Dry Creek Ranch

Red Lodge, Montana
$1,450,000

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The Dry Creek Ranch is a 720± acre unimproved ranch ideally located within minutes of the resort community of Red Lodge, Montana. It offers a rolling topography, divided in part by a private valley with a small spring-fed stream, Dry Creek, coursing though it. The ranch also includes irrigated bottom lands along a mile of frontage on Volney Creek, providing balance in the form of a good hay base for winter feed. It offers a combination of meadows, riparian area and foothill range with a number of very nice-feeling home sites that would feature both a comfortable setting and dramatic views of the Beartooth front.

The Dry Creek Ranch is accessed off of State Highway 78 along Volney Creek Road, approximately 16 miles northwest of Red Lodge. Billings, Montana’s largest city, lies approximately 50 miles northeast of the ranch providing commercial and private air service. Delta, United, Horizon, Big Sky and Frontier Airlines provide multiple fights each day to and from the hub cities of Salt Lake City, Seattle, Minneapolis and Denver.

State Highway 78 provides paved access to within approximately four miles of the ranch where Volney Creek Road, a county-maintained road, provides graveled year- round access to and through the property.

The ranch enjoys massive, panoramic views of the towering Beartooth front, which hosts some of the tallest peaks in Montana. The Beartooth Plateau levels off at 11,000 feet where the famous Beartooth Highway crosses it above the tree line connecting the community of Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park. A dedicated wilderness area encompasses a large portion of this range, ensuring that this pristine region that adjoins Yellowstone Park will remain intact and unspoiled.

The greater region encompassing the property is comprised of medium-sized foothill and bottomland ranches that were settled over 100 years ago. Many of these have become recreationally driven holdings over recent decades due to the rich natural resources, aesthetic values and proximity to Billings and the other attractive, smaller communities in the immediate area. 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 area ranchers.

Many smaller towns are within minutes of the ranch, with some providing amenities such as schools, grocery stores, banking and other services. Some of these communities, such as Roscoe, are nothing more than a post office and a bar/restaurant known in this case as the Grizzly Bar and Café which serves enormous steaks, juicy burgers and micro-brewed beers. Locals gather in these establishments, bumping elbows with visiting fishermen, hunters and a variety of travelers that are exploring this very scenic region. Other nearby towns include Dean, Nye and Absarokee, all within a 30-minute drive of the ranch.

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 a saloon and steak house located just minutes from downtown.

There is a strong commitment to conservation in the area through conservation 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. Increasingly this has become an area of the state where large land acquisitions have become a rare event due to the dwindling supply of offerings. The ranch enjoys the protection offered by many of these larger landowners.

Average elevation on the ranch is 4,600 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 combined with 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 over 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 most four-season parts of the world.

The Dry Creek Ranch is a little over one square mile in scale and is accessed off an under-utilized county-maintained gravel road. The entire ranch is accessible with a vehicle or ATV. The property consists of rolling grassy hills. A protected valley along its western side encompasses Dry Creek, a small perennial stream that is a tributary of Volney Creek. The ranch drops down and includes a mile of the Volney Creek with its irrigated riparian bottom lands and dense willowed banks, beaver dams and cattail wetlands creating an intriguing wildlife habitat further promoted by the adjacent food sources.

From the hilltops the views of the Beartooths south of the ranch are truly world-class. Due to its rolling topography the ranch has a much larger feeling than its acreage would indicate and gives one a greater level of privacy. The prime homesites give the effect of being able to see out without others seeing in. These strategic build sites take into account the outstanding southern exposure as well as the magnificent views.

There are no deed restrictions to prevent an owner from taking advantage of the landscape and in fact the land would qualify for a conservation easement and be consistent with the conservation ethic of the surrounding land ownership.

Currently there are no structures on the ranch.

The ranch lands are conducive to a number of different options. The irrigated lands can be leased out for hay production to the surrounding landowners with the balance of the land used as a “homesite” or for early season grazing. Alternatively the productive grounds can be utilized to support a few head of cattle and/or a handful of horses. Several different pastures can be created to host the livestock in rotation. Ideally this would be a place to have a small horse operation. The rolling hills are ideal for riding and there is enough level ground on the ranch to improve into pastures.

Typical production of the irrigated grounds has been two tons per acre. Small grains such as wheat, barley and oats can also be grown and are periodically rotated with the hay production.

There are 200 shares of the Weast Ditch Company that provide water for irrigating the ranch’s 90 flood-irrigated acres. This water originates out of the East Rosebud River. This basin has not yet been adjudicated by the Montana Water Court and these rights are subject to that. Copies of the filed water rights are available upon request.

Generally speaking, Volney Creek is too warm and carries too much sediment from its rich soil banks to support a cold water fishery. There is, however, a large variety of wildlife that resides on the ranch and surrounding lands. Game species such as whitetail and mule deer thrive in good numbers across the property. Antelope and Hungarian partridge inhabit the rolling hills, with a growing population of pheasants in the bottomland riparian areas and adjacent grain fields which, with proper management, could thrive. Waterfowl also favor the riparian lands and roost along the creek.

There is a good volume of game species that thrive on the ranch making it quite suitable for hunting. A host of non-game species such as raptors, herons, songbirds and other fur-bearing animals also are present in good numbers.

720±

Dry Creek Ranch is comprised of 720± deeded acres with 90 acres of irrigated lands.

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

Unknown at this time.

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 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