Culebra Creek Angler's Retreat | Fay Ranches

CULEBRA CREEK ANGLER’S RETREAT

San Luis, Colorado

$2,500,000 | 133.5± Acres

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

INTRODUCTION

Nestled not far from the base of Culebra Peak, the only privately owned 14,000+ foot mountain in Colorado, lies an exceptional fishing and recreational property: Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat. From the snowmelt off the Sangre De Cristo peaks, cold mountain water flows down the mountain slopes to form a unique trout fishery. Culebra Creek and its tributary Ventero Creek join on the property and meander for approximately two miles of classic Colorado open meadow flyfishing. The 133± acre property is located a short drive outside San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado, rich in history and tradition.

The property has been managed expertly for quality flyfishing by the owner, a well-known and highly respected professional guide. He thoughtfully put approximately 100± acres of the creek bottomland into a conservation easement. The easement protects the creek for the future and, more importantly, opens the door for financial and ecological assistance with habitat enhancement and preservation from the trustee.

Additionally, there is an ideal, buildable 28± acres not in the easement, so a dream home or lodge can be built overlooking the creek. The property currently has a good water well, a septic system, a small newly finished cabin, and an older cabin used for storage.

As a bonus, if you are a hunter, groups of elk frequent the property on their way to the creek and adjoining grass meadows. Multiple dramatic mountain peaks surround the ranch, including Culebra Peak, Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point, Little Bear Peak, and Trinchera Peak, and provide an unmatched scenic panoramic view that can distract even the most avid angler.

QUICK FACTS

• 133.5± acres

• 2 miles of exceptional wild brown and cutbow trout fishing

• Stunning scenic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range

• Fishing Club membership included

• Elk hunting

• Beautiful homesites

• New one-bedroom cabin

• Water well and septic system in place

• 1 hour to Taos, New Mexico; 2.5 hours to Santa Fe

• 3 hours to Colorado Springs

Creek Angler’s Retreat

San Luis, Colorado

LOCATION

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat is located near the oldest town in Colorado, San Luis, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Southern Colorado. It is easily accessible via State and US highways and a few miles of county roads. The property is tucked away in the Southeast corner of the fertile San Luis Valley, which is bordered by the San Juan Mountains on the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east and north.

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

GETTING THERE

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat is easily accessed via some of the most beautiful and memorable driving routes in the western USA. Coming from the major Colorado cities in the northern part of the state, you will likely pass the impressive Spanish Peaks before crossing La Veta Pass to the west on US Highway 160, then turning south for a short drive.

Coming north from Taos or Santa Fe on NM 522/CO 159, you will be treated to a scenic drive encompassing part of the Enchanted Circle, an open range with herds of wild mustangs and a 25-minute view of Blanca Peak as it grows larger through your windshield.

AIRPORT SERVICES

Several regional and larger airports are available within one hour to three hours of the retreat. There are smaller Fixed Based Operators (FBO) for private aircraft in the vicinity as well.

Albequerque Airport Direct Flight Map

Colorado Springs Airport Direct Flight Map

AREA HISTORY

The history of the area is deep, storied, and somewhat conflicted. Originally the area was part of the Sangre de Cristo land grant. This was a 1.4million-acre Mexican land grant first possessed in 1844 by Narciso Beaubien and Stephen Luis Lee. This spawned the creation of Colorado’s oldest town, San Luis.

Colorado’s longest-running land dispute concerns descendants of the families initially recruited to settle the grant. In 2002, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of the descendants’ access to firewood, grazing, and timber on the privately-owned Cielo Vista Ranch (formerly Taylor Ranch). Cielo Vista’s owner appealed the decision, and the descendants successfully defended their claim in the Colorado Court of Appeals in 2018. The Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat may also benefit from these rights.

With its rivers and abundant wildlife, the valley was the traditional spring and summer hunting ground for the Utes, Apaches, and other native peoples. During the time of minimal Spanish and later Mexican rule of the region, the presence of Native Americans in the San Luis Valley deterred permanent European settlement there. It was only later in Mexican rule that the San Luis Valley saw a permanent Hispano inhabitance.

Today “The Valley,” as it is affectionately known, is an agricultural center and home to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The headwaters of the Rio Grande begin high in the San Juans on the west edge of the Valley, and the river courses its way down into New Mexico and through the fabulous Rio Grande Gorge only 15 miles west of the Angler’s Retreat.

ACREAGE

• 133.5± acres

This beautiful 130± acres includes 102± acres of creek bottomland placed in a conservation easement to preserve and enhance the land and 28± acres of land offering prime building sites.

8 Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat

San Luis, Colorado

SCENIC VISTAS

Looking to the east from the property, the peaks of the magnificent Sangre de Cristos tower above. Culebra, Trinchera, and Teddy’s crests protrude from a host of smaller summits. The massive triad of 14,000+ foot peaks, Blanca, Ellingwood, and Little Bear, dominate the view to the north. To the west, the San Luis Valley opens up to the base of the distant, jagged San Juan Mountain Range.

CLIMATE

Climate data for San Luis, Colorado courtesy of http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Luis-Colorado.html

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat

San Luis, Colorado

IMPROVEMENTS

The property has a small older cabin that is great for storage and a new one-bedroom cabin that is nicely finished. There is a productive water well and septic system already in place. The new cabin is very comfortable and makes a good basecamp for further building projects or extended fishing or hunting excursions.

