Wild Horse Mesa

Wild Horse Mesa is a sprawling and largely undeveloped rural subdivision situated just outside San Luis and within close proximity of the Sanchez Reservoir and State Wildlife Area. It is surrounded by and boasts stunning views of the nearby Sangre De Cristo, San Juan and La Garita mountain ranges.

When we speak of property we typically use an address -- 123 Main Street for instance. 

As most vacant land does not have a physical address, however, county governments will identify it in other ways, such as a "legal description", a parcel number or a tax code. The information provided in the table to the right are the ways in which the various state and county agencies will identify this specific parcel of land. These signifiers are important to have when speaking with these agencies - whether they be the assessor, the zoning office, or even the local utilities - and may prove invaluable when initiating conversations about whatever research a buyer intends to do.

Whenever one exists or has been assigned to the land, the physical address will be included in this table.

Roads & Access: Roads in Wild Horse Mesa are composed mostly of dirt and gravel and tend to be trafficked often enough so as to be easy for most vehicles to navigate. Conditions will obviously be better along the major arterials such as Wild Horse Drive or Overland Way or in areas with greater concentration of development such as closer to the lake. Because of the sprawling and undeveloped nature of the subdivision it's difficult to account for all roads, and thus buyers are encouraged to visit the property in a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle. As always, individual listing pages will include photos of the roads at that exact property.

Power & Utilities: While power lines and some underground utility boxes (telecom) exist in Wild Horse Mesa, they are only found in select pockets of the subdivision and are not located on all or even most parcels. As with the roads, areas that have greater concentrations of development or are closer to the lake are more likely to also have utilities. As always, individual listing pages will include photos of and notes regarding the proximity of the nearest utility easements for that exact property.

It should be noted, the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative services this region and appears to work with land owners to get power to even the more isolated parcels and homes. Anyone interested in learning more about the costs or logistics involved in such an endeavor is encouraged to contact them directly.

Wells & Water Service: Given the elevated nature of the mesa, wells tend to be impractical in all but the properties located closest to the lake in the western part of the subdivision or the valley in the east. Because of this, many land owners tend to haul and store their water in holding tanks. Anyone curious to investigate the feasibility of drilling a well in this region is encouraged to contact well drillers local to the area.

Zoning: Properties in Wild Horse Mesa are zoned E-R or Estate Residential, a designation which allows for residential areas developed at a higher density and where agricultural use is of incidental value. To learn more about the ER Zoning Designation, please see the attached PDF.

No HOA: The Wild Horse Mesa subdivision has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Wild Horse Mesa subdivision was created in the early 1970's, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. While most of these are what we like to refer to as "reasonable, good neighbor restrictions" dealing primarily with the disposal of trash and prohibitions on excess noise, there are a few covenants that deal with acceptable structures for the region as well as minimum square footage requirements of those structures. Because of this, anyone considering purchasing the land is encouraged to review the Wild Horse Mesa Covenants and Restrictions document found here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Cont'd: Notable restrictions enumerated in the above linked document include: Minimum square footage requirements are 600 sqft for a one-story dwelling and 800 sqft for a two-story dwelling.

Short-Term RV Use: It should be noted that short-term camping, meaning up to fourteen days per three consecutive months, is allowed within this region. Anything longer than that will require a "long-term camping permit" which can be obtained from the Costilla County Planning & Zoning Department.

Long-Term RV Occupancy: Long-term RV Occupancy, typically done during construction of a permanent dwelling, generally requires both a hookup to an approved On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) as well as a well permit or cistern installed. The cost for the Long-Terms permit is $350, is valid for 90 days and may be renewed for up to 18 months. It should also be noted that RV inspection is required before this permit will be issued.

...

The Hemingway Land Company does our best to represent the properties we list as accurately as possible. Our research, however, will always be limited. 

Because of this, included in the table to the right is a list of the relevant state and county governments, agencies and authorities as well as local utilities (and all their respective websites and contact information) which should help to answer any questions a buyer may have about developing this specific property.

Whenever possible it is best to speak with these agencies first as they will always be a far greater source of information about the local region and the regulations which govern it. 

Sanchez Reservoir And State Wildlife Area: The nearby reservoir and wildlife area is considered an excellent recreation spot as well as the ideal location to see the wild horses for which the local region gets its name. In addition, this area is home to a 2,000 acre lake which provides excellent fishing opportunities for northern pike, walleye, trout, yellow perch and catfish. While there is a boat ramp here, it should be noted that the lake is only a fishing lake and not a place where one might take a speed boat or jet ski.

Wild Horses: The mesa and surrounding area is home to somewhere between 150 and 200 wild horses (mustangs) said to be descendants of horses used by Spanish explorers brought to the region in the 1500s. It is not uncommon for these horses to be found roaming or grazing throughout the subdivision, and many locals have reported friendly appearances on their property from their four-legged neighbors.

Subdivision Stats: The Wild Horse Mesa subdivision is made up of approximately four thousand parcels separated over eight units of land. Roughly 97% of the property here remains vacant while 3% of the lots have been developed with everything from conventional single-family homes to less conventional mobile, modular, shipping containers and other dwelling types.

Unit Map: As noted, the subdivision is broken down into eight Units of land labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G and K. Units A, B and C sit along the western base of the mesa closest to Highway 159. Units D, E and K are located at the top of the mesa along its western side overlooking the San Luis Valley. Unit F is also found at the top of the mesa but along the east side overlooking the lake and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Unit G is along the east side of the mesa closest to the lake.

Common Lot Sizes: The vast majority of land in this region has been subdivided into 2.5 acre parcels. While there are anomalies in the plat making it possible to find larger properties, those parcels are the exception and not the rule. Unit G, closest to the lake, is the only Unit where all the lots are 1 acre in size.

Elevation: Elevation in this subdivision tends to rise from 7,900 feet along the western "valley" at the base of the mesa, to 8,500 feet along the west side of the top of the mesa, to 8,800 feet along the eastern top of the mesa.

Pricing: While the Management of Hemingway Land normally likes to offer uniform pricing within a subdivision, Wild Horse Mesa is unique in that property values here tend to increase as you move from west to east. The parcels in Units A-C, at the base of the mesa, are ones that normally sell on the lower end of the spectrum, and thus are ones we charge the least for. Properties atop the mesa in Units D, E and K tend to sell for more than A-C but less than like-top lots in Unit F. As is to be expected, the parcels closest to the lake in Unit G are always the most expensive despite being half the size of lots in the rest of the subdivision. It should further be noted that prices are also affected by amenities or unique features a property may have. Much as lots with lake views are favored over those without, lots that have power are always favored over ones that don't, and lots atop the mesa that sit along the ridgeline are always favored over ones that can't boast similar views. Whenever possible, financing options are provided to help our buyers afford their ideal property.