Mesa County – Colorado Ranches for Sale
Colorado Ranches for sale in Mesa County are located on the Colorado Plateau in western Colorado. Photos highlight the flat-topped mountains called mesas (meaning “tables”) within the 3341 square-mile expanse. Grand Mesa, the largest, comprises 500 square miles on the east edge of Mesa County.
Big Iron Ranch Colorado
Grand Mesa Scenic Byway (CO-65) crosses the county on the northeast. Interstate 70 and US Route 50 follow the two major rivers through Mesa County: Gunnison River and Colorado River. They all meet in Grand Junction. Tourism brings visitors to the orchards and vineyards and natural beauty. People come to hike and bike, climb rocks, fish, and camp on the public lands. The area is served by a commercial airport.
Public Lands
Public lands are dominant in Mesa County, including red rocks to forests to spectacular canyons and plateaus. These include the Colorado National Monument, Dominguez and Escalante National Conservation Area, McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area, and Uncompahgre and Grand Mesa National Forest. Teddy Roosevelt bagged three bears here in 1905 and renamed the grand Mesa National Forest.
Major Communities
Mesa County is home to 150,000 residents spread between Grand Junction and outlying areas with populations ranging from 20,000 to 3,000. These include Clifton, Redlands, Fruitvale, Orchard Mesa, Fruita, and Palisade – and a few smaller towns.
Grand Junction is the largest city in Mesa County. It is home to 60,000 residents today. The vibrant community grew up over time. After the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1883, agriculture thrived here. Grand Junction became a hub of commerce and culture. Fruit orchards still populate the Colorado River Valley on the warmer, west side of the county.
Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture
Colorado ranch real estate in Mesa County continues to offer fertile soils and good hunting capabilities. Naturally, the location at the confluence of major rivers is a historic crossroads. Native Americans frequented the area over 10,000 years ago. There is evidence of the Fremont culture of growers and then the Ute Indians. The Ute were skilled hunters and brought in large game for sustenance; they also gathered berries and roots. Settlers planted peach trees and most recently farmers built vineyards and wineries.
Of course, the presence of rivers also enabled for traders and trappers, explorers and adventurers into Mesa County. Clear mountain waters fed into irrigation ditches, helping new settlers and miners survive. Migrant Iowans started the annual Iowa Days Festival. Mesa County now produces record amounts of fruit, eggs, and poultry.
Fishing was a part of life. River waters made possible the first large cattle ranches in the late 1800s. Hunters happily thinned out the preying wildlife to protect the cattle. But the fertile soil is well known. Grand Mesa offers some of the best grazing land in the nation.
Mesa County Colorado Ranches for Sale
Request more information about buying or selling large ranches in Colorado. Contact Dave Harrigan or Hunter Harrigan at Harrigan Land Company at (800) 524-1818. Specializing in large ranch and recreational properties in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah.
