Richmil Ranch has 352 acres of open space within the East Bijou Creek drainage basin and is about ½ mile northwest of the Town of Deer Trail. This open space preserves Colorado agricultural heritage and provides sweeping views of the eastern plains. The property has a covered picnic area and soft surface trails (3. 5 miles) for walking, running or horse riding.

The open space features a restored windmill, which historically drew water for a livestock pond and now works to fill a pond for wildlife use. The open space also has a defunct irrigation pivot allowing visitors to see how famers watered their crops. Arapahoe County is in the process of exploring the replacement of this irrigation pivot and returning the land to a productive field.

Richmil Ranch preserves a grasslands prairie ecosystem with abundant plant species and is home to mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, wild turkey, migratory birds and a variety of small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. 

History

Richmil Ranch has a rich agricultural history of cattle and sheep grazing and crop production.

During the 1800s, Deer Trail was a major railroad hub for the Kansas Pacific Railway system. Cattle barons in the area grazed cattle on the open range due to its proximity to the railroad.

The world’s first rodeo happened in Deer Trail on July 4, 1869 and continues today, preserving the culture and life of the early West.