Granddads Homestead Ranch
- Main (970) 895-2435
Amenities
Activities
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You'll find Grandads Homestead just over the hill from the famous Pawnee Buttes. We are a four generation, family owned, ranch and farm and want to invite you to come do whatever we are doing or just relax and do your own thing. Our staff is sure to make your stay with us both fun and educational. We are a new guest ranch, but certainly not new at having a large number of guests. Our families have welcomed many guests from all over the United States, Sweden, Germany, and France to come and enjoy ranch and farm life while experiencing the great outdoors. At the ranch we raise 1200 head of Angus/Hereford/Charolais cross cows. Our farming operation consists mainly of the production of winter wheat, corn and millet.
Whether you are looking for a working cattle ranch experience, birding, bicycling, arrowhead hunting, hiking, a great photo shooting experience, or a peaceful bed and breakfast retreat, Grandads Homestead Ranch is sure to offer something to uniquely meet your needs. Our guest can choose to stay in one of two newly remodeled bunk houses, located directly east of the original homestead house.
Amenities In Each Cabin:Refrigerator, Microwave, Coffee Pot
Free Satellite TV and Wi Fi ~ Private BathWasher and Dryer Available
Because Grandads is a real working cattle ranch and farm, activities vary depending upon the time of season. While you're at Grandads you may be able to participate in activities including harvesting, calving, or branding. Each day can be different and there is always work to do. If you choose, you could join the cowboys and cowgirls while they check cattle, water tanks, salt and fences. There are activities including sorting, moving cattle to rotate pastures, and branding. After supper, join in around the campfire, telling stories about the days events. If you are not in for riding, you may want to take advantage of hiking, biking or birding. We are only 4 miles from the Pawnee Buttes, also known as "Rattlesnake Buttes" in James Michner's book "Centennial."
There are great places to explore and hike. Spring-time is a time for all the beautiful wild flowers to bloom and cover the prairies. The pastures are a great place for bird watching. Some of the species observed on our property, in a study done by Colorado State University were: Horned Larks, Lark Buntings, Mc Cown's Longspurs, Western Meadowlarks, Mountain Plovers, Chestnut-Collared Longspures, Vesper Sparrows, Killdeer, Mourning Doves, Swainson's Hawks, Chipping Sparrows, Tree Swallows and Burrowing Owls. We border the Pawnee National Grasslands where over 250 different species of birds can be found.
Grandads Homestead Ranch is a historic site where you can enjoy some of the little things brought to you by God. Open prairie, birds, coyotes, antelope, and many other flora and fauna. Here, where the original Homesteaders set out to make a new life with their families, you can enjoy the smells of fresh country air, and see for what seems to be hundreds of miles of open blue sky.
Enjoy the night sky featuring the sparkling of millions of stars,
uninterrupted by city lights and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. -
Grandad came west in the early 1900's, along with thousands of others, seeking a government promised 160 acres. He settled on a ranch 12 miles east of Grover, CO located only 4 miles north of the famous Pawnee Buttes. Although many homesteads have disappeared, we were fortunate to keep this one in the family for four generations. The original homestead house was built in 1911. It was added on to in 1924 when Granddad purchased the Bill Sage homestead just 1 mile east. With help of his neighbors, Hank, John, and Bill Knupple, they used teams and poles to move the Sage house and connect it to their house. A horse barn was built in 1911 and another building was erected in 1912 for calves and horses.
It was added to in 1922 and housed horses and mules on one side and calves on the other side. Teams of horses and slings and a lot of manual labor was used to pile hay down the center. It burned down in December 1928. The following year, Granddad rebuilt another barn to replace that one. At this time, they were raising horses, mules, shorthorn cattle and a few bum lambs. In the summer of 1928 he had a good crop of barley and rye to harvest. They were to start harvesting on Monday and a big hail storm came in on Sunday and wiped them out. They had a neighbor, Brown Wade, who ran sheep. He had 100 old ewes to sell, so Granddad bought them to run on his hailed out crop. The sheep did so good for him that he sold most of his cattle and bought more sheep. By 1948, with the help of Grandma, daughter Louise, sons John, Victor, Edwin and Henry he had acquired more land and was running about 1500 ewes. He built a 50'x100' sheep shed for lambing and housing the sheep.
Whether you are looking for a week long working cattle experience, birding, biking, arrowhead hunting, hiking, or just a peaceful bed and breakfast week-end get away, you are sure to enjoy your stay at Grandads Homestead Ranch. We are looking forward to meeting you and having you as our guests.