MacGregor Ranch

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Estes Park, CO
MacGregor Ranch

Colorado's Finest Historical Homestead Ranch. Establish 1873 in Estes Park, come and discover that on the ranch History Never Gets Old!

The Ranch today serves as a working cattle ranch and a youth education center in the beautiful Black Canyon Creek area of Estes Park.

08/31/2026

🎨 Plein Air Paint Out Day at MacGregor Ranch
We were delighted to once again welcome artists from the Art Center of Estes Park to MacGregor Ranch for their annual Plein Air Paint Out Day!
Plein air painting has a long tradition in Colorado and throughout the American West. There is something especially meaningful about seeing artists gather on the ranch to capture the mountains, meadows, historic buildings, and changing light firsthand as Clara MacGregor, one of the ranch’s early generations, was an accomplished artist who studied under Henry Chapman Ford at the Chicago Academy of Design. Her love of art and the Colorado landscape remains an important part of MacGregor Ranch history.
More than a century later, it is wonderful to see artists continuing that tradition, setting up their easels across the ranch and interpreting this special place through their own eyes. We are grateful to the Art Center of Estes Park and all of the talented artists who continue to make this day such a special part of the ranch’s summer.
Thank you for helping keep the tradition of art, history, and appreciation for the landscape alive at MacGregor Ranch. 🏔️🎨

08/25/2026

What does it mean to be a steward of the land? This summer, campers at MacGregor Ranch had the opportunity to find out.
In partnership with Rugged Research, campers spent five days exploring the ranch as outdoor scientists. They discovered the history of one of Colorado's oldest working cattle ranches, learned about homesteading and ranch management, and explored how agriculture, conservation, and wildlife can work together.
Their adventures included hiking to active beaver dams and beaver dam analogs, testing water quality, searching for aquatic insects and wildlife tracks, studying tree rings, setting wildlife cameras, using maps and compasses, and learning how ranchers balance caring for cattle with protecting streams, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. Along the way, campers even lent a hand by helping remove invasive plants as part of the ranch's ongoing stewardship efforts.
Programs like this are an important part of MacGregor Ranch's mission. By partnering with organizations like Rugged Research, we're able to give young people hands-on experiences that connect them to the natural world while demonstrating that working ranches can play a vital role in conservation, education, and preserving open space.
We hope every camper left with new skills, great memories, and a deeper appreciation for the land and the many ways we can care for it.
Thank you to the Rugged Research team for creating such an engaging program, we're already looking forward to next summer!

08/10/2026

From pasture to processor, understanding the entire journey is an important part of learning about responsible beef production.
Recently, our foreman, Luke Marshall, and our summer interns had the opportunity to tour Atlas Meat Company, where they saw firsthand what happens after cattle leave the ranch. The tour provided valuable insight into the processing side of the beef industry and helped connect every step of raising high-quality beef, from caring for the herd on pasture to producing a quality product for our customers.
A special thank you to the team at Atlas Meat Company for taking the time to share their knowledge and provide this educational experience. We appreciate your partnership and the opportunity to learn more about every stage of the process.

08/03/2026

Another great group of young volunteers recently spent time camping at MacGregor Ranch, combining outdoor adventure with meaningful service.
During their stay, they helped remove invasive weeds from an area disturbed during our recent forest restoration project. Keeping these areas free of weeds gives native grasses and plants a better chance to establish, helping restore a healthy and resilient landscape.
A big thank you to this hardworking group for donating their time and energy to care for the ranch. Projects like these make a lasting impact, and we hope they enjoyed their camping experience and time exploring MacGregor Ranch!

07/27/2026

Branding has long been an essential part of cattle ranching, and at MacGregor Ranch, our XIX brand has identified our cattle since 1885.
A registered brand is a permanent form of identification that establishes ownership and helps distinguish cattle, particularly on open rangeland where herds may mix. Branding is also an important part of ranch work, with cattle being processed for routine vaccinations and herd health at the same time.
While ranching practices have evolved over the years, the XIX brand remains a lasting symbol of MacGregor Ranch's history and commitment to raising quality Angus cattle.

07/20/2026

We were happy to welcome a wonderful girls youth group to MacGregor Ranch for a camping trip filled with learning, service, and fun!
During their stay, the group volunteered their time to help paint our hay barn, a project that makes a big difference in preserving the ranch for future generations, and just in time for our haying season! Their hard work, positive attitudes, and willingness to pitch in are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for choosing MacGregor Ranch for your adventure and for leaving the ranch a little better than you found it. We hope you made great memories during your time here!

07/13/2026

What a great week at the Estes Park Rooftop Rodeo!
MacGregor Ranch was proud to be a sponsor of this year's rodeo, celebrating the ranching traditions and Western heritage that continue to make Estes Park such a special place. We hope everyone had the chance to catch a performance and enjoy an exciting week of rodeo action. , maybe catching some of the Ranch’s history, videos, and banners presented at the fairgrounds!
Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, contestants, and fans who made this year's Rooftop Rodeo another success. We're already looking forward to next year!

06/29/2026

🦫 Research in Action at MacGregor Ranch 🌿💧
We’re excited to have Itai, a master’s student in the Geosciences Department at Colorado State University, conducting research on MacGregor Ranch this season. His work focuses on the hydraulic properties of natural beaver dams and beaver mimicry structures, also known as Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs), and how they influence water movement through riparian systems.
MacGregor Ranch provides a unique living laboratory for this research thanks to our ongoing Black Canyon Creek riparian restoration project with larimercd. The site features both man-made BDAs and an active beaver that has built a series of natural dams upstream, creating a fascinating opportunity to compare engineered restoration structures with the work of nature’s original ecosystem engineers.
Projects like this help us better understand how slowing and spreading water can improve riparian health, support wildlife habitat, and increase the resilience of our mountain landscapes.
We’re proud to partner with researchers and students who are helping advance the science behind effective watershed restoration. Stay tuned as we continue monitoring the progress of this exciting project over the coming years! 🌾🦫💙

06/22/2026

We were happy to welcome Cub Scout troop 51 back to MacGregor Ranch for an overnight camping adventure! During their stay, the scouts pitched tents, explored a bit of ranch history, and lent a hand with some weeding as part of a service project.
When they weren't helping in the garden, the scouts put their creativity and teamwork to work by building an incredible fort from sticks and branches. It quickly became the headquarters for all kinds of outdoor adventures and showed just how much fun can be had with a little imagination and the natural world.
Their timing couldn't have been better! The Scouts were also able to witness one of the ranch's most important annual traditions: cattle branding. Watching the branding gave the scouts a firsthand look at the work, heritage, and stewardship that have been part of ranch life for generations.
Thank you to these enthusiastic young visitors for their hard work, curiosity, and willingness to learn. We hope your time at MacGregor Ranch created memories that will last a lifetime! 🏕️🤠🐮

06/08/2026

MacGregor Ranch was happy to be part of the Western Collaborative Conservation Network 2026 Confluence and to welcome an amazing group of guests to the ranch! It was a wonderful opportunity to share both our completed and ongoing forestry and riparian restoration projects with conservation partners and professionals from Colorado, California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and beyond.
We are proud of the work being done on the ranch to not only create a healthier forest ecosystem, but to help build a more fire-wise and water-wise landscape that benefits our entire community.
A huge thank you to our incredible partners who continue to make this work possible: Larimer Conservation District, Peaks to People, and The Nature Conservancy. Together, collaboration continues to make meaningful conservation possible across the West. ⛰️

Address

180 MacGregor Lane
Estes Park, CO
80517

Telephone

(970) 586-3749

Website

http://macgregorranch.org/

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