpackers, anglers, hunters, and birdwatchers who explore the area's natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Despite its name, Disappointment Creek offers a truly unique and inspiring experience for those who venture into its remote wilderness.

The ranch is located in Game Management Units 70 & 711, which are well-known destinations for big game hunting. These GMUs offer outstanding elk and Mule deer; you may also encounter black bears and mountain lions in the area. In addition, the region is home to various smaller animals, such as beavers, river otters, and minks, which can be found in and around the creek. Disappointment Creek is a popular destination for birdwatchers, as the area is home to various species, such as bald eagles, ospreys, and peregrine falcons. Overall, big game hunting in the rugged terrain of Disappointment Creek offers the opportunity for hunters to experience the region's unique wildlife and landscape. With the majestic beauty of Colorados La Plata Mountain Range as its backdrop, this ranch offers an opportunity to view diverse wildlife in their natural habitat.

The Disappointment Creek area has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. The Ancestral Puebloans who lived in the area from 100 to 1600 A.D. left behind evidence of their settlements and farming practices in the form of cliff dwellings, villages, shrines, petroglyphs, archaeological sites, and many more historic ruins. It is believed that in the 1300s, the Ute tribe migrated into the region, using the area for hunting and gathering, and continued to disperse across the Rocky Mountains for the next two centuries. Then, in the mid-1700s, European settlers began to arrive, attracted by the area's abundant resources and opportunities for mining and ranching. Disappointment Creek was named in the late 1800s after a group of prospectors who had hoped to strike it rich in the area but were disappointed by their lack of success.

Today, the area is protected as part of the San Juan National Forest. Visitors can explore the remains of historic cliff dwellings, mining and ranching operations, and the natural beauty of the canyon and surrounding wilderness. The Dolores River is nearby, Telluride is 65 miles away, with festivals in the summer and world-class skiing in the winter, and Canyonlands National Park is close for hours of hiking and ATVing.

Disappointment Creek Ranch is anything but a disappointment; it offers a true cowboy way of life in a beautiful and very private setting.