Cool apartment on hidden gem land near Mesa Verde

Two bedroom suite on hidden gem in the McElmo Canyon! Surrounded by over 500,000 acres of protected land, we are a 38 acre desert oasis near Mesa Verde, Sand Canyon and Hovenweep. Stunning views, exceptional bird watching, vast stars, spectacular hiking and on site Ancestral Puebloan sites with a self guided tour. Mature shade trees, fruit orchards, perennial flowers, and vegetable gardens abound. Fast, reliable WIFI and sparkling clean lodging. *Read our reviews-this is truly a magical place! The space This 2 bedroom suite sits just beneath Sleeping Ute Mountain overlooking the bosque next to the creek. You are a short 2 minute walk from the Lodge and there is no other guest lodging directly around the suite so it is quite private. Each bedroom has a queen bed with all new 100% cotton linens and towels, down comforters, super soft alpaca blankets, and aromatherapy units with pure essential oils. The futon couch in the living room converts to a full bed such that the suite comfortably sleeps 5. A full bath with tub, a fully stocked kitchen (spices etc) and a gas grill with dining on your private patio makes Sleeping Ute a great base camp. Guests have full access to the grounds with a variety of lovely sit spots throughout, consisting of hammocks, chairs, and tables with sun umbrellas where you can work on your computer (if you must), nap, read a good book, or daydream, as well as three unique canyons that merge here, with pour overs that become rushing waterfalls when we are blessed with a good rain. Both an archeological and horticultural preserve, the property includes pear, apricot, cherry, mulberry, plum, and peach trees, as well as a 50 plus year old apple orchard planted by George Kelly, a renowned horticulturist from Denver who came here in the 1960's with his wife Sue to create an oasis in the desert. You will also find many mature native and introduced trees, annual and perennial flowers, native grasses, and cacti throughout the property. We also have a labyrinth that begins directly below Sleeping Ute Mountain range which guests may ambulate. We border Canyons of the Ancients immediately to the North, a 174,000 acre National Monument with the largest concentration of Ancestral Puebloan ("cliff-dweller") and archeological sites in the United States. A favorite public access point to The Canyons of the Ancients is the Sand Canyon trailhead, a five minute drive from the property up the main road. It is visited by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders alike. McEmo creek flows along the Southern Border of the property and the highest peak of The Ute Mountain Range towers over us to the South. This 300,000 plus acres of wild land was valued as a sacred place by the Weeminuche Ute band. It still plays an important role in the ceremonies of their descendants, the Ute Mountain Tribe, and is not open to the public. Hovenweep is a thirty minute drive past the Sand canyon trail head and the entrance to Mesa Verde is a 40 minute drive back through Cortez. Ute Mountain Tribal park is an easy thirty minute drive towards four corners. A bit further away you will find Valley of the Gods, considered a mini Monument Valley and Durango, a wonderful mountain town filled with live music, art, and tempting restaurants. Guest access Guests have access to The Lodge, the original hacienda on the property built by George Kelly in the mid 1960's. You are welcome to relax at one of the tables in the shaded lodge patio, surrounded by perennial gardens and mature trees, as well as hang out and visit in the newly remodeled lodge living/dining room on a cozy couch in front of an aspen log gas fireplace. The space has plenty of board games to entertain, and fabulous art from all over the world. The lodge also has a wonderfully eclectic and fascinating library, curated by 4 different sets of stewards over 50 years, which you are welcome to explore and borrow from during your stay. There is a desk with a guest computer and printer for your use in the library, as well as numerous maps of the area, brochures, and a public bathroom nearby. Guests also have access to numerous significant, documented prehistoric Anasazi/Ancient Puebloan sites throughout the property, including the remains of a 13 room pueblo and 2 intact kivas, one of which has been restored by Road Scholar Groups, staying here over the past forty years, alongside archeologists from The Canyons of the Ancients. These sites date from the mid-Pueblo II to mid Pueblo III periods (ca. AD nine eighty- twelve twenty five) and guests are welcome to climb down inside of the kivas and experience an intimate and awe inspiring encounter with the way our ancestors lived over a thousand years ago. Guests may follow our self-guided tour, originally known as “George Kelly’s 39-cent tour,” to visit each of the 12 main archeological sites on the property and learn about their history. It is very unusual to have this sort of intimacy with the ancients. Other things to note We have two old cats and two dogs on the property. The cats have lived here, mostly outside, for over 15 years and kind of own the place. The dogs are an old Shitzu named Tito who came with us from Montana, and a young res dog named Koko that looks like a small wild fox. Koko was left on the property shortly before we arrived, apparently waiting here for us to adopt her. She takes her job of protecting the property quite seriously and will likely bark at you when you first arrive, but she is super sweet and is learning that people are safe. If you stop and let her smell your hand, she tends to reveal her loving nature quite quickly. Please be aware that we are an area with an abundance of cliffs and rocks. If you are bringing children we ask that you closely supervise. We are located in a wild desert area. We have occasional wildlife on and around the property, including insects, spiders, lizards, wild turkeys, deer, foxes, and raccoons. We hear there are bobcats and mountain lions in the canyon but have yet to encounter any. While the rooms are weather-tight, critters can and do get in from time to time. If the presence of insects and spiders cause you undue concern or discomfort, this might not be the spot for you. We intentionally do not have T.V.s in the units to support our guests in experiencing the rare healing refuge this land has to offer. As one guest so beautifully described, "This is a place to let your soul dangle for a while."