Residents of Cheyenne homes enjoy an extensive and growing park system.  In the heart of Cheyenne real estate is Lions Park, community central for large Cheyenne outdoor events.  Pocket parks dot the neighborhoods of Cheyenne Wyoming homes, too.  The City recently acquired 418 acres of Swan Ranch on the southwest side of the city.  It will connect to the Cheyenne Greenway.

In 2003 and 2005, the City of Cheyenne purchased 18,800 acres of historic Wyoming ranch property:  Belvoir Ranch or “Big Hole.”  Belvoir Ranch connects public lands in Wyoming to 33,000 acres of protected lands in Northern Colorado.

Located 16 miles west of Cheyenne, Belvoir Ranch includes a rich diversity of ecologies that support varieties of deer and antelope, small mammals and birds.  Its rolling prairieland leads to the big hole, a spectacular red rock canyon.

The property was acquired for several possible uses.  First is to expand the water supply, landfill site, green energy development, and recreation.  Portions of the acreage are in Larimer County.  The Big Hole itself was acquired from the Nature Conservancy.  There is a conservation agreement on the property ensuring that it remains in its natural state.  Only low-impact recreational activities are permitted in that area.  A partnership between the City of Cheyenne, Larimer County, and the Nature Conservancy will manage the Big Hole portion of Belvoir Ranch.

Currently, the ranch sustains hay farming, cattle grazing, hunting, and energy development—all activities typical of its history.  On August 20, 2008, the Cheyenne Governing Body adopted The Belvoir Ranch Master Plan to guide future use and management.  The Plan contains four phases of development:  Snapshot Phase, Structure Phase, Shape Phase, and Build Phase.  

The process is slowly moving along.  The 2005 Bootification Ball netted $16,000 to help construct the first trails.  It was sponsored by a class of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Cheyenne” program to identify community leaders.

The City offered public tours of Belvoir Ranch during 2007.  A tour guide could tell many tales.  The area of Belvoir ranch was used by Paleo-Indians beginning 11,000 years ago for about 4,000 years.  Native Americans came to the area after the last Ice Age.They maintained summer and winter camps, hunted all year round, and also considered the land an important spiritual site.  There are piles of stones or cairns on the property.  Native Americans used them on burial sites, mountaintops, pathways, buffalo jumps, and to commemorate events.

The land was homesteaded by several families, especially after the Union Pacific Railroad came through and surveyed the area that is now Cheyenne.  One of the largest land owners was a Territorial Governor, State Governor, and U.S. Senator named Francis E. Warren who ran a cattle operation.  More recently, the Air Force housed Atlas missiles on part of the property.  It is near Interstate 80 and major railways.

The acquisition of the Belvoir Ranch offers residents not only recreational but educational opportunities, the potential to connect to national trails, amenities for quality lifestyle, and potential revenue generation and economic development options.

For information about real estate, ranches, and land in Laramie County, call The Property Exchange at (307) 632-6481.