Steamboat Springs ? The 780-acre Emerald Ridge Ranch, the largest remaining property in close proximity to Steamboat?s southern city limits, is being offered for sale for the first time in its history at $8.95 million.

The entrance to the property is 3.5 miles south of Mount Werner Road, and the acreage begins west of Routt County Road 14.

Emerald Ridge Ranch has development potential for 12 homes, but may appeal to a buyer looking for a scenic, family retreat.

The ranch?s original owner is the Lufkin family, which, at one time, owned of most of the South Valley, according to broker Ren Martyn of Steamboat Sotheby?s International Realty.
Herbert C. Lufkin established the property in 1919 and sold it to his son, Don Lufkin, in the 1950s, who, in turn, sold it to his nephew, Doug Scott, in 1994. Scott still owns the property, along with his sons, through an LLC.

Longtime resident Don Lufkin was a Routt County icon, rancher, philanthropist and United States Navy veteran who died in 2012.

?There?s so much history here with this property,? Martyn said. ?If that cabin could speak, it would be volumes of Routt County lore.?

Currently, only a small, 576-square-foot, two-bedroom cabin is developed on the property, which has historically been used as summer grazing lands.

Nearly 500 acres of the property is included in conservation easements through the Cattlemen?s Agricultural Land Trust.

The property does have development potential for eight homes in the privately held portion and four within areas of the conservation easement, though Martyn thinks the property will likely appeal to a buyer looking for a one-of-a-kind family retreat or smaller development with shared ranch amenities.

?It?s unbelievable elk hunting, horseback riding and four-wheeling,? Martyn said.

Martyn said a historic, but now vacated, county road that was once used to haul coal from south of Hayden to the South Valley runs through the property.

The parcel is the last of the original Lufkin land, Martyn said. He represented Don Lufkin?s daughter, Vikki Lufkin Franz, in the recent sale of an adjacent 81-acre property and is representing the Lufkin family in the upcoming closing of 35 acres on Colo. Highway 131.

?They had owned everything in the South Valley through their family?s history,? Martyn said.

Click here to see an interactive map of the property, click here to see an interactive map with potential home sites mapped out or view an ariel video of the property.

To reach Teresa Ristow, call 970-871-4206, email t[email protected] or follow her on Twitter @TeresaRistow