Commercial Land for Sale in Leadville, Colorado

For the right Buyer, the Sellers are highly motivated and willing to negotiate a transfer of ownership or gift it to a great steward of the land! Step into Colorado history while investing in one of the most scenic stretches of the Upper Arkansas Valley. This 35.38-acre parcel is part of the storied Hayden Ranch, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just 7 miles south of Leadville on Highway 24, this land offers stunning views of the Sawatch Range and convenient highway access while carrying with it a legacy that dates back more than 150 years. Its historic barns, sheds, and outbuildings remain as markers of Colorado's ranching heritage. During the late 19th century, Hayden Ranch supplied food and hay to nearby mining camps, bridging the history of mining and agriculture in Lake County. Whether your vision is heritage preservation, small-scale ranching or simply securing a The successes and ultimate recessions of this industrial boom was mirrored in the systems it relied on, and in the 1890's the empty silvermine encampments of post-Gold-Standard America no longer consumed the resources it had a decade previously. The Hayden Family began grazing cattle, and built many of the structures we see today to house operations. The Ranch was sold in 1933 to the Callahan Construction Company and briefly used to breed horses for the US Army Cavalry, then resumed cattle breeding for another 14 years until it was sold.

The buildings fell out of use and into disrepair. The 1960s saw hopeful prospects through ski industry success, exemplified by nearby resorts like Aspen and Vail, and as a result many larger lots in Lake County were subdivided with thoughts of development. The lot to the north of the Hayden Homestead is one such example, and was planned to house 40 condominiums, three of which were constructed.

In 1998, the City of Aurora purchased the ranch for water rights and approached the Lake County Commissioners to work collaboratively on how best 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 this report by Shape Architects and Superbloom in order to assess new uses for Hayden Ranch. It is their hope that the site may pass to a new owner with the adequate resources to revive the homestead in a new context while preserving its historic and community value.

The Hayden Ranch has incredible potential to be a resource of great public value. The 35-acre ranch headquarters, with sixteen buildings constructed between 1880 and 1930, is on the National Register of Historic Places; a cultural asset and natural resource in the surrounding rich and varied ecosystem to be enjoyed in perpetuity for generations to come.