Recreational Land & Farm for Sale in Craig, Colorado

Introducing a historic river ranch with significant water rights! Situated just below Duffy Mountain, the Duffy River Ranch encompasses approximately 1,280 +/- acres of natural beauty with considerable outdoor recreations close by. With easy, year-round access from bordering County Road 17, the potential this ranch hides is unimaginable for those looking to develop their dream paradise.

Land

The Duffy River Ranch boasts just over 4.5 +/- miles of Yampa River frontage with a riparian that features willows and cottonwood trees. The land atop the river banks are comprised mostly of productive hay meadows under flood irrigation, providing ample vegetation for livestock and wildlife. The ranch is setup perfect for livestock operations as there are various pastures with cross and perimeter fencing already in place. In addition, there are also working corrals dispersed throughout the ranch.

In terms of hunting, the ranch is located in GMU 211 where over-the-counter elk tags for archery and rifle seasons are available. However, for 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, over-the-counter elk tags are obtainable for private land only. As for deer and antelope, licenses are draw only. Furthermore, the ranch borders BLM with popular hunting areas nearby on Duffy Mountain, Juniper Mountain, and more!

Improvements

Improvements on the property include a small residence located right next to the river, a small shop/garage, a barn used as an equipment and storage shop, lean-to shelters, and several quality sets of corrals used for livestock. Though there are many improvements already, there is potential for more!

Recreation

Within the perimeters of the ranch, cast a line into the nearly 5 miles of river frontage to see what you can catch, or jump in a raft and spend the day relaxing while floating to the many takeout and launch locations downstream. As a result of being located just below the face of Duffy Mountain, the ranch has no shortage of recreations for every outdoor enthusiast! From the ranch, there is direct access to the trails throughout Duffy Mountain for hiking, off-roading, camping, and hunting. Just a stone's throw away is Juniper and Little Juniper mountain for much of the same opportunities. Within 1 hour and 30 minutes, additional attractions include Gates of Lodore, Irish Canyon, Sandwash Basin, and Dinosaur National Monument providing for memorable experiences!

History

Ranch features a unique piece of history as it encompasses the outlet of the Duffy Irrigation Tunnel! In the early 1900s, a gentlemen by the name of Charles Duffy noticed that his land and neighboring ranches below Duffy Mountain had limited production due to the lack of water. To solve this, he and an engineer created a plan that took 6 years to dig a 2,000 foot tunnel through the base of Duffy Mountain and divert a portion of the Yampa River. It would exit the mountain roughly 18 feet above the river and gravity feed the several ranches that ranged from an estimated 1,800-4,000 acres in need of water so they could irrigate. The tunnel allowed ranchers to irrigate unusable drylands and turn them into productive hayfields. Due to being reinforced a couple times since it was constructed, the tunnel is still flowing water and is a historic attraction to this day! Although the river has changed over the years, the tunnel is still used to irrigate a portion of the ranch in addition to multiple alternate points of diversion via pump stations. If the land could talk, it would speak of water wars that were settled with rifles in the early days.