Tow Creek Ranch

The Tow Creek Ranch is 619 +/- acres located 15 minutes west of Steamboat Springs. A recreation and sportsman's dream property sitting in GMU 214 is home to many resident elk and deer throughout the ranch. Throughout the fall and early winter the migration of elk from the east gives a constant influx of new game moving through the property. There is approximately 3/4 mile of Tow Creek as well as multiple springs providing water. Land The ranch has a dramatic landscape with grassy valleys,  oak brush and aspen ridges.  The land is well watered with 3/4 of a mile of Tow Creek and several springs and ponds are located throughout the property.  There is ample cover and feed for wildlife and livestock as well.  Looking around  from the highest ridges provides views of Mt. Werner, the Zirkel Wilderness and the Park Range as well as Pyramid Peak and the Flat Tops and the Gore Range to the south.   There is currently a grazing lease in place with a well known producer, providing some income and allowing the ranch to maintain its agricultural status.    The ranch has a very good road and trail network that allows travel to just about every portion of the ranch either by pickup, side by side or ATV.  Elevations of the ranch are from approximately 7200′ -7700′. Improvements There is a 374 Sq. Ft.  1 bedroom and 1 bathroom cabin with modest finishes located on the south edge of the property with a small pond and brook just out the front door.  The detached 10’x20′ garage/equipment building gives ample room for storage and holds a generator that provides power to the cabin and garage.   Water for the cabin is provided from a spring that is piped in from just north of the building site.   The cabin is comfortable but rustic and sits in a beautiful shaded valley along the southern border of the ranch. Recreation Located in hunting Colorado Game Management unit 214, the ranch qualifies for landowner vouchers for deer with over the counter tags for elk .  Hunting on the ranch for is top notch and hunters can expect opportunities for elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, multiple  small game animals as well as sharp-tail and Dusky Grouse. With an excellent trail and road system the ranch is set up well for horseback riding, ATV and UTV riding, hiking, biking, snowmobiling, snow shoeing and cross country skiing. The nearby National Forest provides unlimited recreational opportunities with the lakes and trail heads.  Skiing at the famed Steamboat Ski area and Howelsen Hill are just a short 15-20 minute drive.  There is a very diverse variety of songbirds and migratory birds for the bird watching enthusiast. Agriculture Currently the ranch is leased by a local rancher for summer grazing.  The summer grazing season is approximately June 15th to October 15th. General Operations Utilized as a summer and fall family destination ranch the property has been enjoyed by multiple generations and is one of the most beautiful locations in the Yampa Valley.   The original homestead cabin still stands in the big meadow just east of where the current cabin sits. Region & Climate Routt County is known for its mild summers and snowy winters.  On average the area sees over 243 days of sun.  Rainfall in the area is around 18-20 inches annually and snowfall on average is 130+ inches.  Typically summers temps will average 55-85 degrees and winter will see 6-40 degrees average.   Higher and lower temps are always possible.   Steamboat Springs is known for its exceptional skiing snow referred to as Champagne powder.    This describes the dry, fluffy powder that is common on the mountain.   The area is home to the Yampa River, Elk River and many tributary streams that feed those two main rivers. History Historically, the Routt County area was home to nomadic Ute Indians before the mid-nineteenth century, when gold discoveries near Hahn’s Peak, above the Elk River valley, attracted white prospectors. Ranchers and farmers followed the miners, taking advantage of the area’s fertile river valleys.  Steamboat Springs was originally named for the sound of the hot springs along the river making the chug, chug sound of a steamboat.  There are many accounts of the vast herds of wildlife in the area as settlers came into the valley and that still holds true today with large herds of elk, mule deer and pronghorn antelope covering the landscape. Tow Creek Ranch was homesteaded by, and has been in the same family for decades.  The ranch has rich history of being a part of a larger cattle ranch that produced cattle that were driven to Steamboat Springs to the railhead in the early days of the Cowtown. Location Tow Creek Ranch sits just 20 minutes west of downtown Steamboat Springs and 20 minutes east of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport.  The property is very private in its location sitting above Tow Creek just off RCR 50.  The drive crosses Tow Creek and winds into  the property from the west where the home is tucked into a shady mountain valley with a small creek and pond near by.   There are breathtaking views in every direction from the ranch.