Heartwood Cohousing: New Construction in an Established Community

Heartwood Cohousing is nestled in the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado. We’re an established community of 24 homes (move in was in 2000). In general, homes are hard to come by at Heartwood, but we’re adding a long-planned-for “Phase 2” with 14 new homes in 2025. This is a unique opportunity to get the benefits of a new home in a well established community.

Heartwood Cohousing enjoys 360 acres of community land, including 65 acres of irrigated pastureland and 7 miles of walking trails through Piñon, Juniper, and Ponderosa forest.

It’s a rural setting – our homes are clustered on about ten acres, surrounded by 360 acres of community land. We have a peaceful oh-so-quiet environment, tucked away in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Southwest Colorado is where the majestic San Juan Mountains meet the great southwest desert… and we’ve got one of the best climates in the country.

Heartwood is a close knit, rural community where we have nature right outside our door. The night sky is breathtaking – you may never have seen stars like we enjoy every night. It’s quiet: road noise is very far away, and rarely audible. The soundscape is mostly birds, insects, and the wind in the trees – except when you hear the kids playing on the SS Ponderosa play structure.

Breaking bread together builds community. We enjoy three community meals together each week plus special occasions, like this Easter brunch celebration.

We enjoy 360 acres of community land with 7 miles of walking trails through Piñon, Juniper, and Ponderosa forest. 300+ days of sunshine and a four season climate invites outdoor adventures year round. We have amazing access to hiking, camping, climbing, mountain biking, skiing (cross country and alpine), snowshoeing, sledding, and more – all are either either right here on our land, or just a short drive away.

We’re a thriving community of all ages. Our youngest member is just two months old and was born right here at Heartwood (having been eagerly anticipated by future playmates, along with surrogate aunties, uncles, and grandparents!). We currently have seven children in community, and on the other end of the spectrum there’s five incredibly active octogenarians. We’ve got young families, still working couples, retired couples, as well as singles – all working and playing together.

Three best friend fairy princesses play at their “Auntie Nancy’s” house while their parents enjoy some peace and quiet. Not only do kids benefit from growing up in a loving village, so do their parents.

There’s plenty of opportunity to be involved in community activities. Three times a week you can enjoy a communal meal. A monthly “work party” brings members together, and impromptu porch gatherings are common. We also have some rather outstanding parties, where you might see a 70 year age range on the dance floor!


We have an amazing abundance of amenities in the community: a gorgeous Common House, the Village Green, a fantastic kids play structure (the SS Ponderosa), a woodworking shop, a greenhouse right next to the cluster, a henhouse, laundry facilities, an exercise room, a freshly stocked library, a “Free Box” to find your next treasure in, two guest rooms, ping pong and foosball tables, seven miles of trails, tennis + pickle + basketball courts, barns and stables, tractors, a yurt, a hot tub under the stars, a sledding hill, fire circle, and 300+ acres to explore!

Women’s circle in the yurt where deep sharing builds loving connection.


Nearby Durango is a destination for athletes (especially mountain bikers). There are hundreds of miles of trails surrounding the city and beyond. There’s two ski areas (Purgatory and Wolf Creek) just an hour away, and two hot springs (Durango Hot Springs and Pagosa Hot Springs) to soak in after all your adventures.


And when you drive a bit further – there are four stunning National Parks less than 3 hours away: Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Arches, and Chaco Canyon.

Friends and neighbors enjoy a hike together during our annual fall campout in Canyonlands National Park, one of several national parks just a few hours from Heartwood.


It’s a crazy embarrassment of riches – but the most special part of Heartwood is the community…

Imagine a neighborhood designed for people to connect with each other – a peaceful and beautiful pedestrian village surrounded by nature.

Imagine a neighborhood with a deep sense of community nestled on 360 acres of forest, rolling hills, meadows, and pastureland.

Imagine coming home to the smiles of friendly faces lighting up as you walk by.

Imagine neighbors who care about each other, support each other, and have fun together.

With all of the gorgeous community landscaping, it’s as if we live in the midst of a garden, surrounded on all sides by forest and wild lands.


Heartwood Cohousing has been completely full for decades, but we’re about to start construction on 14 new homes in our long-planned Phase 2. There’s lots more information about the community and Phase 2 at http://www.heartwoodcohousing.com.

A herd of elk finds winter grazing in our pasture. We live close to nature, sharing our land with elk, deer, wild turkeys, fox, bald eagles, red tail hawks, bear, jackrabbits, and so much more.

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