Hughes Creek Homestead

Darby, Montana
$995,000- PRICE REDUCED!

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Pick from multiple homesites on this end-of-the-road property deep within the Allen Mountain Roadless Area. Unparalleled privacy in a wilderness setting, this 270±-acre property offers a unique situation high above the West Fork of the Bitterroot River in Montana. Four miles of Hughes Creek run through this property, providing a magnet for big game animals and outstanding opportunities for private days of fly-fishing for native cutthroat trout. This property shares the last six miles of road with two other owners; and for the last two-and-a-half miles, it is the exclusive right-of-way for the owner of this roadless area inholding. For privacy, seclusion and unbeatable hunting, this is a rare and exceptional property.

Hughes Creek is on the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Located approximately 75 minutes southwest of Darby, Montana, the property is reached by traveling the scenic West Fork Road, past Painted Rocks Reservoir. Once past Painted Rocks, the county-maintained Hughes Creek Road continues about eight miles until it becomes Forest Service Road #1040. One mile up this road one reaches a locked gate where a private access road leads to the property boundary approximately two miles further on. Commercial jet service is located two hours and forty-five minutes away in Missoula which is serviced by Delta, Horizon, Alaska Air, Northwest, United and Allegiant. The Ravalli County Airport in nearby Hamilton features a 4,200’ fully lighted airstrip available for private aviation.

The Bitterroot Valley was the location of the first Anglo settlement in Montana in the mid-1850s. Traditionally, logging and ranching were economic mainstays and much of the valley still retains its rural charm. Unlike the lower Bitterroot, the higher and wilder country of the upper West Fork of the Bitterroot River wasn’t actively settled until gold was discovered in Hughes Creek in the early 1860s. By the end of the 19th Century, nearby Alta, Montana was a bustling mining town with over 500 inhabitants. It was at Alta on the banks of Hughes Creek that the United States Forest Service constructed its first ranger cabin, the Alta Ranger Station.

Hughes Creek Homestead lies within the Allan Mountain Roadless Area. This 35,367-acre federally protected area provides a critical wildland biological corridor link between the Continental Divide and the Greater Salmon-Selway Ecosystem. From the Hughes Creek property one can ride or walk directly into the Selway-Bitterroot or Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas, providing endless wilderness adventures for the outdoor enthusiast on over a million acres of federally protected public land.

The nearby town of Darby provides basic goods and services including grocery shopping, postal services and local cultural events, such as the famous Darby Logger Days, where lumberjacks from around the country test their skills in an old-time festival sure to please a variety of people. The nearby Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area provides western Montana’s best powder snow-skiing and other winter recreational pursuits on adjacent public lands.

The Bitterroot Valley is a low elevation, broad Montana valley that defines Big Sky Country. The property itself is located in the upper reaches of the Bitterroot at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 6,400 feet above sea level and therefore provides a cooler, more moist environment. While data for the Hughes Creek drainage is not specifically available, the main Bitterroot Valley experiences a mild climate with high readings of above 90 degrees less than 20 days each year. Winter daytime highs average in the 30s. High winds are rare, both in the main valley and the protected Hughes Creek area, although significant snowfall is common above 6,000 feet.

The property is accessed directly from Bitterroot National Forest Road #1040. As one progresses upstream on this road, the canyon narrows and the flanks of Quartzite Mountain begin to drop in from the north. Passing the remains of turn-of-the-century placer mining activity and several small ponds to the south, one enters the property through mature second-growth timber about two miles beyond the locked gate. From here, the property extends approximately four miles upstream in a long series of narrow parcels, passing a small cabin at the one-mile mark and several suitable building sites. The driveable portion of the road ends approximately 1.5 miles into the property. From there, one may continue on foot, past the trout-filled meanders of Hughes Creek and other excellent building sites. Throughout its length, this property runs along the base of the south-facing aspect of Quartzite Mountain, with its grassy slopes and open stands of old growth ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and other typical western species.

There are no improvements on the property. The road is in good condition for 1.5 miles. Beyond this point, road maintenance is required. Phone service is already installed to the end of the driveable portion of road.

The upper reaches of the West Fork of the Bitterroot, including Hughes Creek, are renowned in Montana for big game hunting, particularly trophy quality elk and mule deer. Hughes Creek itself features outstanding wildlife habitat that attracts and retains a variety of wildlife throughout the year, from big game to small mammals and migratory songbirds. The riparian vegetation along the creek provides dense thermal and security cover for moose, elk, deer, black bear and other species. On adjacent uplands, wildfires have created a mosaic of meadows and forest leading into the Allan Mountain Roadless Area. Classic western scenery is provided by grassy openings and mature ponderosa on the exposed south-facing slopes, while across the valley the densely forested north slopes offer shelter and security that hold wildlife during all but the harshest winter months. Finally, because there is no ready access to the Hughes Creek drainage for the public, big game accumulates in this drainage during the regular hunting season, being pushed in by rifle hunters from Idaho to the south and other public lands to the north.

Hughes Creek offers an intimate fishery teeming with native cutthroat trout in the six- to twelve-inch range. Virtually every cast brings a fish to the surface in this rarely fished creek. The property contains four miles of Hughes Creek, characterized by slow meanders, riffles and small falls created by deadfall. Together, these resources create a vibrant, healthy fishery in a completely private setting. Nearby, the West Fork of the Bitterroot River provides renowned fishing for larger trout, particularly during the legendary skwala, salmonfly and caddis hatches that characterize many of the healthy fisheries in western Montana.

270±

Cash at closing

The property contains one water right of 2.5 CFS for mining/placer mining from April 1 to October 31. This right may be convertible to a hydropower use.

Property taxes are approximately $298.55 per year.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES – Hall and Hall’s Management Division has a very clear mission – to represent the owner and to ensure that his or her experience is a positive one. Services are customized to suit the owner’s needs. They often begin with the recruiting and hiring of a suitable ranch manager or caretaker and are followed by the development of a management or operating plan along with appropriate budgets. Ongoing services include bill paying, occasional or full time oversight, and periodic consulting services as needed. Even the most sophisticated and experienced ranch owners find it comforting to have a management firm representing them and providing advice on local area practices and costs. Wes Oja and Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or Randy Clavel at (303) 861-8282 are available to describe and discuss these services further and welcome your call.

RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT SERVICES – Increasingly the value of a ranch is measured by the quality of each and every one of its resources. Coincidentally the enhancement of a ranch’s resources also increases the pleasure that one derives from the ownership of a ranch. We have established a separate division whose primary function is to assess everything from wildlife habitat to bird habitat to water resources and fisheries and then oversee the process involved with the enhancement of these resources. Peter Weber at (406) 587-3090 and Wes Oja at (406) 656-7500 are available to describe and discuss these services further and welcome your call.

SPECIALIZED LENDING - Over the past 59 years Hall and Hall has created a legacy by efficiently providing capital to the intermountain west. In addition to traditional farm and ranch loans, we specialize in understanding the unique aspects of placing loans on ranches where value may be influenced by recreational features, location and improvements and repayment may come from outside sources. Our extensive experience and strong relationships with our lenders allows us to quickly tell you whether we can provide the required financing.

Competitive Pricing ● Flexible Terms ● Efficient Processing
In-House Appraisals ● Common Sense Underwriting
Dave Roddy ● (406) 656-7500 ● Billings, MT office