“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it” (N. Maclean). And that river is the Dolores, dubbed by Trout Unlimited as one of the “Top 100 Trout Rivers in America.” Emanating from a high-elevation watershed with sparkling headwaters near Lizard Head Pass just south of Telluride, the Dolores is fed by a dozen brook, rainbow, and brown trout streams upstream from the Dolores River Ranch. Most notably, the Stoner Creek tributary feeds this stretch of the Dolores with a very rare, pure strain of Colorado River Cutthroat. Located sixteen miles upstream from the second largest lake in Colorado (McPhee Reservoir), sizeable runs of fish ascend the river in the spring and fall, including Kokanee Salmon and Smallmouth Bass. Abundant hatches and indigenous terrestrials distinguish the Dolores from other area rivers. This epic property exclusively controls 1.1 miles of this freestone river with flows distinguished by riffles, runs, bends, cut banks, and back eddies. History is woven into this lush 318± acre landscape with a charming 11-bedroom, half-century-old lodge at the base of the now-defunct but delightfully skiable Stoner Ski Area (3 trails, 1,220± feet vertical). Other improvements include an early 1900’s historic ranch manager’s cabin, preserved barn, and other sheds and outbuildings, in one of which kids can fish in a stocked pond from the front porch. Year-round recreational opportunities for family and friends abound, both on private land that is 70% irrigated and in the adjoining San Juan National Forest. One need only to step outside to embrace mountain biking, hiking, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, paddle boarding, rafting, and hunting — and, of course, storied fly fishing.
