Mountain land at a price Colorado stopped having
You know mountain land. You know altitude. You know what a trail system looks like from a front porch.
Goswick Ranch is a private gated community in Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains — 4,400–6,000 feet, gated, 9 acres minimum, $216 a year in HOA dues, and property taxes that average about $476 a year.
It's not the Front Range. It's not the San Juans. It's the Bradshaw Mountains in central Arizona, and for buyers who have been priced out of Colorado mountain land — or who are simply done with Denver costs and 57 inches of annual snow — it's worth a look.
You can live here full-time, part-time, or hold it as an investment. No occupancy requirement.
| Location | E Poland Road, Mayer, AZ 86333 |
| Elevation | 4,400–6,000 ft |
| Lot minimum | 9 acres (CC&R covenant) |
| HOA fee | $216/year |
| Gate | Gated; private road |
| Allowed | Horses, cattle, livestock, site-built homes (1,500 sq ft min) |
Active listings have ranged from $275,000–$750,000. Property taxes: ~$476/yr.
| Item | Denver / Boulder | Goswick Ranch / Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Annual property taxes | Denver avg ~$4,500/yr; Boulder ~$6,000/yr | ~$476/yr |
| Annual HOA | Often $2,400–$7,200/yr | $216/year |
| State income tax | Colorado: 4.4% flat | 2.5% flat |
| Comparable acreage | Boulder-area: $500K–$2M+; ski country: more | $275K–$750K USD |
Ski country note: If you own in Pitkin, Eagle, Summit, or San Miguel County, your property taxes alone may run $8,000–$20,000+/year. The carrying cost difference between maintaining ski country land and Goswick Ranch is significant.
Colorado's income tax is 4.4% flat; Arizona's is 2.5% flat. On $80,000 in retirement income, the difference is approximately $1,500 per year. The primary financial case for Colorado buyers is typically cost of living and property values, not just the tax rate.
At 4,400–6,000 feet, Goswick Ranch is in your altitude range. Colorado retirees don't need to adapt down — the elevation is familiar.
The outdoor infrastructure is real. Goswick Ranch borders Prescott National Forest; hundreds of miles of maintained equestrian and hiking trails are accessible from Poland Road. Deer, elk, bears, and eagles are daily residents. Horses and livestock are explicitly permitted under the CC&Rs.
The climate runs warmer than Colorado in winter — 40s–50s°F days instead of Denver's 57 inches of snow — but has the same dramatic summer weather pattern: afternoon thunderstorms that build over the mountains, intense, brief, and followed by cool air. Colorado residents will recognize this as a different version of what they've always known.
Dark skies: Bortle Class 3–4. The Milky Way is visible from the property on clear nights.
By car: Denver to Mayer is approximately 800 miles via I-25 South / I-40 West / I-17 South — approximately an 8-hour drive. Colorado Springs is approximately 750 miles. Flagstaff, AZ is a natural overnight stop if driving from Denver.
By air: Denver International (DEN) has multiple daily nonstop flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). Flight time: approximately 1.5–2 hours. Colorado Springs (COS) has service to PHX with one stop. From PHX: 74 miles north, approximately 70 minutes.
Yes. Goswick Ranch ranges from 4,400–6,000 feet — comparable to the Denver metro and lower Front Range. Colorado retirees will not need to adapt to significant elevation change. The Bradshaws are not the San Juans or the Front Range, but they are real mountains at real altitude.
Colorado's state income tax is 4.4% flat; Arizona's is 2.5% flat. On $80,000 in retirement income, the difference is approximately $1,500/year. The primary financial case for most Colorado buyers is the dramatic difference in property taxes and land prices, not just the income tax rate.
Active listings at Goswick Ranch have ranged from $275,000 for 9-acre vacant land to $750,000 for improved properties. Boulder-area retirees selling a $1.2M home can purchase Arizona land outright and hold significant capital elsewhere. Ski country owners with extraordinary equity can reallocate at a fraction of their current carrying cost.
Yes. Horses are explicitly permitted under the CC&Rs. Prescott National Forest equestrian trail access is available from the Poland Road corridor, with hundreds of miles of maintained trails through the Bradshaw Mountains.
CC&Rs, lot minimums, deed restrictions, and what to know before you purchase.
Seasons, community, wildlife, and what daily life in the Bradshaw Mountains looks like.
Trail systems, horseback riding, hunting, and Prescott National Forest access.
Questions about the community? Reach the volunteer board directly.
9 acres minimum. $216/year HOA. ~$476/year in property taxes. Prescott National Forest on your doorstep.
Buyer's Guide Contact the Board