Belvoir Ranch

Belvoir Ranch2

About the Belvoir

The Belvoir Ranch refers to a large property west of Cheyenne that is owned by the City. Usually included in reference to the Belvoir is an adjacent property known as the "Big Hole." Together, the properties total about 18,800 acres.

The Belvoir is generally between the Union Pacific Railroad to the south and I-80 and Otto Road to the north. Its eastern end is about 8 miles west of downtown Cheyenne and the property continues to Harriman Road at its western end. Some sections of the ranch lie south of the UPRR, as does the majority of the Big Hole property, which borders Colorado.

The City purchased the Belvoir Ranch in 2003 with the intent of a number of uses, including water, a potential landfill site, energy development, and recreation. Two years later, the City bought the adjacent Big Hole property from The Nature Conservancy, which holds a conservation easement on that land. The two properties together total about 18,800 acres.

Since the purchase, the City has retained working ranch operations and leased the property for wind power operations. In 2008, the City adopted the Belvoir Ranch Master Plan to guide future development of the property.

Belvoir Ranch

Current Use and Access

The Belvoir Ranch is a City-owned working ranch under the Public Works Department. Ranch Manager Karl Zunker can be reached at 307-637-6263. There is no public access to the ranch, although the City plans to increase access in coming years. A small section of the Big Hole property can be accessed through the Red Mountain Open Space trail system operated by Larimer County, Colorado.

 

Future Use

The City envisions a recreational trails system on the Belvoir Ranch that will provide local residents and visitors with hiking, biking, and horseback riding opportunities.

In 2008, the City adopted the Belvoir Ranch Master Plan to guide future development of the property. The plan includes a mix of uses for the Belvoir, including a number of trailheads, trails, and connections to the adjacent Red Mountain Open Space in Colorado.

Cheyenne's City Council made access to the Belvoir Ranch a priority in 2022 and have continued that goal to the present.

In 2023, the City contracted with TPT Trails, LLC, to design a system of nonmotorized, natural-surface trails on the Belvoir Ranch. The report can be found in the sidebar of this page.

In January 2024, the City received a $486,000 grant from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation to construct a trailhead and initial trail at the Belvoir Ranch. This trailhead will be located off Harriman Road.

Construction is planned to begin in May 2024 and the developed area is expected to be fully open to the public in 2025. In addition to the trailhead, this first phase of work will include 6.1 miles of non-motorized trail.

City staff have identified nearly 20 miles of potential trails in the western part of the ranch, and staff are currently identifying funding opportunities for construction.