About Ken Caryl

About 70 million years ago layers next to the foothills were pushed sharply upward forming a valley between the newly formed hogback ridge and the mountains. This area eventually became know as Ken Caryl Ranch.

Dinosaurs roamed the area when it was a seashore leaving many fossils as the ground dried up. In recent years a local resident discovered the fossil remains of a mastodon tusk near the Ken Caryl Community Center.

The Ute Indians had a presence here for many years and this area provided abundant hunting grounds for deer and elk which still inhabit the area.

In December of 1859 what would be the first 160 acres of the ranch was purchased by Major Robert Bradford. He established a road for miners and other people traveling to Leadville and the Blue River near Breckenridge. Today this road is part of the network of trails enjoyed by Ken Caryl resident hikers and bikers.

Part of the ranch was owned by James Perley who ran a dairy farm and lived in what is known as the Bradford Perley House located in the North Ranch section of the community.

In 1895 John Shaffer purchased the Perley property along with an additional 3,000 acres. He built the landmark Manor House as well as two additional homes for his sons Kent and Carroll. Shaffer ran a cattle ranch on the property and built several barns including the Dutch style barn that is used today as part of the equestrian center.

The ranch changed hands several times during the 1900s and in 1971 the Johns-Manville Corporation purchased the property to develop the master planned community that today is known as Ken Caryl Ranch. Johns-Manville built their world headquarters in the shadow of the foothills on the south end of the property and eventually sold the building to Martin Marietta in 1987.

The housing lots were sold to individual builders as the community was built out and the final homes were completed in 1997.

Today the community has over 4,000 homes in three distinct areas. The Plains is the section east of C470 and the hogback. The Valley is nestled between the hogback and the foothills with North Ranch situated on the north end of the valley.

Each of these areas has a swimming pool that is available to all residents. The Ranch House, located in the Plains is home to the administrative staff and has a day care facility, pool, tennis courts and frisbee golf course.

The Community Center is located near the entrance to the Valley and has tennis courts, a playground, an exercise facility and pool. The equestrian center and Dakota Lodge are located a short distance away. Situated near a small pond, Dakota Lodge is a great place to gather with a playground, fire pit, meeting rooms and facilities for classes and events.

One of the most popular features of Ken Caryl Ranch is the extensive network of trails. With both hard surface and natural surface trails in the back country the trail system provides a wonderful outdoor experience for hikers, runners bikers and equestrians.