Westcliffe, CO Area Info
The Wet Mountain Valley is rich with opportunities for visitors and residents both in town and in the outdoors. We are located in Colorado between the Wet Mountain Range to the east and the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range to the west. This location puts the valley in the heart of an outdoor recreation paradise. The peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range make up our western most border. The Sangres are part of San Isabel National Forest which consists of approximately 1,109,782 acres. The Rainbow Trail runs north and south on the eastern side of the mountains and offers access to many peak trails and passes. Most of the high basins and valleys have lakes that offer awesome fishing and amazing scenery to those willing to make the effort to get there.
Our mountains are rich with wildlife. Among the residents of the mountains you will find elk, bear, deer (both mule deer and whitetail), mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, marmots and a variety of small game and birds. As you climb, you will be treated to some of the most awesome and wide-spread views that nature has to offer. The Sangre side of our valley is in Division of Wildlife Unit Number 86 and currently offers over-the-counter elk licenses and draw licenses for deer, bear, and bighorn sheep. The Wet Mountain side of the valley includes units 691,69, and 84. These units offer draw licenses for deer, elk, bears and antelope.
On the other side of the Sangres (southwest of Westcliffe) is the San Luis Valley. Here you will find the beautiful Sand Dunes National Monument. The best way to describe the Sand Dunes is to call it North America's biggest and tallest sand box with incredible views. The Sand Dunes can be accessed from the San Luis Valley via highway 150 or for a fun adventure through Medano Pass in a 4 wheel drive. To single out the sand Dunes is a little unfair to the rest of the mountain range as it is all entirely spectacular.
To the north of Westcliffe along highway 50 lies the Arkansas River, home to some of the best trout fishing and whitewater rafting in Colorado. It is also home to a large number of bighorn sheep and is a good place to see them in their natural habitat.
Our valley is also awesome horse territory. There are many riding opportunities including large wide open spaces in the valley and adventurous trails up in and over the mountains. Our mild climate and lush pastures makes for very horse friendly country. For those without their own steed, there are several outfitters in the valley that provide day and overnight pack trips on horseback.
The town of Westcliffe is the classic small western town. Ranching is still a major industry in our valley. Westcliffe is far enough off of the beaten path that it remains a quiet and peaceful mountain getaway. It is a small town, yet has everything that is needed to live in the valley. Westcliffe is close enough to large cities to be convenient for shopping and big city trips. We are about 45 minutes from Pueblo and 75 minutes from Colorado Springs. Monarch Ski Area is about an hour away and offers excellent skiing and open slopes for the avid skier.
Come out and see what the Rocky Mountains have to offer you!
Mountain Land Properties, LLC
info@mountainlandproperties.com
719-783-0563