North Fork Tipi Haven SUN
aeolian acres is home to the North Fork Tipi Haven & camping and North Fork Valley Hemp. We welcome you to enjoy this magical place with us.
Off-leash dogs, off-leash kids and free range parents are welcome!
The Ute Indians lived on the Western Slope for over 10,000 years and they are considered 'native' to Colorado. However, white settlers moved in and forcibly
aeolian acres is home to the North Fork Tipi Haven & camping and North Fork Valley Hemp. We welcome you to enjoy this magical place with us.
Off-leash dogs, off-leash kids and free range parents are welcome!
The Ute Indians lived on the Western Slope for over 10,000 years and they are considered 'native' to Colorado. However, white settlers moved in and forcibly removed them in 1881 to 3 separate reservations where they now live. We wish to honor the Ute's by erecting tipis in the traditional east facing location to welcome the Great Eastern Sun. The Ute's worshiped Trees and believe the poles of the tipis contain the spirit of the tree and one should give thanks to the trees for providing shelter. If you have time please visit the Ute Museum on Hwy 550 just south of Montrose.
I don't know how to right the wrongs done by my ancestors beside honoring the Ute's spirit as best we can by respecting, preserving and sharing the land with you. It is indeed a magical place with 100 year-old cottonwood, elm, box elder, juniper and sage trees in various stages of decay with Love Gulch and Farmers Irrigation Ditch running through it.
Mr. Wooten built his 'plantation style' house after houses in the panhandle of Texas where he was from, and for many years had an apple orchard on the property in the early 1900's. He built the main house over 2 log cabins and put on a second story. It was customary to build over log cabins rather than tear them down.
The North Fork Valley, encompassing Crawford, Hotchkiss and Paonia, was an important fruit orchard area for the western US in the late 1800's, its heyday being well into the early 1900's when the coal mines opened.
The valley is a banana belt perfect for fruit with the cold air coming down from the mountains at night and the heat from the mesas warming up the valley during the day. Coal mines up the road in Bowie and Somerset paid better, so many of the orchards languished over the years. Since the closing of all the mines but one, today the NFV is home to the largest concentration of organic farms in the state of Colorado, the best grass fed beef around, West Elk AVA for high altitude wines, and a world class Creative Community.
The North Fork Creative Coalition serves the multitudes of creatives that call the valley home. There are many pick-your-own peaches, cherries, apples, pears, nectarines and if we are lucky, apricots, in the valley. Delicious Orchards 1 mile down Hwy 133 is an excellent place to pick your own, drink local hard cider and listen to live music on the weekend over a wonderful brunch. It is all about the farms, art, music, outdoor adventure, fun and relaxation here in the North Fork Valley.
During the 1940's-70's, the Mowrer's operated a Hereford Bull operation on the property and the barn with the bull pens are still intact. The open field behind the house, where the oats were grown for the cow feed, is now home to the North Fork Tipi Haven.
Made sense for us to farm people and share this special piece of land with others since we purchased the property in Sept 2017. As promised by Mr. Fox, we have discovered many interesting things on the land like "scarred-trees" "twined-trees", "paired-trees" "bent-trees" and just plain ol' bizarre trees along Love Gulch that will add some interest to your visit. Strange juniper and sage trees just west of the tipis are an interesting respite to pick some sage to take home with you.
Revisit your love of paperback novels while lounging under the 100 year-old cottonwood, elm and box elder trees. The tipis are fully lined for excellent ventilation along with an 'ozan' just in case it rains...it seldom rains here. Colorado blue sky reigns most days.
The tipis are custom made by the Colorado Yurt Company in Montrose, Colorado where they have been making yurts, tents and tipis since 1976. The tipis are expertly designed and made with custom paintings invoking the animal spirits that inhabit our land. As you enter a tipi it is proper to walk in a clock-wise direction, to your left, and do not step over the wood poles. The Ute's held trees as sacred and after a night in the tipi you will understand why.
Each tipi has a new IKEA foam mattress for your comfort and we ask that you bring your own bedding. We do have bedding available for $20 and if available, we have extra twin mattresses for $10. We have solar lights but you may want to bring your flashlight, 2 private composting toilets, a camp kitchen with tables, chairs and a cook stove. We will also supply drinking water in the kitchen area. Showers are available at the local Ultra Mat in Hotchkiss, (next to Zack's BBQ with the best pie).
Our goal is your comfort and to awaken your sense of wonder by sleeping out in nature. We want you to have a reasonable place to stay while you enjoy the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River. You can visit the many wineries, fruit orchards, organic farms, farm-to-table restaurants, world class classical music at the Blue Sage, interesting movies at the community owned Paradise Theater, art at the Creamery in Hotchkiss, stand-up paddle boarding, WSSUP, at Crawford reservoir, mountain biking in Grand Mesa, hiking in the West Elks, rafting down the Gunnison river in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park or relaxing in one of many hot springs within an hour of us.
Come and visit one of the last 'non-tourist' areas of Colorado and if you really must ...Aspen, Crested Butte (over Kebler Pass), Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, Grand Junction and Telluride all are about 1.3 hours away by car. We highly recommend driving over Kebler Pass to Crested Butte for a day of exploring.
We are 420 friendly.
- Check in: After 1PM
- Check out: Before 11AM
- Cancellation policy: Moderate
- On arrival: Go straight to camp
- Minimum nights: 1 night
- Accepts bookings: 12 months out
Activities
Offered on the Host's property or nearby.
Boating
Crawford Reservoir is the closest place to boat.
Horseback riding
Let us know if you want to ride horses and we can help to arrange it for you guided by a real live mountain man.
Paddling
Stand-up paddle board at Crawford Reservoir with WASSUP.
Whitewater paddling
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is only 10 miles away in Crawford.
Terrain
Natural features you'll find at North Fork Tipi Haven SUN in Colorado.
Desert
We are considered high-plains desert to the west, and alpine forest to the east.
Forest
There are many forest within 30 minutes of us if you want to commune with the trees. The easiest forest to access in over McClu...Read more
Hot spring
Glenwood Springs is an hour drive. Closer is Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs near Carbondale and my favorite is Orvis Hot Springs i...Read more
Lake
Crawford Reservoir is 12 miles away with boating, fishing and swimming. Curecanti National Recreation Area is about 1.3 hours a...Read more
Mesa or canyon
North Fork Tipi Haven is at the base of Sunshine Mesa along Love Gulch with a view of Gunnison, Lamborn and Lands End peaks in ...Read more
Mountainous
We have a stunning view of the West Elk Mountains with many hikes to choose from, about 20 minute drive.
River, stream or creek
NFTH is located in the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Most of the river is on private property, however, there is access to ...Read more
Farm
We grow hemp for hemp flower to make CBD oil. Our plans include an orchard and a white birch forest.
Ranch
We grow hemp for hemp flower to make CBD oil. Our plans include an orchard and a white birch forest.
The vibe at North Fork Tipi Haven SUN
Places to see near North Fork Tipi Haven & Camping
Great campsite and the nearby town was adorable too!
The host, Karen, was so communicative and helpful before my visit. Unfortunately we had to leave earlier than expected, but the tipis and the location are absolutely beautiful. Hotchkiss is also a very cool little town, and only about a 5-10 minute drive away. Overall an awesome property in a really gorgeous area. Looking forward to coming back.


