McGraw Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Rocky Mountain National Park, National Park Service

Shapins Associates

The McGraw Ranch is an agricultural and recreational complex on the eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, six miles northeast of Estes Park, CO. The ranch once extended over 1280 acres, but the current landscape includes the ten acre area immediately surrounding the ranch buildings. The property is located in Cow Creek Valley at an elevation of approximately 7,880’. The Roosevelt National Forest extends to the north and forested hills and rock formations surround the site. Originally, the ranch was settled as a cattle ranch. In 1936 it was converted to a guest ranch and was run successfully as a guest facility until 1988, when the National Park Service bought the property. The developed area of the ranch lies on the north side of Cow Creek. A gravel access road extends from McGraw Ranch Rd. across the creek into the ranch complex. The road provides access to the barn and the main house and then continues through the buildings toward the west, providing access to service buildings and guest cabins. There are approximately 25 buildings on the site including a main ranch house/lodge, several guest cabins, a barn and stables, and a variety of utility and storage sheds. The buildings are clustered according to their functions. The barn, corral, stables, and storage sheds are located together behind the main house and face onto a large open field on the east side of the buildings. The main house, bunkhouse, log cabin, cook’s cabin, ice house, and workers’ cabin are clustered together across from the barn and close to the ranch entry. Guest cabins are set in a row overlooking the pond and creek. The period of significance for the ranch, 1884 to 1948, encompasses its early years as a cattle ranch and extends into the years when it functioned as a guest ranch. Both periods are important to the ranch’s significance; the original layout reflects the organization and needs of a working ranch, while later additions clearly serve guest related functions. The condition of the landscape is good with an intact setting and buildings with historic integrity. The layout of the property, historic buildings, and setting give the property significance as a representative example of both a western cattle ranch and a dude ranch. The McGraw Ranch is significant for its association with the history of cattle and dude ranching in the vicinity of Estes Park, Colorado. The ranch is representative of changes in land use in Estes Park during the past century, reflecting the evolution of cattle ranching as the industry progressed from large operations covering to more diversified businesses accommodating tourists. The ranch is significant for its association with the tourist industry and representative of the numerous dude ranches which operated in the vicinity. It is the only intact dude ranch within Rocky Mountain National Park. The McGraw Ranch provided a western experience filled with horseback riding, wholesome food, and outdoor enjoyment for hundreds of guests. The most famous guest to visit the McGraw Ranch was Alf Landon, who made the ranch his summer campaign headquarters during his unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1936. The McGraw family were prominent leaders in the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association and in civic affairs in Estes Park for several decades. The McGraw Ranch is also significant for its representation of the architecture and construction techniques employed for buildings of nineteenth century cattle ranches and twentieth century dude ranches in the West. The landscape includes a complete dude ranch facility with an intact setting. The buildings are significant for the use of native materials in their construction, including locally harvested logs and stone. The layout and design of the ranch embodies many aspects typical of dude ranches in the West, including a row of small guest cabins, a large central lodge, support buildings, and an area for maintaining animals.

McGraw Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Rocky Mountain National Park, National Park Service

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