Colorado’s history is full of famous homesteads, ranches, and an old west way of life. With some of Colorado’s biggest ranches using split rail fence in the nation owned by some well known celebrities there is no doubt that Colorado is ranch country through and through.
Colorado’s Biggest Ranches
Take a look at the top largest ranches in the state using split rail fence:
Trinchera Ranch – Boasting a whopping 180,000 acres surrounded by split rail fence Trinchera Ranch was once the largest privately-owned ranch in Colorado. Malcom Forbes first purchased the land and the split rail fence in 1968. Almost 40 years later it was sold off to the hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon. In 2012, the Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area was lucky to receive around 60,000 acres as a generous donation from Bacon. The split rail fence at Trinchera Ranch borders alpine forests, rolling hills, and grasslands that are used for logging, hunting, and beef cattle ranching.
The Silver Spur Ranches – Comprised of two ranches surrounded by split rail fence, now owned by John Malone, both raise beef cattle. Both ranches combined are made up of 150,000 acres and hundreds and hundreds of miles of split rail fence. Located in Waldon, Colorado the first division of these ranches focuses solely on beef cattle ranching. The cattle that are enclosed by the sprawling split rail fence are a special kind of heifer that can withstand the frigid temperatures and extreme weather of the region.
The second division located in Kiowa County is a seedstock provider and also houses the Silver Spur Ranch show cattle inside the split rail fence.
Chico Basin Ranch – The Chico Basin Ranch is located in El Paso County and its split rail fence encloses 87,000 acres. It is actually a very popular tourist attraction and is also one of the largest beef cattle ranches in the state. Visitors can actually work on the ranch and see what it is truly like to live on a ranch within split rail fence. This ranch is owned by the Colorado State Land Board. It prides itself of its use of sustainable land management practices inside its extended split rail fence. The ranch also raises commercial mother cows and yearlings.
SLW Ranch – The SLW Ranch is one of the oldest family owned and run ranches with split rail fence in the entire country. Originating in the 1800’s the 22,000-acre ranch with split rail fence around its perimeter is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1913 it has solely raised cattle. The ranch still operates within the split rail fence and is home to the oldest Hereford herd in the nation.
Every one of these ranches has a history full of pride and success that boasts praise for their owners and their hard work and dedication inside the confines of their split rail fence. These ranchers had hundreds of years of success because of their commitment to keep their livestock safe and healthy using split rail fence.
If you’re interested in purchasing split rail fencing for your next project, get in touch with the experts at Cedar Fence Direct! As a direct result of the relationships we have with mills across the country, we can offer wholesale pricing on split rail fencing to the public!