Master
Plan
Old Elam Ranch San Miguel County, Colorado
1989
This wilderness property
occupies
1,060 acres along the high western rim
of Hastings Mesa sixteen miles from
the town of Telluride. The mesa, at an
average elevation of 9,000 feet, is
surrounded by views of nearby peaks of
the San Juan Mountains and the
canyon of the San Miguel River. The
landscape of meadows, spring fed
ponds, aspen groves and ponderosa
pines supports abundant wildlife—deer,
elk, grouse and hawks.
Homesites are selected to assure
privacy and integration with the
landscape. Fourteen such sites,
identified during extensive site visits
range from 36 to 155 acres. The
following criteria were used to
determine each site:
• Visual and acoustic seclusion from
other homesites and from the road.
• Minimal site disturbance of ground
cover and wildlife habitat.
• Micro-climatic suitability for solar access, wind protection and
shading.
• Each of the parcels is defined by
the natural boundary characteristics
surrounding the homesite.
Topographical features such as
ground contours, tree lines, water
courses and rock formations are
used to establish the property lines.
