5801 US-24 Leadville, CO 80461

The Hayden Ranch, originally founded as Elkhorn Ranch in 1860, spans 35.38 acres. The ranch headquarters includes sixteen buildings constructed between 1880 and 1930 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Initially, the ranch supported the silver industry boom in the Leadville Mining District by growing hay for animals. In the 1890s, the Hayden Family began grazing cattle and built many of the existing structures. In 1933, the Callahan Construction Company briefly used the ranch to breed horses for the US Army Cavalry, then resumed cattle breeding for another 14 years. Later, larger lots in Lake County were subdivided with thoughts of development due to ski industry success. In 1998, the City of Aurora purchased the ranch for water rights and collaborated with the Lake County Commissioners to utilize the land. The Lake County Open Space Initiative (LCOSI) was founded, and Hayden Ranch was designated as open space under the care of the Colorado Preservation Inc (CPI) in partnership with Colorado Mountain College (CMC). In 2008, Hayden Ranch was conveyed by a Special Warranty Deed from CPI to a new ownership under CMC. This transfer included a Deed of Conservation Easement, indicating standards for preserving the historic integrity of the Hayden Homestead. In 2023, CMC commissioned a report to assess new uses for Hayden Ranch, hoping it will pass to a new owner with resources to revive the homestead while preserving its historic and community value. The ranch has potential to be a resource of great public value, a cultural asset and natural resource in the surrounding ecosystem.