Mountain Retreat in Colorado, West of Lyons, CO.

Very private living, yet only 12 minute drive from Lyons, 35 minutes to Boulder.

The views are stunning.  The privacy is exceptional, especially for a property that is just 15 minutes from Lyons, with everything that Lyons offers such as: retail, coffee shops,  entertainment, interesting variety of restaurants, many music venues, micro-breweries, kayaking course, world-class cycling, fantastic mountain biking areas, and much more.  And, with Boulder, Colorado just down the road, this home offers you everything that a retreat home can offer.  From all areas of the home the views of this beautiful valley are spectacular.  This 36 acre property has outstanding privacy, with no neighboring homes in its views from the home.  The parade of wildlife that marches through the valley continues year-round, and sometimes stays for a while to graze from the fresh grasses and vegetation, or drink from the on-site natural springs.  The home was carefully designed to capture all of this.

The living areas and bedrooms are light-filled with spectacular views.  They have large South, South-West and South-East windows which bring in lots of natural light all year long.  The connection to the natural environment around the home was a critical design parameter for this home, and the execution of the design is very well done.  The South facing deck is a great place to entertain, to enjoy a meal or simply a cup of coffee, and to observe the wildlife.

Welcome to your forever home!

This home was thoughtfully designed and engineered to live like a single story ranch home optimally designed for aging-in-place or retirement living.  Relative to other properties of its kind in Colorado, this sanctuary-like property is relatively easy to live in.  No Daniel Boone skills are required to live here.  However, if you want to go out and chop wood occasionally, or go for a nature hike, ride your horse into the sunset, or simply go for an awesome hike, the relatively mild climate and lower elevation makes it all easy.

About the area:  A little bit of history

Stagecoach, toll road, and the travel route from Lyons to Estes Park.

The above photo was taken from the old stage-coach route that ran between Lyons and Estes Park, through the property, when the property and the property around it were known as the Colard Ranch.  The 36 acre parcel is arguably the prime parcel within what was previously the Colard Ranch, a working cattle ranch situated close to Lyons but along the stagecoach route to Estes Park.  The subdivision of the Colard Ranch, approximately 40 years ago, rendered "Spring Gulch Ranch Estates".  The original ranch was located primarily in Larimer County, but the upper area where the property is located falls within Boulder County. Most of the Spring Gulch Estate lots are in Larimer County, and are typically 7 to 10 acres in size.  There are about 6 lots in Boulder County, ranging in size from 35 to over 70 acres.  The Boulder properties not only have larger lots, but typically also larger houses. Several of the homes that are located within Boulder County have turned over in the last decade, either as summer homes or as year round residences.

There is no Home Owners Association.  However, the gravel roads in Spring Gulch are private and are maintained and plowed by the Spring Gulch Road Maintenance Association. There is a yearly assessment for this road maintenance function, and is currently $480 for this year (2024).  There is a gated access to National Forest trails from this private road system. In addition to the nearby National Forest land, this property (95 Rowell Drive) abuts a large tract of land to the South that is under a conservation easement limiting further development. The old MacGregor Toll Road (also called the Estes Park Stagecoach road) crosses the property, and a small spur road departs from the main road and crosses the property's seasonal stream.  The old stone footings for a bridge across this stream are still visible. 

Additionally, the entire Spring Gulch Estates development has been designated as a protected wildlife sanctuary.  This ensures that you will enjoy the beauty of wildlife in the area.  Heads of elk and deer frequent the whole area, and wildlife migrates through it on a seasonal basis.

When you return from your outdoor activities, and you've decided you'd like to go out for dinner, a short drive into town gets you to a large number of very good restaurants and cafes to chose from.  Boulder is an easy 40 minute drive. Where else are you going to find a lifestyle such as this one offers, a very private nature retreat within a short drive of Lyons, Boulder, Denver International Airport, and the Denver metro area?  For private plane owners, Longmont's Vance Brand Airport is only 35 minutes away. This beautiful home's location offers the best of several worlds, combined into one beautiful place to call the "ultimate forever home".