Our History

Land of opportunity. Indescribable, irresistible opportunity.

It comes as no surprise to anyone that the Book Cliffs have been well known for their big game hunting. But when we first looked at the ranch nearly two decades ago, we saw a lot more. The tired ranch could have been more easily converted into a strip mall, but we were in awe of her natural beauty.  And in the natural beauty we saw something different. We saw lush, green grasses and game. We saw open space. We saw clean water and fresh air.  We saw families reconnecting to nature in a traditional way. So rather than pave and subdivide, we planted and watered. Probably not the best business decision, but you only go around once in life and if you do it right, once is enough.

There's more where that came from.

We’re committed to Colorado. So after High Lonesome Ranch was established, we looked high and low for ways to safeguard her from the outside world. The answer? It was right at our feet. As adjoining properties came up for sale, we found our neighbors coming to us first to contribute to our conservation vision. We’ve been fortunate to add the Young Ranch, which stretches from the edge of the Loma Desert to Douglass Pass, a ranch with a rich history of trophy big game hunting. Then we added a series of ranches that had been farmed by some of the valley’s early settlers. The McKay Fork Ranch, the Howard Ranch on Horse Mountain, and the Kimball Creek Ranch. With such a rich Western history, we sometimes find old branding irons or arrowheads and paint pots. You can see them in our museum. Or better yet, in between activities why not wander the ranch and find some for yourself?

Our most recent property is out of the valley, the K-T (K-Bar-T) Ranch, in Meeker. The K-T continues on as a working cattle ranch, and our guests can fish the legendary White River, a private-access freestone river with spring creeks. The trout on the spring creeks are un-pressured by crowds, and they are big.

An awesome refuge from the rest of the world.

The previous sequestering of these lands in the hands of multi-generational cattle families, as well as the federal government, kept it a well-guarded secret from locals and visitors alike. Today, we take great pleasure in introducing you to approximately 300square miles, about 1/4 the size of the state of Rhode Island, of private deeded and BLM-permitted lands in a slice of Colorado that many a well-traveled guest has never seen before. Within these confines we offer unparalleled trout fishing, wing shooting, and big game hunting. And if you tire of those activities and want to explore more options, you can do it on mountain bikes, horseback, in a 4X4, or a helicopter. When you’re at the High Lonesome Ranch, you’re our guest.

Is it any wonder that nearly two-thirds of our guests are repeat clients?

Speaking of wildlife.

Considering its colorful past, the town of DeBeque, Colorado— The High Lonesome Ranch's nearest neighbor— is downright tame these days. Although these lands were primarily used to ranch cattle and sheep back in the late 1800s and early 1900s—DeBeque was one of the largest cattle exporters in the West—quite a few outlaws and cowboys also made their homes here. In fact, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed trains in this area during their heyday and we’re restoring the home of the town’s namesake. Dr. Debeque, the valley’s dentist, lived at Kimball Creek.