Life in heartwood

Founded in 2000

After more years of hard work than we care to remember, our dreams of community became a reality in 2000 as families started moving into Heartwood Cohousing. We shared a vision of a richer neighborhood life, one where neighbors know each other well, respect and support one another, where children grow up surrounded by a vibrant, loving extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents (metaphorically speaking), and where elders live rich, full, and purposeful lives.

The land we now call home far surpasses our original dreams. We live on 360 acres of irrigated pastureland, meadows, and juniper and pine forests. We are blessed with a spring-fed pond and abundant wildlife. Our homes are tucked into a secluded valley just a few minutes from Bayfield and 25 minutes from Durango.

community right outside your front door

Heartwood is a pedestrian neighborhood designed to bring people together, with cars kept to the periphery and shared spaces that feel safe and welcoming. There are many opportunities to connect – from common meals to yoga classes and casual gatherings – but participation is always optional. Maintaining that balance between connection and personal space is central to who we are. We are free to choose our own contributions to Heartwood.

  • Children and an adult building a sandcastle in a sandbox at a playground with a large wooden play structure, climbing wall, slide, and chirping sticks nearby. The sky is partly cloudy, and trees are in the background.

    All ages playing on the SS Ponderosa.

  • The Common House surrounded by a garden with yellow flowers, under a rainbow in the sky.

    The hub of the community, our Common House.

  • juniper floor plan

    Women's circle gathers in the yurt. Community resources such as the yurt enhance our lives together.

  • Children playing around a wooden playground structure with a yellow slide and tire swings on a sandy surface under a blue sky.

    A game of freeze tag at the SS Ponderosa, our fabulous kids' play structure.



  • Children and a dog playing together outdoors in a yard with trees and bushes.

    Kids of all ages play together, support each other, and grow up together.


  • juniper living space

    Zita on her way to the Friday evening potluck as an August sun shower graces the Common House with a rainbow.

  • People sitting around a campfire at night, surrounded by trees and canopy, with supplies and lanterns nearby.

    Finding connection around a fire.

  • Three people playing pickleball on an outdoor court with mountains and trees in the background.

    Heartwood Lounge and Racquet Club. Maybe the most delightful tennis, basketball, and pickleball court in the world.

  • People preparing and serving tamales in a kitchen.

    Tamale-making party in the Common House kitchen.

  • ponderosa main level floor pan

    Our cluster of homes among the trees.

  • Group of adults gathered outdoors on a porch, celebrating with food on a red and white checkered tablecloth. They are holding hands and smiling, with some wearing wide-brimmed hats. Flags in the background include a rainbow flag and an American flag, and trees are visible in the background.

    4th of July potluck party on the Common House terrace.


  • A greenhouse made of transparent panels with a surrounding garden of green plants and vegetables, enclosed by a wire fence.

    Our greenhouse growing dome, now centrally located in Phase 2.

  • ponderosa kitchen

    Making wands and crowns for May Day.

  • Multiple people, including children, riding in a Kubota utility vehicle on a grassy field with a cloudy sky and hilly landscape in the background.

    Moms and daughters having fun and getting the work done down in the pasture.

  • Snow-covered neighborhood street at sunset with colorful sky and bare trees.

    Winter sunset and houses covered in snow.

  • A young girl wearing a pink helmet and shirt riding a mountain bike on a dirt trail surrounded by shrubs and trees in a sunny outdoor setting.

    Biking on one of the many Heartwood trails.

  • People standing in a large, decorated banquet hall with long tables set for a meal, serving dishes, and floral centerpieces.

    Gathered for a Thanksgiving feast.

  • Three men standing outdoors with gardening tools, next to a wheelbarrow filled with dirt and a tree with yellow leaves, in front of a house with a flag and trees in the background.

    Helping hands during our monthly work party.

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our property

​Our 24 homes are clustered along a pedestrian pathway on just a few acres in the middle of our land. We’re blessed to live on 360 beautiful acres in Southwest Colorado. It’s a peaceful place surrounded by mountains, forests, and wide-open skies. We hear frogs and wind in the trees, smell sage and pine after rain, and share the land with deer, elk, and countless other wildlife beneath brilliant sunsets and star-filled nights.

At 7,000 feet, we enjoy four distinct seasons and more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Nestled between piñon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests, our land sustains a rich diversity of trees, grasses, flowers, crops, and animals.

At the center of our pedestrian neighborhood is our Common House, Village Green, and kids’ play structure. On the edge of the cluster are our parking lots, workshop, hot tub, dome greenhouse and gardens (the new center of Phase 2), and trailheads to our seven miles of trails for walking, running, horseback riding, XC skiing, snowshoeing, and biking. A short walk to the northeast and you come to the tennis, pickleball, and basketball court. To the southwest in the Ponderosa Pine forest is the yurt, sledding hill, and frisbee golf course. Just up Raven Ridge are the bonfire circle, labyrinth, and prayer circle. To the south are our 65 acres of irrigated pastureland, orchard, high tunnel greenhouse, more gardens, and henhouse.

shared amenities

Because we pool our resources, we are able to afford many more amenities than any of us could individually. When you buy or rent here, you get so much more than just a home and a private lot.

  • 360 acres of juniper and pine forest, meadows, and irrigated pastureland

  • 7 miles of trails

  • 4,000 square-foot Common House with commercial-size kitchen, dining room, guest rooms, rec room with ping pong table, exercise room, library, Free Box, 1,000 square-foot terrace, and more

  • 800 square-foot yurt

  • 1,000 square-foot workshop

  • Barn with hay storage and tack room

  • Henhouse

  • 800 square-foot organic greenhouse, raised beds, and irrigated gardens

  • Village Green with children’s play structure (the S.S. Ponderosa)

  • Tennis, pickleball, & basketball court

  • 9-hole disc golf course

  • Sledding hill

  • Hot tub

  • Bonfire circle

  • Labyrinth

  • Prayer circle

  • Community water wells, landscape irrigation system, and septic systems

  • 100+ Mbps high-speed internet available

  • 90 horsepower tractor (“Lucy”)

  • 55.5 horsepower tractor (“Ganesh”)

  • 25 horsepower UTV (“Pepe”)

building 14 new homes

In July of 2025, we began construction on 14 new homes, Phase 2 of Heartwood, bringing the total size of our community to 38 homes. The homes will be done in the summer and fall of 2026. We have limited homes available!

See Available Homes