The Story of Canyon Pass

Prior to the development of residential Canyon Pass, this property was part of a 1,300‐acre cattle ranch, owned and operated by Inez and Eugene “Cush” Cayton and their family. It is hard to imagine that cattle grazed in such rugged terrain. However, remnants of their lifestyle remain today in the form of their ranch house which is located within Canyon Pass atop Cayton’s Mountain. To reach the ranch house requires a vigorous hike to an elevation of about 3,500 feet. The road to the structure is an unmaintained, rutted, winding dirt road.

 Loading Pen & Well
Other reminders remain. Within the canyon, on the 5th hole of the Gallery’s North Golf Course, the developers have cleverly framed the adjacent green with one of the original wells and the original cattle loading pen with its weathered wooden fence. It’s an interesting blend of local history and sport.

A second structure, reported to be the home of the ranch foreman, still sits where it was constructed of local stones. This home is sited on the peak of the hill just South of the Canyon Pass gatehouse. There is no easy trail to the site.