One step closer to wilderness for Snowmass Falls Ranch
September 4, 2026-
The Wilderness Land Trust has been partnering with Pitkin County, Colorado on a landmark conservation project to protect the 650-acre Snowmass Falls Ranch. The property, which is the largest private inholding in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, has been on the Trust’s radar as a priority acquisition for three decades. In February 2024, Pitkin County purchased the property for $34M using Open Space funds. Once the purchase was complete, the Trust and White River National Forest began working to secure funding for its transfer. Due to its outstanding conservation and recreation values, it ranked #1 in the region and #5 in the country for Land and Water Conservation Fund projects, and in January of this year, the project was awarded full funding. Last week marked another major milestone for the project, as the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners voted to move forward with transferring the property to be added to the wilderness area.
Snowmass Falls Ranch contains two miles of valley floor filled with aspen meadows, beaver ponds, and trout streams. Located at the foot of the Elk Range, the majority of the property lies within the boundaries of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. As a result, this ranch is home to diverse wilderness values: open meadows, aspen groves, spruce forest, wetlands, and riparian shrublands create a mosaic of habitat types that support a wide range of flora and fauna. It provides summer range for elk, bear, moose, mule deer, and mountain lion and hosts an active beaver complex and many bird species. Two popular public trails run through the ranch, serving as an important access point for hikers to the wilderness area. In addition to its ecological and recreation value, the ranch also holds the most senior water rights to Snowmass Creek, a significant source of water for the valley below. When transferred, 530 acres of the 650-acre property will be added to the wilderness area.
“The Snowmass Falls Ranch project represents an incredible conservation legacy for Pitkin County, and we’re excited to see it move one step closer to becoming part of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. As our most durable form of protection for public land, the safeguards of designated wilderness can only be altered by an Act of Congress rather than executive order or administrative rule, and for that reason we believe it to be the best tool for connecting wildlife habitat, protecting clean watersheds, and preserving public access on Snowmass Falls Ranch.” -Anders Reynolds, President of The Wilderness Land Trust
Restoration work is currently being completed on the property to remove cabins, rewild pastures, close mine adits, and improve the popular trailhead. And while several more steps remain in the transfer process, we are excited to see it moving forward with such great momentum and support, and are grateful for the partners who are making it possible.
