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Trail West Lodge and Trail West Village were part of the dream of Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Life.

Rayburn had a vision for Young Life’s “Guest Ranch” which would become Trail West Lodge, as we know it today. On April 4, 1959, Young Life purchased a 640-acre ranch, west of Buena Vista, for the price of $38,500. Rancho Caballo became home for the herd of 120 horses being used at the Young Life camps nearby.

In 1960, Young Life allowed friends of Young Life the opportunity to contribute $1,500 towards the building of Trail West Lodge, and for $100 they could purchase a plot of land in a planned community adjacent to Trail West Lodge — thus becoming Trail West Village.

In 1963 the first chalets began construction, and by 1970, 109 plots had been sold with 26 chalets built. Today there are over 108 homes. Trail West Village is truly a special place.

Board meetings are held at the TWA Maintenance Shed, 18300 Rio Hondo Drive, at 7:00 PM unless owners are notified otherwise. Zoom participation details are emailed to owners ahead of each meeting.

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This page will provide information on our community’s ongoing wildfire prevention plans and actions.

Trail West Village is in a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) — a transitional area where communities and natural wildlands meet. This puts us at a high risk for wildfires, as it connects human-built structures with flammable natural fuels, increasing the potential for ignition, property loss, and human safety issues.

The community has for years worked to minimize wildfire risks by regular engagement in fire mitigation activities. More recently we have started the process to have our community recognized by the national Firewise program. This demonstrates our commitment to continued actions and investment to make our community more secure against wildfires.