The Property
Its Origin
In the late 1800’s, A.L. Coulter homesteaded the land that is now known as the “Out of Bounds Ranch.”
In 1902, Clement Miller purchased 160 acres and built the structures that exist on the lower parcel today. Miller went on to amass roughly 1500 acres before selling it to John Heuschkel in 1949.
Heuschkel sold the "lower parcel" (540 acres) to Virgil and Joyce Gould in 1961. The "lower parcel" remained in the Gould family until the famous NASCAR Driver, Jeff Gordon, purchased the entire property (1930 acres) in 2006.
Scott and Tiffany Smith purchased the ranch in 2021 from Jeff Gordon. The Smith Family are the sixth owners of the ranch since it was originally homesteaded.
The Property
Out of Bounds Ranch has 1930 deeded acres with nearly an additional 2000 adjacent acres leased for cattle grazing and hunting.
The lower 525 acre parcel has about 250 acres of ditch irrigation and has an elevation of 7130 feet above sea level. The ranch tops out at 9460 feet above sea level and is the highest point on what is known as Little Grand Mesa.
The ranch has nearly 18 miles of fence line and it is 8.2 miles from the ranch entrance to the northern boundary that opens to the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest.
The White River National Forest is the most visited national forest in the United States with 11 ski resorts, 8 wilderness areas, 10 peaks over 14,000 feet and 2500 miles of trails.
We currently run 300 pair of cattle annually and have several hundred elk that live on and around the ranch year round.
Extensive Senior Water Rights
OBR has extensive senior water rights that date back to the late 1800’s, adding to the uniqueness of the ranch. The Consolidated Reservoir is the main surface water source for Out of Bounds Ranch with a decreed total storage capacity of 1281.6 acre feet. The current capacity is 866 acre feet. OBR owns 30% of the Consolidated Reservoir.
The headwaters of Mesa Creek, Coulter Creek, West Coulter Creek and the Consolidated reservoir all stem from natural springs that flow throughout the ranch’s upper parcel southward, through the lower pastures and meadows, into what is known as Coulter Creek.
Coulter Creek meanders gently through the lower meadow for over a mile and eventually makes its way to the Roaring Fork River.
Future Plans
2024 has been a transition year, making significant investments in infrastructure for the future.
We re-built the loading corral; installed several new gates, drilled two wells; buried a mile of power lines; renovated both ranch homes; and began construction on our new equipment barn.
2025 will be another year of transition. We are installing an in-ground Nelson irrigation system that will make us 4x more efficient with our water. It will cover approximately 250 acres. We are building a new shooting platform and cabin in 2026 and have begun designing our new primary home.
At this point, our intentions are to continue being great stewards of the land, promoting our cattle husbandry and providing the wildlife with a stable and wonderful place to live.
