Miner Creek Ranch

The Miner Creek Ranch is located just three miles west of the historic town of Jackson, Montana, in the southern portion of the Big Hole Valley. Nestled at the foot of the towering Bitterroot Mountain Range, the ranch has two key components for a high producing grass ranch: deep fertile soil and water, lots of water. These two factors are what have made the Big Hole Valley famous as some of the best cattle country in Montana.

Access:

Access to the ranch could not be better, with Miner Creek Road running along both the eastern and southern boundaries of the deeded property. The Miner Creek Road is a well maintained, gravel county road that provides year round access to the handful of ranches located in this part of the valley.

Acreage:

The Miner Creek Ranch has been historically used as irrigated summer pasture and leased to a neighboring ranch. It is fenced into five separate pastures, four of which are irrigated with water rights out of Miner Creek. The property is mostly flat with just a 2% slope to the northeast, this makes flood irrigation very simple and effective.

Acreage Breakdown:

1280 + Deeded

Improvements:

The property is mostly unimproved with the exception of perimeter and cross fencing and a small set of loading corrals. All the necessary ditches and headgates for irrigating are in place and in good working order. There are a variety of suitable homesites available throughout the ranch.

State Lease:

The 640+/- acre State Lease is both a functional and beautiful addition to the deeded property. It has a carrying capacity of 137 AUMs (Animal Unit Months), that can be used from July 1 to October 1, each year. The lease was just renewed and is good through 2014. The leased land is mostly covered with timber and is teeming with wildlife.

Elevation, Climate & Precipitation:

Elevation on the ranch ranges from 6,600 to 6,800 ft with a climate typical of its high mountain valley setting. Spring comes late with winter snows usually melting off in mid- to late-May. Summer temperatures range from 80s as day time highs to 40s as nighttime lows. Most of the yearly precipitation comes in the form of snow between November and March.

Recreation & Wildlife:

The Miner Creek Ranch is not an all work and no play ranch by any means! With its ideal location, amenities and one mile of National Forest boundary, recreation is as close as your own backdoor. There are a number of mountain lakes within hiking distance of the ranch. Fishing can be found at these lakes or just down the road on the famed Big Hole River. As fall approaches the valley turns into a hunting mecca for big game such as elk, deer and moose. The winter months offer endless snowmobiling opportunities. For the skier Lost Trail Powder Mountain and Maverick Mountain are each less than an hour away.

Conservation Easement:

Miner Creek Ranch would be a good prospect for a conservation easement. The easement would preserve and maintain the natural resources along with the ecological, scenic, aesthetic and open space of the area.

Broker's Comments:

"Good irrigated grass ranches of this size do not often come available in the Big Hole Valley. Don't miss out on this opportunity to own this great producing piece of the Big Hole Valley." Tom Bramlette- Broker/Owner