Originally settled and worked by the Glassier family in the mid 1910's, Rock Bottom Ranch has historically involved the complex interaction between agriculture and the natural systems along the Roaring Fork River. By the late 1930's, Kelly Grange married into the Glassier family and he continued to ranch on the property until the early 60's. The Granges primarily grew hay and potatoes and ran cattle. The "Spud Train" traveling on the former railroad (now the Rio Grande bike path) would rattle past the Ranch with car after car overflowing with strawberries in the summer and potatoes in the fall. In the early 1960's, Kelly sold the ranch and moved his family to Grand Junction. Over the years, the Ranch passed through several more hands and was ultimately purchased in 1973 by Charlie Cole who turned it into a horse ranch.

In 1999, ACES purchased a 113-acre parcel from Mr. Cole with an agreement to protect the property's important riparian habitat and to broaden ACES' educational and scientific outreach programs throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. A conservation easement on the property ensures that it will always offer winter range and unobstructed river access for resident herds of elk and mule deer. By employing minimal management practices, Rock Bottom Ranch helps to enhance the biodiversity and ecological health of the land. This hands-off approach provides opportunities for heron, hawk and owl nesting grounds, and provides habitat to a myriad of wildlife including bear, coyote, bobcat, weasel, and beaver.

In addition to the riparian corridor, another 28 acres of the Ranch's wet meadows and sub-irrigated pastures have been restored to valuable wetland habitat. Along with providing grasses to wintering ungulate herds, these meadows provide nesting grounds for Wilson's Snipes, as well as Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.