Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve

Vermejo is one of the largest private landholdings in the United States: about 558,000 acres stretching from northeastern New Mexico into southern Colorado, west of Raton, rising from around 5,850 feet on the Canadian River to 12,931 feet at Big Costilla Peak. Ted Turner bought it in 1996, and Ted Turner Reserves runs it as a nature reserve devoted to conservation and ecological restoration, with a guest operation alongside. It was recognized by Travel + Leisure in 2023 as the best resort hotel in the West.

The wildlife is the headline. Vermejo is home to thousands of elk and about 1,400 bison, as well as mule deer, pronghorn, black bears, mountain lions and bighorn sheep, and black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced here. Around 20 lakes are scattered across the high country, and the reserve is part of the effort to restore Rio Grande cutthroat trout, which makes it a serious destination for anglers.

The property’s history runs from the Maxwell Land Grant through a 1920s private club that drew well-known guests, and historic buildings such as Casa Grande and The Stables are still part of the guest experience. Vermejo is less a traditional dude ranch than a luxury wilderness lodge, ideal for wildlife, fishing and quiet. Ask the reserve for current packages, activities and rates.