Clear Creek Ranch

Red Lodge, Montana
$995,000- PRICE REDUCED!

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The Clear Creek Ranch is a conveniently located homestead ranch of 226± deeded acres only four miles from Red Lodge. It includes some classic older but useable buildings in a lovely setting with dramatic views of the Beartooth Front. It is a productive ranch with 160 of its acres subject to irrigation where high-quality horse hay is raised. One-half mile of Clear Creek passes through the ranch and offers good trout fishing in a small meadow stream.

The Clear Creek Ranch is accessed by gravel county road just four miles north of Red Lodge, Montana. It is also just over 60 miles southwest of Billings, which is Montana’s largest city and offers excellent commercial and private air service. There is seasonal or regular nonstop service from Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Red Lodge boasts its own paved strip that will handle small private jets.

The ranch lies on an undulating open bench just north of Red Lodge. This area is characterized by small productive cattle and hay ranches that take advantage of the extensive water resources for irrigation. This is one of the few areas of Montana where homesteads are productive enough to sustain a family, hence the many small ranches in the area that have survived over the years.

The greater region encompassing the property continues the same theme of smaller ranches that have increasingly become recreational in nature due to the rich natural resources, aesthetic values and proximity to Billings and the other attractive smaller communities in the immediate area. Red Lodge is considered one of the gateways to Yellowstone National Park and is situated at the base of Montana’s highest mountain range known locally as the “Beartooths.” It also boasts its own very challenging ski area and, with its mining heritage, Red Lodge is often likened to Aspen but on a much more modest scale. Traditional ranching still remains strong as this is some of the most productive grass country in the state and even the more recreationally oriented owners find their land to be in strong demand from the many remaining area ranchers.

The hub of this area is the eclectic small town of Red Lodge. Red Lodge lies on the northern end of the Beartooth National Scenic Byway (also known as the Beartooth Highway) and is the launching or receiving point for those who venture across what is deemed to be the most scenic highway in North America. Downtown Red Lodge hosts a variety of services and includes quality dining, accommodations, galleries and other boutique establishments. Red Lodge Ski Area is also a mainstream attraction for winter enthusiasts. Cultural events extend all year with outdoor concerts, festivals, etc. For an out of the ordinary event, one can attend the pig races at Bear Creek Downs which is also a saloon and steak house located just minutes from downtown.

There is a strong commitment to conservation in the area through easements and also through strong ownership. The Beartooth Front is well-guarded by prominent landowners that are dedicated to preserving the landscape and agricultural integrity of their lands. The Clear Creek Ranch represents a comfortable-sized holding in a relatively tightly held area.

Average elevation on the ranch is over 5,000 feet above sea level. Winter generally has settled in before Christmas where average temperatures range from 10 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit with occasional Chinook winds that cause 50-degree plus temperatures throughout the region periodically through the winter months. Temperatures in the early winter months can also fall well below zero which, when offset by the Chinooks, can create huge temperature fluctuations. On average 122 inches of snow will fall annually with three to seven inches on average standing on the ground though the colder months.

The transitional seasons always provide dramatic weather patterns and spring time is perhaps the most notable. Average temperatures range from 18 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit with as much as half of the 21 inches of annual precipitation falling between March and June. Fall tends to be very pleasant in September and October and often through November but dramatic reminders of winter forthcoming are demonstrated by early mountain snows. Average fall temperatures range from 20 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit with a generally predictable “Indian Summer” that occurs in October. Precipitation is drastically decreased during this period and aside from the short prefaces to winter, the fall season is generally a pleasant time of year.

The summer months are very comfortable. Warm but not excessively hot days are highlighted by cool summer nights. Average temperatures range from 43 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The moisture content in the air is quite low so even in the colder times, most people find the climate here to be very pleasant as compared to many four-season parts of the world.

As one can tell from the photographs, the Clear Creek Ranch consists primarily of verdant, flat to rolling irrigated lands that are punctuated by the building compound and the riparian corridor along Clear Creek. The two overwhelming characteristics of the property are its lush productivity and its awe-inspiring views of the Beartooth front which basically dominates the southerly viewshed. The Clear Creek corridor is not particularly obvious as it is a somewhat meandering meadow stream with substantial water flows, offering surprisingly good fishing.

The existing structures on the ranch include a picturesque old barn, a very small but habitable stone house and an extremely useful 36’ x 72’ cedar-sided shop building on a concrete foundation with a dirt floor. There are some other miscellaneous outbuildings including a small guest cabin.

The ranch is currently leased out to a local rancher on a calendar-year basis who splits the payment of a $9,000 annual rental between the spring and the fall. The lease, which is a verbal agreement, may be cancelled at the end of any year with a 60-day notice period. He both grazes cattle and puts up around 300 tons of hay on about 90 acres. The tenant is responsible for maintenance of the property and the owner has retained the buildings for his own use and is responsible for capital improvements, taxes and insurance.

While the ranch is too small to operate as a stand-alone ranch, productive properties like this are always in demand. This area is famous for the quality of its hay which is shipped all over the U.S. for the race horse stables.

Irrigation to the ranch’s hay fields is provided from a delivery ditch known as the Pleasant Valley Canal which has good water rights out of Rock Creek. There are around 18 to 20 owners of this ditch company and the canal provides generally predictable water flows in all but the driest years when its flows can be cut in half. The ranch’s water rights call for 160 miner’s inches. There are a couple of areas on the ranch that are suitable for aquatic development should an owner desire a pond or wetland. The current owner actually had a permit to construct a pond but has let it lapse. Copies of the filed water rights are available upon request.

The ranch provides a home for a small population of whitetail deer and is a haven for a variety of non-game bird and animal species.

Clear Creek is an excellent, albeit little known, trout stream. It is crying out for attention because the current management concentrates more on livestock and hay production than the development of a fishery. It rises just a few miles above the ranch and is fed by springs and some return flow from irrigation.

226±

The Clear Creek Ranch is comprised of 226.33± deeded acres with well over one-half mile of Clear Creek meandering through. With 160 acres classified as tillable irrigated land, the balance is grazing land or tied up in the home site.

Cash at closing or seller has agreed to consider providing some level of financing to a financially qualified buyer.

All minerals owned by the seller will be transferred to the buyer at closing.

The property taxes for 2008 were $1,540.19.

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, ranch oversight, and consulting services as needed. Even the most sophisticated and experienced ranch owners appreciate the value of 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 in detail 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. Our management services have included the assessment of everything from wildlife habitat to bird habitat to water resources and fisheries and the subsequent oversight of the process involved with the enhancement of these resources. Wes Oja or Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 are available to describe and discuss these services in detail 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
Mike Hall, Judy Chirila, or Randy Clavel ● (303) 861-8282
Monte Lyons ● (806) 698-6882