Haystack / Sandstone Ranch

Many people have owned pieces of this beautiful land since the 1870s, some via the Homestead Act (marked with an *) and others through purchase. Owners of these properties are listed alphabetically, rather than in historical time periods.

The present owner, AR Sandstone LLC, is planning a 106 home site development of the 2,100 acre ranch. In addition to homes, the property will have cattle grazing on 1,400 acres of permanent open space.

The Haystack ranch was so named for the sandstone rock formations, named for the objects they resembled. An advertisement in Denver newspapers from August 1879 to July 1881, (for the sale of the Perry Park Estate which included the Grant Farm) read as follows:

“For sale – The Grant Farm or Hay-Stack Farm – cottage of 10 rooms, barn, milk houses, etc.”

This name was likely given to the property by the John Perry Family. The Perry family named the rock formations all over their land.

This property borders the Pike National Forest and was said to be so dry that crops could only be grown profitably where irrigation was possible. The prospects of cattle-raising seemed practically unlimited. The Haystack/Sandstone Ranch adjoins the Perry Park Ranch to the south.

In the time of John Perry, Shorthorn cattle were raised. In the 1990s, an owner raised the Belted Galloway cows, commonly called “The Oreo Cookie Cow”.