We like to think that we live in the best part of the best state in the country. We enjoy a nearly perfect four-season climate with over 300 days of sunshine each year. We receive enough snowfall in the winter to make for some great skiing, keep the forests and meadows happy, and make possible some fabulous local whitewater rafting and kayaking once springtime rolls around. Because of the cool, dry mountain air, our homes don't need air conditioners. Even in midsummer, they stay cool enough for a good night's sleep.
Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the country and the Durango area is one of the healthiest parts of Colorado. Playing outdoors and staying fit are part of our local lifestyle. There are millions of acres of nearby, uncrowded public lands for unlimited adventures. The Rocky Mountains and red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau are close enough for a day hike or raft trip. Check out our What's Nearby webpage for details. |
Bayfield Bayfield is located approximately two miles east of Heartwood. Bayfield is a laid back, rural town of about 1700 people – formerly a ranching town and now a growing bedroom community to Durango. In the 20+ years we've lived here, Bayfield has blossomed into a vibrant little mountain town. The Pine River Library is just fabulous. It has become a thriving community center. It was named the Best Small Library in America by the Library Journal. The Community Treehouse is another Bayfield gem – a vibrant family support center and indoor play space. Bayfield also boasts a friendly, low-key grocery store, a nice drugstore, a great hardware store, some fun little shops, and several very good restaurants, including a couple of tasty Mexican restaurants and a brew pub. The coffee shop is a delightful gathering spot. A new high school, middle school, elementary school, park, library, and town hall have been recently built. School bus service is available from Heartwood. |
Durango
Durango, a town of some 17,000 people, has transitioned from being a mining, railroad, and ranching community to becoming a New West community, where the mines are almost all closed down, the railroad has become a tourist attraction, and the ranches are slowly becoming subdivisions. As old meets new, Durango remains a great place to raise a family and a place where it's easy to take a camping trip or a hike and not see a soul. In the new Durango, it's also now easy to find plenty of yoga classes to choose from, get a tasty Thai dinner, see a great concert, and buy good organic produce. Durango is also home to Fort Lewis College, a great school, a great addition to the community, and the alma mater of several Heartwood members. |
Four Corners
Four Corners refers to the point where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico intersect. The region is spectacular for its mountains, red rock canyons, rich cultural heritage, and lack of people. Heartwood is located in Southwest Colorado, perhaps the most beautiful and interesting part of the state. Just to our north, in the San Juan Mountains, is Colorado's greatest concentration of 14,000 foot peaks, where we camp and hike in the summer and ski in the winter. In the spring and fall, we head west to the amazing Colorado Plateau where the Colorado River and its tributaries have cut canyons deep into the Utah sandstone and where the Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) Indians lived a thousand years ago. Within the Four Corners Region are an astounding number of National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests, and Ancestral Pueblo Ruins. Here’s a partial list and the approximate drive time from Heartwood. National Parks
National Forests
Major Ancestral Pueblo Ruins There are literally thousands of ruins scattered throughout the canyon country to explore. These are the major ruins that have been studied, developed for visitors, and in some cases restored.
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Directions to Heartwood Cohousing
- From CO Hwy 160, turn north onto CR 506 at mile marker 102. (about 15 miles east of Durango, 1 mile east of Gem Village, or 2 miles west of Bayfield).
- After about 0.3 miles, turn right onto Heartwood Lane (2nd road on the right off of CR 506).
- Stay on Heartwood Lane for 0.8 mile until you reach the housing cluster. Visitor parking is to the left and across the road from the Common House.
Address
Heartwood Cohousing
800 Heartwood Lane
Bayfield, CO 81122
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