A SPECTACULAR WESTERN COLORADO SETTING For well over a century, Glade Park has been a well-kept secret among Colorado natives who treasure their privacy in a beautiful mountain setting. Grand Junction, of course, is the largest city on the Western Slope, and is known as the regional trade center, with auto dealerships, restaurants, big box stores, Mesa State College, a regional airport, and many cultural and recreational activities. One of Grand Junction's most featured attractions is the Colorado National Monument, a collection of red sandstone cliffs, canyons, spires, and monuments. Located just south of Grand Junction, the Monument is a favorite visitor attraction--and it's also the gateway to Glade Park. There are two entrances to Glade Park--one at Fruita & another in Grand Junction GLADE PARK--A MOUNTAIN HIDE-AWAY Once you're on top, Glade Park is a wide mesa of ranches, National Forest and BLM lands, sagebrush flats, rimrock, hayfields, aspen groves, and timber that is located on top of the Colorado National Monument. While Grand Junction itself is only at 4,500 feet in elevation, Glade Park starts at 5,500 feet and goes all the way up to 9,500 feet at Crawford Peak above Unaweep Canyon. When you first enter Glade Park, DS Road turns south just west of Cold Shivers Point and bears south and west to wide sagebrush flats punctuated by ranchettes and homes. The views to the Bookcliffs to the north and the Grand Mesa to the east are striking. A mile or two to the west is the famous Glade Park Store, the center of the universe in this hideout.
THE ROUTE TO THE RANCH DS Road continues all the way west to the Utah border, and winds through several rimrock formations on the way. As the road gradually climbs in elevation, the ranches get bigger and greener, the haystacks taller, and the country is more beautiful. Just a half mile shy of the Utah border is the Mahoney ranch, one of the first ranches to be settled on Glade Park in the 1880's. The ranch is situated on a wide plain with a gentle slope to Coates Creek on the north side of the ranch. Comprised of 388 acres, the ranch borders BLM lands on the north property lines. DS Road goes through the property, and the main body of the ranch is on the north side of the road. The ranch house is barely visible from the main road, as it's sheltered by tall Gambel oaks half a mile to the north. Overlooking the ranch headquarters is a prominent rimrock bluff that rises 450 feet above the home and the creek.
THE MAHONEY RANCH AND HAY FARM The ranch is a neat, tidy place. Fences are tight and the fields are clean. There is no junk to be seen. The cattle handling pens and chutes are strongly constructed out of stout 2-inch pipe, and they're in very good repair. The 120 acres of hayfields have a very gentle slope from the south to the north, guaranteeing good coverage with flood irrigation. And speaking of water rights, the ranch has plenty of water with a big 5.67 cubic feet per second of 1916 water rights. Hay production in this area is excellent. At 6,400 feet in elevation with excellent sunshine and cool nights, hay production should be one cutting a year and range between 2.5 and 3 tons to the acre.
TWO HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS The home place is comprised of the historic log ranch house, which has been enlarged and completely updated. The home is 3,900 square feet, and has a big master suite upstairs with native tile and hand-hewn logs. The downstairs has a high-ceilinged family room with wood floors and granite countertops. The setting is completely private and secluded. Across the farmyard is a recent 1,400-square-foot modular home in very good condition that will make an excellent manager's home; a big machine shop for big projects; an open machine shed; and a large hay stack yard.
CATTLE HANDLING FACILITIES The corrals and cattle pens are well maintained and strongly built. There is a new crowding tub and squeeze chute that makes handling cattle easy, and a loading chute for shipping animals.
UNIT 40 ELK AND DEER HUNTING We saved the best for last. Colorado's Game Management Unit 40 is widely known as having some of the very best elk and deer hunting in the world. Yes, in the world. Unit 40 is a limited-draw unit that takes up to 11 years for a Colorado hunter to draw an elk tag. In Colorado, 15% of the limited licenses are reserved for landowners of properties 160 acres and larger, and this ranch can draw up to 3 and 4 tags a year, depending on the draw year. Hunters can use the tag to hunt on the ranch, or they can also hunt on public lands with a landowner tag. Elk tags in Unit 40 typically sell for a minimum of $3,000 and up to $5,000, but hunters can expect to see bull elk that score up to 400 points. Many bulls are taken on Glade Park every year that score between 350 and 420. The Mahoney Ranch abuts public lands, and while this isn't a high-elevation ranch, it's a great place to look for elk during the late rifle seasons. Deer are abundant and trophy bucks are commonly seen; wild turkey are so numerous that they're almost pests on the Mahoney Ranch.
CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN PLACE This ranch has been preserved from development with the goal of keeping it in agricultural production.
THE BEST RANCH ON THE MARKET AT THE BEST PRICE We hear from many buyers who are looking for a productive ranch to raise an abundant hay crop to feed a small herd of cattle or horses; they want privacy and seclusion, good views, good water rights, good soils, and proximity to a good-sized town for services, groceries, entertainment, and flights to faraway destinations. In my opinion, this is the best ranch value on the market today. At $1.1 million, the ranch is priced very fairly.
