Unique Destination Lodging and Retreat Center
Archeological & Horticultural Preserve
Human Refuge
A Place to Let Your Soul Dangle for Awhile...
"The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint, that we might leave room for the life that is destined to come. To protect what is wild is to protect what is gentle. Perhaps the wilderness we fear is the pause between our own heartbeats, the silent space that says we live only by grace. Wilderness lives by this same grace. Wild mercy is in our hands."
-Terry Tempest Williams
Destination
N37 19' 45.439" W 108 2' 33.945
Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place has been hosting guests exploring the cultures, and regions the American Southwest for decades. Off the beaten path and outside of ordinary time, guests describe the place as unique, remarkable, an unexpected treasure, a hidden gem: but mostly a sense of place. Many return to this destination again and again. Many come as guests and leave as friends.
And no wonder! We are located on 38 wild acres nestled in a surprisingly lush, extraordinary canyon- The McElmo Canyon- known for her fruit orchards, seed savers, farmers and vintners. Surrounding and within are significant National Parks dedicated to the exploration and preservation of the ancient cultures that lived here and whose ancestors still do.
An old apple orchard and other fruit trees persist here along with many mature shade trees, an abundance of birds, red rock cliffs dotted with juniper and sage, and our own personal hoodoo. Monsoons fill the pour-overs from slot canyons turning trickles into waterfalls. Wild turkeys trundle up cliff sides and within it all, Ancient Echoes of past peoples speak mythic truths to those willing to listen and hear.
We are 10.2 miles outside of Cortez, Colorado on McElmo Creek Road (County Road G). We are a perfect base camp to explore an area filled with geologic drama and rich ancestral cultures.
We are 31.5 miles from the entrance to
the UNESCO site Mesa Verde.
Hovenweep is a short jaunt up our road.
We are under Sleeping Ute Mountain.
Sand Canyon Trail head, public entrance to
Canyons of The Ancients National Monument
is a mere 2.2 miles.