It’s not a national park. It’s not a hunting lodge. It’s not a dude ranch.
Vermejo is a destination like no other for those who want an inclusive Western vacation that offers history, wildlife, and time in the expansive great outdoors.
Situated in northern New Mexico outside of Raton, this Ted Turner Reserve is 550,000 acres of privately-held and managed land with some unique history and careful wildlife preservation.
For those who may not know who Ted Turner is (looking at you, Generation Z), here are the basics: CNN and bison. Turner founded CNN in 1980 and he has long had an interest in restoring bison populations to the American West, where he owns several properties where bison herds live.
Location and Landscape
New Mexico, the fifth largest state by area, is in the southwestern part of the United States, just south of Colorado, where it has a shared border. It is known for having the oldest state capital in the country, in Santa Fe (about four hours away from Vermejo).
There are over 1,200 bison that live at Vermejo, where they freely roam the land 11 months out of the year, just as they did before the late 1800s when hunters decimated their numbers from millions to under 1,000.
With restoration efforts to create a thriving bison herd, guests at Vermejo can sit on the porch of the historic house and lodge to watch North America’s largest mammal meander by as they graze.
For scale, Vermejo is about twice the size of the 265,807-acre Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and about equal to Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska at 550,000 acres.
Much like visiting a national park, guests can explore by car (Vermejo is criss-crossed by miles of dirt roads), bicycle, horseback, and on foot with the hope of spotting elk, deer, bear, mountain lions, wild turkeys, pronghorn, bison, and other native wildlife.
There are opportunities for fishing and limited permits for hunting.
Read More: Amp Up the Adventure at Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve in New Mexico
What It’s Like to Stay at Vermejo
I visited Vermejo for the first time in the spring, and as someone who has driven right past Raton en route to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico many times, I was impressed to discover this hidden-in-plain-sight place.
Unless you have a reservation, chances are you won’t just end up at Vermejo, and if you did, the locked gate keeps out random passersby.
The land between Vermejo and Raton is largely managed by the U.S. Forest Service, so you first drive through a pine forest landscape before arriving at the gate. It’s about a 20-minute drive from the entrance gate to the main lodge.
There are lodging choices at Vermejo, some of them seasonally only, and we stayed at Casa Grande, the once private home of a previous owner in the early 1900s that showcases a great room with plush sofas, a large fireplace, a grand piano, and a private door to the garden room.
The lodge campus, which includes private cottages, is surrounded by a fence to keep the wildlife from munching on the gardens, but the deer made nightly visits during our stay.
An Array of Activities
On our first day, we opted for the Catskill Kilns and History Tour to see the historic brick ovens that were used to burn lumber when there was a town here (quick history lesson: if you cut down all the trees, when the rain comes, there will be a devastating flood).
Our friendly guide took three of us out for an approximate three to four-hour drive through the property, where we saw old mining ruins and the herd of wild horses that live here.
He shared the history of the town that was here during homesteading, which is a fascinating tie-in to the modern-day efforts to make this a thriving natural ecosystem.
As we headed back towards the lodge for lunch, we spotted a bull elk with a full rack as he ran up a hillside. This sighting led to a discussion about a popular springtime activity at Vermejo: shed hunting.
When deer, elk, and pronghorn naturally “shed” or drop their antlers each year, guides take Vermejo guests out to “hunt” for these discarded bones. Shed hunting involves hiking, some understanding of where animals are likely to lose their antlers, and a lot of patience.
After lunch, it was time to explore by e-bike along the dirt roads. Rolling and bouncing along, we saw large herds of elk as they moved from taking a drink in the river to back into the trees nearby.
We stopped to walk a bit, and my husband found his first set of antlers near the river with some impromptu shed hunting.
Each night, we joined other guests inside at the main lodge—maybe to sit in the bar by a roaring fire or comfortably outside on the porch to gaze at the view or in the dining room for dinner—to reflect on our day and plan for the next one.
The menu here is inspired by the land, with harvested local wildlife featured, so there is trout, bison, elk, and other game prepared with flair.
Read More: Fall Under the Spell of Taos: the Soul of the Southwest
Special Day Trips and Experiences
For our second day, we took a special trip out to see the bison who were making their way back towards the lodge from the southern perimeter of the property. The drive took us through Castle Rock Park, and we learned about the history of this land that included rock art, historic cabins, and more wildlife.
Since this day trip was a bit longer, we added lunch in the town of Cimarron, where it’s possible to discover more history and take in the charm.
When we returned to the lodge area, we spontaneously decided to try shed hunting, and our guide was happy to lead us to an area where he thought there was a chance of spotting some antlers.
Getting out of the vehicle and exploring on foot to look for something that was designed by nature to blend in gave me a sense of how vast this place is. Although I was not successful, my husband has a knack for this “sport” and did come home with elk antlers.
There are many activities to engage in at Vermejo, some of them seasonal. Guests get a map of the hiking and biking trails that lead to picturesque views (truly, as far as I could see, the land was a Ted Turner Reserve), lakes, and historic structures.
Other options include archery, guided peak hiking, horseback riding, sport shooting, climbing the via ferrata, canoeing, disc golf, and spa time.
If You Go
Vermejo is family-friendly, and also suitable for a couples or group getaway. There are activities to appeal to all ages and abilities on the property.
Vermejo is one of four Ted Turner Reserve properties in New Mexico, and it is by far the largest. Take a look at the website to find out the details.
Part of the appeal to this place is its remoteness, with the nearest airports being Denver International Airport (about a 4-5 hour drive), Colorado Springs Airport (a 3-hour drive), and Albuquerque International Airport (a 4-hour drive).
If you want to see the bison, plan your trip for summer when they are more likely to be near the headquarters area. Shed hunting is a spring-time activity; fishing is a summertime sport. Veremejo is open year-round, so call ahead to plan for your specific activities based on weather and wildlife.
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Author Bio: Mindy Sink is a travel guidebook author and freelance travel writer based in Denver, Colorado. You can see her latest adventures and bylines on social media and her website, www.mindysink.com.
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