We had a fantastic time camping in the tipis and would definitely come back. Karen & Tony are friendly and welcoming hosts. The community kitchen is well stocked with cooking supplies, the tipis are clean, and the property is great for exploration.
This is a lovely opportunity to spend the night in one of the most scenic places in the lower US. The teepee's are lovely and the hosts are pleasant. I highly recommend
This is a stunning spot overlooking the North Gunnison River. Karen and Tony's four tipis face the rising sun to the east while a small creek behind them provides an intimate escape from the sun and heat. Whether you're relaxing with your morning coffee watching the sunrise behind Landsend Peak and Saddle Mountain or grilling dinner by the stream in the little kitchen area peaceful thoughts and peace of mind come easy here.
Tony and Karen are friendly and helpful without being overbearing as some hosts tend to be. They help out with friendly suggestions on which wineries to see and what's the best place to view the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from.
I stayed in the Sun Tipi and in the morning the interior of the tipi had more in common with stained glass than it did a tent. The painted sides came alive with the sun. Then when you step outside and get to experience the entire valley before you springing with green and life as vibrant as the colors on the side of the tipi.




This place is AMAZING. We ended up not making it in until late at night, but were greeted with a lit path to our beautiful tipi and a lantern on the porch (which was perfect for stargazing). It rained overnight, but the tipi was completely waterproof! The inside was pristine and there were even little candles that you could light - I wish we had brought matches! I loved that our site was right next to the well-maintained compostable toilet too. In the morning, the view was incredible!! We had the best day + I wish we had been able to spend more time making a fire or doing yoga on our tipi deck. We will be back for sure!
We arrived to Tony tending to his cute garden and warm greetings, then showing us around and giving a tour of the tipis/grounds shortly thereafter. The tipis themselves are well made and surprisingly spacious and a bed is supplied so don’t forget to bring sheets and pillow. We know there is a bathroom but didn’t realize it’s a compost toilet so that was quite a first experience - and there’s a mini instruction on the door that’ll guide you. Such a unique experience in a private space and well made tipis and you may also expect some guest animals around your tipi at night. We may have had an elk loitering around the front of ours but no harm done!

Great place, we enjoyed our stay! We would definitely go back. Would recommend packing your own dish towels as those provided in the camp cook area were soiled. The camp kitchen itself was clean and well appointed.
A perfect two night getaway- peaceful and beautiful and so much fun! The tipi was perfect, the view was amazing and the box of brochures and pamphlets about the are was great. The campsite was clean, the directions were easy to follow and there were kitchen supplies, a great propane stove available for camp coffee and the composting toilet was not intimidating. We had a marvelous time with a gorgeous view and will definitely come back! Thanks for creating such a fun place to escape!
- Property
- North Fork Tipi Haven & Camping
- State
- Colorado
- $50/night
- 1 Site