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Seasonal Grazing Lease at Bear Creek Ranch

bear creek ranch landscape view of grasses, forested trees and mountain in the background

The State Land Board leases 2.8 million acres of trust and the rent we collect helps fund public schools. We are proud to be the primary funding source for the Department of Education's Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program, which provides capital construction grants. More than 525 schools have received a grant

Nearly all grazing leases are 10-year terms, and many lessees who are in good standing renew their leases. In addition to those long-term leases, we are pleased to offer a new seasonal grazing lease at Bear Creek Ranch. This lease is for a single grazing season and provides ranchers with a short-term, temporary opportunity to add land to their operation. This lease will start on or around June 15, 2024 and expire on October 4, 2024.

Bids for this seasonal grazing lease will be accepted from April 22, 2024 through May 6, 2024. View the bid packet

A property open house for a self-guided tour of Bear Creek Ranch will be held on April 30, 2024 from 9 am to 3 pm. You may not access the property at any other time.

About the property

Located approximately six miles southwest of Walsenburg, CO, along Bear Creek Road (County Road 340), the 2,040 acre Bear Creek Ranch features a property-wide livestock watering system, including seven stock tanks gravity fed by a 21,000 gallon storage tank. Water is supplied to the storage tank by a water well with a new 1.25hp submersible pump located in Section 12. There are numerous ponds throughout the Ranch and barbed wire fence bounds the property. More information is included in the bid material packet and in the property brochure.

NOTE: the property leased for Trust lands are often leased for a variety of uses under separate and distinct leases, most commonly agriculture and recreation. 

Questions? Contact Courtney Hurst, Southwest District Manager, at courtney.hurst@state.co.us.

(Last updated 4/19/2024)