Vermejo Park. At 580,000 acres, it's the largest contiguous piece of private property in the United States. Some of it has been developed for natural gas extraction, wealthy hunters regularly visit from all over the world, and the property continues to operate as a working ranch. Still, hundreds of thousands of acres of it remain a near-wilderness. Mountains, valleys, lakes, ghost towns, historic mining districts, canyons...
Recently Vermejo Park invited the local Cub Scout Pack to visit for a day. Being able to even visit the property is a treat, and I would guess that most Raton residents have never been far into the property. I have worked on the property in the past, gasfield and mining jobs, but had never been to the headquarters area or anywhere near it.
To give an idea of the ranch's size, it takes nearly an hour to drive from the edge of the ranch to the main guest lodge, which is about halfway across the property.
The Cub Scouts had an excellent time, and the activities included a short but very steep hike up to an overlook atop the Trinidad Sandstone formation, a picnic lunch, and boating and swimming at one of the many lakes.
Enough blabbing... here are a few pictures from the day.
Notice the "wildlife" in the last two pictures? :thumbup:
Recently Vermejo Park invited the local Cub Scout Pack to visit for a day. Being able to even visit the property is a treat, and I would guess that most Raton residents have never been far into the property. I have worked on the property in the past, gasfield and mining jobs, but had never been to the headquarters area or anywhere near it.
To give an idea of the ranch's size, it takes nearly an hour to drive from the edge of the ranch to the main guest lodge, which is about halfway across the property.
The Cub Scouts had an excellent time, and the activities included a short but very steep hike up to an overlook atop the Trinidad Sandstone formation, a picnic lunch, and boating and swimming at one of the many lakes.
Enough blabbing... here are a few pictures from the day.
Notice the "wildlife" in the last two pictures? :thumbup:
