Herard Homestead

Herard Homestead is an 1870s ranch site in Medano Canyon, above the dunes. Only the foundations remain. It's a brief historic stop if you're already taking the Medano Pass Primitive Road; the trip there is the bigger commitment.

The road chart places the foundations at mile 6.2, between the third and fourth Medano Creek crossings. Reset your odometer at the southern entrance, where pavement ends. Beyond the Point of No Return, only high-clearance 4WD with a low-range 4L transfer case is allowed; AWD and 2WD are prohibited. The road usually opens from mid-to-late May into late November when conditions allow, and there's no cell service. Check current road conditions before setting out. The chart identifies the site but doesn't show a separate pullout, and how clearly the foundations can be seen from the road isn't confirmed.

Jean Francois and Julia Herard reached the San Luis Valley in 1872 and later settled in Medano Canyon. They built a large log home, cabins, corrals, a blacksmith shop and other outbuildings, raised cattle in the meadows, and kept trout in ponds they built. The buildings are gone; the foundations are all that remain.

The Herards protected Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the canyon and hand-fed them salt and minerals. Bighorns are still commonly seen near the homestead; the meadows and cliffs around the third creek crossing, just a tenth of a mile before the site, are a good place to look. A sighting is never guaranteed.