34797 Powell Mesa Road, Hotchkiss, CO 81419

This 251-acre lower tract of Jay Creek Ranch is a turn-key Western Colorado mountain holding just off Powell Mesa Road outside Hotchkiss, in Delta County's North Fork Valley. Comprised of two adjoining parcels (171 and 80 acres) and bordering thousands of acres of BLM public land, it pairs a ready-to-build homesite with utilities and panoramic views to a rugged, timbered canyon with live water — all in Game Management Unit 52, one of Colorado's premier mule deer and elk regions. Offered at $1,145,000. A steel bridge crossing Fire Mountain Canal leads onto the 171-acre parcel, where a short drive climbs to a plateau building site with sweeping, unobstructed views of Mt. Lamborn, Lands End, the Raggeds, and the West Elk Mountains. Unlike most raw mountain ground, this site is ready to build: the owner has recently brought power in from the south off Powell Mesa Road, across the canal, and up to the building site, and a domestic water well is already in place (with additional well capacity on the southern acreage). What was once off-grid is now served, making development straightforward. The owner has also just completed a substantial, professionally managed forest mitigation program — on average thinning 12 of every 15 trees and leaving three standing. The result is meaningful and lasting: reduced wildfire risk and defensible space, improved access for the fire marshal and emergency response, lower and more attainable insurance costs, and enhanced wildlife habitat, as the thinned areas have been reseeded with natural grasses that provide forage drawing and holding deer and elk. A portion of the 171-acre parcel is protected by a conservation easement, preserving open space and scenery in perpetuity, while the main usable area — including the building site — remains unencumbered and ideal for building, recreation, or sustainable land use. The terrain is diverse, with open meadows, wooded hillsides, valleys, and ridgelines. The adjoining 80-acre parcel is tucked into a rugged, steep-sided valley with Jay Creek and seasonal water flowing through dense timber. With direct BLM connectivity, it functions as a private extension of the surrounding public land — a low-pressure haven for elk, mule deer, bear, and turkey, and an ideal base for hunting, hiking, horseback riding, and backcountry recreation. Both parcels lie within Colorado Game Management Unit 52, known for quality mule deer and elk, with turkey and bear present and opportunities for private-land and over-the-counter tags. Varied elevation, secluded timber, natural water, and direct BLM adjacency create prime habitat with reduced hunting pressure. The current owner works with a local outfitter and consistently harvests quality mule deer and elk, with later seasons especially productive. With power, water, and direct road access already in place, panoramic mountain views, completed fire mitigation, and thousands of acres of public land at the back gate, this 251-acre tract is the rare property that doesn't make you choose between comfort and wildness. Whether your vision is a family retreat, a hunting base, or a conservation-minded estate, it delivers the infrastructure, scale, and setting to make it real.