Does escaping to a National Forest, exploring miles of mountain trails, Nordic skiing through the trees, fishing in hundreds of lakes, and having year-round recreational entertainment strike your fancy? If the answer is yes, then the Grand Mesa in Western Colorado is the perfect place to find a second home or investment property.

Where is Grand Mesa National Forest?

The Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world, spanning parts of  Delta, Garfield, Mesa, and Gunnison counties in Western Colorado. The mountain is also home to the Grand Mesa National Forest, which offers over 346,000 acres to explore and recreate.

What To Do in Grand Mesa, Colorado

With 541 square miles and year-round activities, the Grand Mesa always entertains. Locals and tourists alike enjoy hunting, hiking, fishing, off-roading, skiing, snowmobiling, and countless other activities on the mountain.

The Grand Mesa is a big game hunter’s dream destination, home to game management units 41, 411, 421, 52, and 521. Elk, mule deer, black bears, mountain lions, and moose all call the National Forest home.

The Grand Mesa is also a choice destination for fishing, fly fishing, and even ice fishing! It has over 300 lakes and reservoirs stocked with Colorado River cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Tiger trout, Snake River cutthroat trout, and Splake.

In the wintertime, the Grand Mesa sees an average annual snowfall of 350 inches, creating the perfect environment for winter recreation. Grand Mesa winter activities include Nordic skiing on the 31 miles of groomed trails, downhill skiing at Powderhorn Ski Resort, snowmobiling on trails from Lands End to Sunlight near Glenwood Springs, spectating the annual Summit Challenge Sled Dog Race, and more.

If you’re looking for something you can enjoy year-round, the Grand Mesa has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, ATV-ing, side-by-side riding, off-roading, and horseback riding. Western Colorado’s drastic season changes mean you can take the same trail throughout the year for a completely different experience.

Exploring Grand Mesa Cabins for Sale

Whether you live in Western Colorado or somewhere else, everyone craves a mountain adventure. The Grand Mesa is the perfect place for your wilderness escape whenever nature calls.

In addition to quenching your thirst for Colorado recreation, Investing in a Grand Mesa cabin can also put money in your pocket every month. When you’re not visiting the Grand Mesa National Forest, you can rent your cabin out to other recreation seekers. Short-term rentals on the Grand Mesa range from around $100 per night for a modest cabin to over $500 per night for 4 or 5-bedroom luxury mountain homes.

Recreators and investors can also explore cabin communities, which offer benefits like maintained access roads, utilities, and preserving larger pieces of land for nature. There are plenty of cabin communities that border the Grand Mesa National Forest, like Grand Mesa Resorts, Electric Mountain Lodge, Aspen Hills, Horse Creek Ranches, High Park Road Association, and more.

Whatever your reason for looking at Grand Mesa property for sale, you need a real estate broker with local knowledge to help you find the best property to suit your needs. As a Colorado Native, local rancher, and owner of United Country Real Estate Western Land & Lifestyle Properties, I am happy to help. If you have questions about finding a Grand Mesa cabin, selling your Western Colorado property, or where you should invest, don’t hesitate to reach out.