The North Fork Valley is Colorado’s Organic Farm and Wine Region, and home to dozens of family-owned farms, ranches, vineyards, and orchards. Fruit trees were first planted in the area in the late 1880s, and are still prevalent today. Later, vintners discovered the unique landscape that produces delicious stone fruit like cherries and peaches is also ideal for growing wine grapes. 

Today, the North Fork is the heart of the West Elks AVA, a federally-designated American Viticultural Area. Our unique high-elevation, alpine-desert climate coupled with rich volcanic soil, creates conditions that support an award-winning boutique winery scene centered on good farming practices and land stewardship above all else. Unique to this region, our winemakers are also the farmers, touching every step of the process from planting to picking to fermenting. Follow the West Elks Wine Trail to unlock an incredible flavor journey and some of the best views in the North Fork Valley.

Alongside the vineyards, you’ll find specialty farms producing a range of goods from cheeses, to herbal teas, to fresh fruit, and grass-fed meats. Our pristine snowmelt-fed water, crystal clear air, and Certified Dark Skies make for some of the best growing conditions in North America. Some locations welcome visitors for day tours. Some offer overnight accommodation where you can wake up with the animals, and others you can shop their on-site farm stands. Local farmers markets also offer the chance to meet your farmer and stock up on fresh produce. Special events like Mountain Harvest Festival in September allow the rare chance to visit farms not typically open to the public. 

Whether you are stopping by a winery or a farm, you are going to get a first hand glimpse (and likely a taste too) into how agriculture works with its many challenges and rewards.