189 Eagle Creek Road is a very special offering at Eagle Ridge Ranch. Located on Ohio Creek and adjacent to the private trout fishing pond, the 2-story mountain home features comfortable yet commanding architecture and high quality construction by renown local contractor Shipp & Spear Builders. The open floor plan of the main level of the home enjoys wood floors, amazing vaulted ceilings, clerestory windows and an impressive two-sided rock fireplace. The views of the pond, the meadows and the Elk Mountains are absolutely spectacular and Ohio Creek fly fishing is just steps away from the back door of the home. Just up the dirt road from the property is Eagle Ridge Ranch’s 2,000+ acre Primitive Area, the exclusive and very private elk and deer hunting reserve. And, ERR’s equestrian center is only a few minutes away in the other direction.
The West’s First and Still the Best Ranch Preserve
ERR is the largest conservation easement in the County and preserves forever the viewshed, the water rights, mineral and timber rights and prevents further subdivision of the land. Today’s views will remain the same for generations to come. Eagle Ridge Ranch is surrounded by National Forest, BLM and state land and is set up as a protected wildlife preserve with exceptional recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, hiking, riding, and cross-country skiing on ten miles of the ranch’s maintained trails and adjacent public lands.
Eagle Ridge Ranch provides a few select families the opportunity to own and live a very special lifestyle ranch experience. At this real mountain working cattle and hay ranch, owners revel in the scenery, wonder at the many species of wildlife sharing the environment, and participate in the many recreational activities on your own 6000* acre ranch. Then, when an extended vacation calls, the owner can simply leave without worry as the ranch is professionally managed. This “come and go” lifestyle is one of life’s most treasured and rare opportunities. Only fifteen like-minded families will EVER have this experience as the ranch is preserved forever.
As apart of ERR, you’ll frequently observe the cowboys herd cattle over vast open ranges of the ranch. Sometimes you’ll see them up close and personal as the cattle drive progresses down the county road moving from pasture to pasture. In order to practice good stewardship, rotational grazing allows the cattle to go gentle on the land. In the meadows, where the ranch manager and ranch crew harvest 1,000 tons of native grass hay every year, you’ll witness the resident elk herd. Bulls, cows and calves live in the Wildlife Corridor along Ohio Creek running through the ranch. No hunting is allowed in this area of the ranch so the elk have found a safe haven to raise their young. In the early fall, you’ll experience the rare treat of hearing the bulls bugle and the cows respond with their gentle mewing. Few ever experience this amazing mating ritual, let alone observe it in their own private preserve.
A fishing easement on both sides of the 2 ¼ mile creek allows you to fish the waters for the three species available; brookies, browns, and rainbow. A fish biologist strategically placed many large boulders in the stream to create optimum fish habitat. Fishermen will appreciate the benefits of the many Reichmuth structures. Native fish grew from an average 8” length to 19-21 inches on average after the improvements of this fishery. Our expert fly fishermen practice catch and release, though it is not mandated. In addition to the creek a three acre trout rearing pond is perfect for grandkids to experience that first catch and to land a lunker for Mom or Grandma to grill.
Some of the owners at ERR have ATV’s and enjoy trail rides all over the ranch but especially in the 2000+ acres of the ranch designated as the Primitive Area. Behind locked gates you can explore much of the ranch on groomed dirt roads. For the more adventurous, there are more challenging trails taking you to the tops of the ridges and mountain for unparalleled views of the West Elks, the Castles and from certain positions on top of the ridge, you can see all the way to the Maroon Bells. These same trails are fantastic hiking and horseback trails.
A favorite ranch adventure is a day trip to the log cabins in the Primitive Area. Two cabins, one named Longview for its expansive mountain views, the other named Cozy Cabin because of its location alongside a canyon and Cunningham Creek. Both cabins are fed by native spring water and powered by propane fed generators for electricity. Propane refrigerator, stove and hot water are always on. You can prepare your picnic in the fully equipped kitchen, and even spend the night in the two bedroom (plus sleeping loft) cabins, complete with the ability to enjoy a hot shower and a warm meal after a day hiking or hunting. The wood stove provides a quick warm up on a cold day and the perfect ambience for a glass of wine or cocktails at end of day. Deer, elk, bear, fox, coyote, and many species of birds call this area home.
During the fall, hunters on surrounding public land drive the elk and deer in to this area, making it both a haven for the animals and a productive big game hunting experience. This is big country and it takes a skilled hunter to down an animal. You will enjoy many years of challenging and rewarding big game hunting in this private hunting reserve. The ranch has created guidelines on the size of hunting parties and their frequency assures a fair hunt and also helps to manage herd quality and growth.
The ranch is managed with three equally important principles guiding all ranch decision making:
A. Continued profitable agriculture
B. Enhanced wildlife carrying capacity
C. Recreational use by the owners.
For example: by reducing the number of cattle grazing on the ranch, and developing and maintaining numerous mountain springs in the area, the ranch provides adequate forage and clean water sources for wildlife as well as cattle.
The History of Ohio Creek Valley
The history of the Ohio Creek Valley is very interesting. Many tie hack cabins dot the landscape. These small structures housed the workers who were making rail road ties for the rail line that was built up the Ohio Creek Valley in the 1800’s. It’s fun to explore them and to seek out places where the old timers may have carved their names into the logs or onto the bark of nearby aspen. Remnants of an old sawmill are there to explore, too, including an old log cabin at the site, named Whistle Pig, for the creatures that now live within. The ancient fireplace, made from native granite and crystalline rocks found near the site is a site to behold.
Located only seven miles from town by paved road the ranch is easy to access. Gunnison contains Western State University, an great golf course, a commercial airport with an extensive private jet center, shopping and an exciting PRCA rodeo every summer.
The historic mining town of Crested Butte is only 28 miles from the ranch. Here there are numerous excellent restaurants, a prime mountain Country Club, good shopping and one of the most exciting ski hills in the US, Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
Eagle Ridge Ranch provides that rare combination of extensive recreational amenities, solitude, and wildlife on your own 6000 acres – much like owning your own national park- along with easy access to a college town and airport, as well as close proximity to a nationally important ski town with all of its exciting activities. Not another ranch in the US West can make those claims. Not another ranch can offer the value of Eagle Ridge Ranch.
*4900 acres deeded land plus 1100 acres permit equals 6000 acres under ranch management. In addition, adjoining USFS land to the east and west of the ranch, available for owner’s recreational use, totals tens of thousands of acres. The West Elk Wilderness area is one the most treasured landscapes in all of North America.
