Minnesota Creek Retreat

Minnesota Creek Retreat is 160 acres built around live water — over a mile of Minnesota Creek running through a private valley in Colorado's West Elk Wilderness foothills, just outside Paonia. The ranch pairs that creek frontage with an off-grid log home, a separate guest cabin, and working barn and shop space, all flanked by nearly 21,000 acres of adjoining BLM and National Forest land. It sits within a premier elk and deer unit, with over-the-counter tags and Landowner Preference Program possibilities, on top of the fishing right out the back door. Few properties on the Western Slope combine this much live water, this much public land access, and this level of self-sufficient infrastructure on a single, manageable footprint.

Over a mile of Minnesota Creek frontage with wild trout fishing and decreed water rights
Iconic setting overlooking the majestic Peaks of the West Elk Wilderness
Backed by nearly 21,000 acres of adjoining BLM and National Forest land
Sits in a premier hunting unit with over-the-counter elk tags and Landowner Preference Program possibilities
Off-grid log home powered by solar and hydro, with a separate guest cabin
Working barn with a workshop and a metal shop building for equipment and storage
20 irrigated acres supporting hay production and healthy wildlife populations
Year-round access, about 55 miles from great amenities and air service in Montrose

LAY OF THE LAND:
Overview: Minnesota Creek Retreat carries both a working identity and a recreational one. Twenty irrigated acres and a barn and shop keep it functioning as a real ranch, while the home, guest cabin, and thousands of acres of neighboring public land make it just as capable as a full-time retreat or seasonal getaway.

Improvements: Minnesota Creek Retreat is home to thoughtfully constructed, turn-key improvements. The 3,140 sq. ft. log home, built in 1999, runs on solar and micro-hydro power with a great water supply, and features log-beam construction, a central fireplace, and decks overlooking the creek and mountains. A separate 877 sq. ft. guest cabin offers two bedrooms, one bath, and updated finishes, while a 1,667 sq. ft. log barn with horse stalls and a 1,869 sq. ft. metal shop round out the working improvements.

Location (description of ranch’s specific location): The ranch sits about five miles east of Paonia in Gunnison County, beneath Gunnison Mountain and Lion Gulch within GMU 53, with year-round gravel access.