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Colorado’s $105 Million Cielo Vista Ranch Sells

The 83,000 deeded acres of land is home to the highest privately owned peak in the world

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One of the largest ranches in the U.S., with a storied past, has a new owner. If the sales price is anywhere close to its asking price of $105 million, it might be one of the most expensive ranches sold in Colorado this year as well.

The sale of Cielo Vista (Spanish for "View of Heaven" ) Ranch in southern Colorado closed last Friday, according to the listing brokerage Mirr Ranch Group, which declined to disclose the sales price or the buyer’s identity. The seller is a consortium of Texas ranchers. The transaction has yet to appear in public records.

"The profile of the buyer is absolutely ideal," Jeff Hubbard, one of the listing brokers, said in a statement. "He is one who is a true conservationist and is deeply committed to preserving this national treasure and extraordinary resource," Mr. Hubbard said.

The 83,000-acre ranch is home to the 14,047-foot Culebra Peak, the highest privately-owned peak in the world. It also boasts 18 other peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, according to the listing.

"It’s rare to have this elevation and privacy and hunting experiences," said Ken Mirr, owner of the Mirr Ranch Group. "It’s like owning your own national park," he said.

The ranch encompasses four life zones from foothills to alpine, featuring large stands of pine, spruce, fir, aspens, and meadows. Thousands of elk and bighorn sheep roam the ranch’s high country peaks and glacial basins. Over 100 miles of creeks provide habitat for several species of trout.

Mr. Hubbard and co-listing agent Pat Lancaster both have guided elk and sheep hunts on Cielo Vista for over 20 years.

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There are some traditional hunting homes and outbuildings on the property. Building opportunities are unlimited, as only about one-third of the ranch is subject to conservation, although the purchase is more about the land, according to Mr. Mirr.

Cielo Vista is the most expensive ranch Mr. Mirr’s group has marketed. The second priciest is a 56,050-acre ranch called Cross Mountain Ranch, available for $100 million spanning four counties in Colorado.

In addition to its natural grandeur, the ranch is also rich in history. In the mid-1800s, Mexico granted the ranch to a French canadian trapper, who allowed Mexican and Spanish settlers to use part of it for grazing, hunting and logging. The trapper’s heirs sold the property to Colorado’s first territorial governor, John Long Routt, whose family sold it in 1960 to North Carolina lumberman Jack Taylor.

Enron executive Lou Pai bought the ranch in 1988 for $20 million and sold it to the consortium of Texas ranchers for $60 million in 2004, according to The Denver Post, which first reported the sale of the ranch.