You can claim your own piece of the Wild West

by JUDY ROSE

Last week we rounded up locations in metro Detroit where a middle-income person could still buy 5 acres in the country.

But maybe you're hankering for a different kind of roundup. A Colorado-based group called U.S. Lots lets you search for a big piece of land out West -- a ranch, a prairie, a view of a mountain to call your own.

Until now U.S. Lots has specialized in Colorado land. But around Dec. 15, says CEO Ric Hansen, the company will beef up its listing to about 5,000 scattered around the country when it adds the listings of United Country, a national company that specialized in rural real estate.

Even now, says Hansen, "We have everything from $2.5 million for a 2.5-acre parcel clear down to land at $50 an acre."

That $50-an-acre spread would be "dry land -- dirt -- out in the middle of nowhere."

That $2.5 million for 2.5 acres is inside Cherry Hills, a high-end Denver subdivision, he says.
But the fun is shopping the listings for a piece of the real West. Here are some of the more expensive properties:

• Rancho Del Rio, Bond, Colo. -- $1.75 million: 54 acres, described as "a vast and beautiful piece of the Colorado West, "located 30 minutes from the Vail Valley and its amenities. The listing says it has electric and water service, both rolling and flat terrain, trees, waterfront property and a mountain view.
  
  
• Doolittle Ranch, Evergreen, Colo.--$2.15 million: 160 acres described as a mountain property with alpine views and meadows, a stream, a trout pond and a view of the Continental Divide. Buildings include a ranch house; two log guest houses; barns and outbuildings. It's close to metro Denver and has sewer, water, electric and gas service.
  
  
• Seven Lakes Lodge, Meeker, Colo.--$21 million: 3,300 acres described as pristine wilderness with a magnificent lodge, apparently run now as a commercial venture. The listing says it has several miles of private trout fishing on the White River, the largest herds of deer and elk in the world, and endless hiking and riding trails.
  
  

For the budget-conscious

On the other hand, here's some dirt-cheap dirt: Ewing Ranch in Saguache, Colo., listed at $24,000 for 36 acres. "Affordable acreage with great access off Highway 285," says the listing. The picture shows a span of flat meadow with a mountain in the background.

Finally, here's a piece of land that might appeal to many wilderness seekers:
Santa Fe Trail Ranch, now being divided into parcels like this, adjacent to both an old mining town, Trinidad, and to media mogul Ted Turner's 500,000-acre ranch. About a week from now, the rest of the listings should be up on the site. Meanwhile, Hansen says he is looking for a land broker in Michigan to work with.
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