Custer Country Life
Subscribe Now!Four farm and ranch experiences in the remote Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Beckwith Ranch
Photograph by Beckwith Ranch
For a historical perspective of ranch life in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Beckwith Ranch is the best place to start. The Beckwith family had no experience in cattle ranching when they moved to the Wet Mountain Valley in south-central Colorado in 1869.
What they did have was the astute business sense to profit from the gold and silver seekers swarming the area. These folks, they reasoned, would need a trusted source for cattle and horses, and they were willing to step up.
So, Edwin Beckwith and his father purchased 200 head of longhorn cattle from Charles Goodnight in Pueblo. Edwin's brother Elton headed west from Maine to join him soon after. (Their father, George, established his own cattle ranch up in Longmont.) Other cattle ranchers were lured to the valley, too, and thus began the long history of ranching there, where the land and weather are ideal for growing hay and raising livestock.
Today, the Beckwith property – just north of Westcliffe – is in the hands of Friends of Beckwith Ranch, a nonprofit organization. Beginning in the late 1990s, Friends began an extensive restoration of the ranch’s Victorian-style buildings to their historically accurate 1903 glory.
Volunteers lead informative tours of the Beckwith Ranch Headquarters from June to October and maintain a small gift shop on site. For a series of popular holiday events, the volunteers lavishly decorate each room in the home, and visitors can vote for their favorite room. The property is also available to rent for meetings, weddings and other special events.
Sunset Ranch
Photograph by Sunset Ranch
Yellow signs line Colorado State Highway 96, warning motorists to be alert for traditional Amish wagons in their midst. Visitors may think they’re back east somewhere, until they learn that Custer County is home to hundreds of Amish who have joined settlements here over the years, making the trek from places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois.
Freeman Miller moved to Silver Cliff 10 years ago to be closer to his sister and her family, and he and his family run the picturesque Sunset Ranch, perched on a hill just outside of town. It’s a favorite with visitors because of the authentic Amish wagon rides he offers a few days per week.
The evening rides are especially popular; the Westcliffe and Silver Cliff area was designated as Colorado’s first certified Dark Sky Community in 2015, and the blanket of stars above is truly mesmerizing. Riding in the valley offers uninterrupted views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
“Our wagon rides give guests a true glimpse of the stunning valley,” Miller said. “They’re a popular attraction because they’re reminiscent of a simpler time, and a simplified lifestyle is our goal.”
Miller and his family also stay busy with other ranch-related pursuits, like training difficult horses. They also recently took over ownership of Valley Feed Ranch Supply and Saddlery and moved it to Sunset Ranch.
It’s a one-stop shop for everything their fellow ranchers need.
Willow Wind Farm
Photograph by Donna Holt
When you have more than a hundred alpacas, it might be somewhat of a challenge to remember all their names – let alone give them all names in the first place. Yet Annie Hunt of Willow Wind Farm knows the name of every single one of her animals and their unique personalities, too.
Herold, for instance, has a wildly inquisitive nature. “This little man is always in your pocket,” Hunt said. “He responds when he’s called, and we use him as our greeter and our mascot. Everyone who visits gets a hug, and maybe even a kiss, from Harry.”
Hunt moved to 85 acres in the Wet Mountain Valley four years ago from Berthoud, intent on living off the land. She has since welcomed a menagerie of animals besides the alpacas: sheep, chickens, goats, llamas, a rooster and a turkey named Maddie.
Nothing is ever wasted at Willow Wind Farm. An avid grower since the age of 7, Hunt has a goal to eventually get at least 80 percent of her nutrition from her farm. She grows fruits, vegetables and herbs in her greenhouse, and she collects eggs daily from the chicken coop. She makes cheese and soap from goat milk. She takes her abundance of fine alpaca fiber and merino wool and has it handcrafted into high-quality apparel and home goods.
To show others how to live off the land, Hunt offers farm tours three times a week, unless she’s busy assisting an animal in labor. Hunt also welcomes guests to The Treehouse, a gorgeous new short-term rental, so named for the green vines that cascade like a waterfall from the loft to the main level.
Hunt always encourages her overnight guests to head to the alpaca barn in the afternoon. “That’s when all the young alpacas get the zoomies,” she said. “They have a gait that we call ‘pronking.’ They launch as a group into a circular jaunt around the outside pen and back through the barn, over and over.
“They are clearly engaging in some form of joyous activity. If I could pronk, I would.”
Three Peaks Ranch
Photograph by Paula B Photo
Across the Wet Mountain Valley, nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristos, is Three Peaks Ranch. Seth Fender and Kyle Helenbolt fell in love with the Westcliffe area during their first visit in 2020 and discovered their sloping, 85-acre property soon after.
Both had plenty of experience with mountain life. Helenbolt’s family has property near the town of Howard, and spending time there instilled in him a lifelong love of animals and the outdoors. Fender’s family founded Pingree Park in northern Colorado, and he spent his childhood summers exploring the mountains and learning about ranching at elevation. He went on to train horses and win multiple world championships. Yet after living on the hectic Front Range, both were drawn back to the mountains and the slower pace of life.
The couple’s 2022 wedding at Colorado Mountain Lavender Farm in Cotopaxi, north of Westcliffe, was a turning point, inspiring their dream of creating a special place to share with others – a peaceful retreat for weddings, family reunions and other gatherings.
Three Peaks Ranch now hosts 20 upscale weddings per season, Memorial Day to October. Four well-appointed ranch cabins, including a luxurious honeymoon suite with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the stunning views, are also available as short-term rentals on non-wedding days.
Fender and Helenbolt also host special events, such as sunrise and sunset yoga sessions several times per week during the summer, plus weekend-long wellness retreats. As a bonus, the ranch is walking distance to the South Colony Lakes Trail, which offers access to several 14ers, 52 alpine lakes and hundreds of miles of scenic trails.
For Fender and Helenbolt, Three Peaks Ranch is more than just a business they’re running; it’s about nurturing a piece of land they truly love.
“The most rewarding part is being part of something bigger – witnessing the start of beautiful new chapters for couples embarking on their journeys together,” Helenbolt said. “From the moment they book their ‘I do’s,’ we really connect with each couple. They become like an extension of our family.”
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