14 Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

RECREATION

All the outdoor sports Colorado is known for are easily enjoyed on or near the property. Several ski areas are within a one to two-hour drive. Camping, hiking, and biking may be enjoyed conveniently. Whitewater river rafting is only an hour away in Taos, New Mexico. World-class downhill and single-track mountain biking in Angel Fire, New Mexico, is within 90 minutes of the property.

Photo not taken on property

Photo not taken on property

H unting & W ildlife

Water attracts wildlife, and the two miles of the stream on the property are huge attractors for various wildlife. Elk are no exception; groups of elk are frequent visitors to the Angler’s Retreat. The property is located in GMU 83, which requires entry into the public draw for a license, but elk hunting on the property is a real opportunity. Waterfowl hunting on the property can be good, and there are also many nearby public locations to hunt in this known flyway.

Culebra Creek is perhaps the finest small stream in the southwest boasting a robust population of wild browns and cutbow trout averaging 16 to 20 inches with several fish, believe it or not, in the 30-inch range! There are several reasons for this excellent fishery. First, it is a tailwater below Sanchez Reservoir which provides nutrient-rich, clean water with fewer fluctuations in water temperature resulting in good year-round feeding opportunities. Secondly, the Culebra has numerous bends with deep undercut banks where big fish can hide when threatened or endangered and few areas for small fish to survive winter temperatures, predation, and fast currents, resulting in more big fish. Other factors include management tools such as stream and habitat improvement, catch and release only flyfishing, limited angling pressure through careful scheduling, and prescription stocking.

18 Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES

The Great Sand Dunes Monument is a beautiful 40-minute drive from the property. Numerous natural hot springs are located throughout the San Luis Valley, and the Rio Grande is only 15 minutes west. Taos, New Mexico, is only an hour’s drive and features cultural, recreational, and entertainment options unique and iconic to Northern New Mexico.

Photo not taken on property

INCOME OPPORTUNITY

The Angler’s Retreat comes with the option of exercising a lucrative, income-producing fishing club lease with minimal restrictions. Details of the lease are available and possibly negotiable under the right purchase circumstances. www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616

MINERAL RIGHTS

All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the Buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.

CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP

Each of us at Fay Ranches loves the land and wants to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations by promoting thoughtful land stewardship. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethic and land-use practices have significantly enhanced the landscape on which we work.

Through the Natural Resources Conservation Services and its Wetlands Reserve Program, a conservation easement protects approximately 102 acres of the stream and associated wetlands from development. The NRCS can also provide financial and ecological support for projects on the property that enhance the habitat. This is an example of a conservation easement adding value to a property. Approximately 28± acres are not in the conservation easement and can be developed or built per county building codes.

SUMMARY

The 130± acre Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat is a unique and exceptional flyfishing and recreational property located conveniently in southern Colorado. Two miles of Culebra Creek are home to giant wild brown and cutbow trout due to the unique habitat conditions and years of professional habitat management designed to improve fishing opportunities. Surrounded by 14,000-foot mountain peaks, the views are stunning. The property realizes income through a fishing club lease, which interferes very little with the use of the property by the owner.

24 Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat | San Luis, Colorado

NOTES

$2,500,000

Cash, Conventional Financing, 1031 Tax Exchange

Please contact Jim Vidamour at (719) 890-4590 | jvidamour@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com .

PRICE TERMS CONTACT NOTICE

Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.

Culebra Creek Angler’s Retreat

San Luis, Colorado

The printed portions of this form, except differentiated additions, have been approved by the Colorado Real Estate Commission. (DD25-5-09) (Mandatory 7-09)

DIFFERENT BROKERAGE RELATIONSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE WHICH INCLUDE SELLER AGENCY, BUYER AGENCY OR TRANSACTIONBROKERAGE.

DEFINITIONS OF WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

For purposes of this document, seller also means “landlord” (which includes sublandlord) and buyer also means “tenant” (which includes subtenant).

Seller’s Agent: A seller’s agent (or listing agent) works solely on behalf of the seller to promote the interests of the seller with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity. The agent negotiates on behalf of and acts as an advocate for the seller. The seller’s agent must disclose to potential buyers all adverse material facts actually known by the seller’s agent about the property. A separate written listing agreement is required which sets forth the duties and obligations of the broker and the seller.

Buyer’s Agent: A buyer’s agent works solely on behalf of the buyer to promote the interests of the buyer with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity. The agent negotiates on behalf of and acts as an advocate for the buyer. The buyer’s agent must disclose to potential sellers all adverse material facts actually known by the buyer’s agent including the buyer’s financial ability to perform the terms of the transaction and, if a residential property, whether the buyer intends to occupy the property. A separate written buyer agency agreement is required which sets forth the duties and obligations of the broker and the buyer.

Transaction-Broker: A transaction-broker assists the buyer or seller or both throughout a real estate transaction by performing terms of any written or oral agreement, fully informing the parties, presenting all offers and assisting the parties with any contracts, including the closing of the transaction without being an agent or advocate for any of the parties. A transaction-broker must use reasonable skill and care in the performance of any oral or written agreement, and must make the same disclosures as agents about all adverse material facts actually known by the transaction-broker concerning a property or a buyer’s financial ability to perform the terms of a transaction and, if a residential property, whether the buyer intends to occupy the property. No written agreement is required.

Customer: A customer is a party to a real estate transaction with whom the broker has no brokerage relationship because such party has not engaged or employed the broker, either as the party’s agent or as the party’s transaction-broker.