Rugged and secluded, Cottonwood Ranch encompasses 2,748± contiguous, deeded acres at the southernmost edge of the Pioneer Mountains 50 miles east of the airport in Hailey. The ranch is bordered on the east and south by Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and on the northwest by Blizzard Mountain, which, at nearly 9,300 feet, is the last high point before the Pioneers plunge dramatically into the Snake River Plain. The property is remarkably diverse and features a network of steep ridgelines, aspen-laced draws and hillsides, gently sloping sagebrush flats, year-round creeks, sub-irrigated meadows, and seasonal ponds and wetlands. Views from the ranch are expansive and extend south for over 80 miles across the grasslands and lava flows of the Great Rift to the Albion Mountains near the Utah border. The property teems with elk and mule deer and, because of its size, qualifies for a landowner appreciation program permit for controlled big game hunts in Idaho hunt unit 50. A multitude of other species call the ranch home, including pronghorn, moose, sage grouse, forest grouse, chukar, and gray partridge.
Highlighted by strong perennial grasses, the ranch offers excellent grazing resources and, along with a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing permit, supports summer and fall cattle use. Cottonwood Creek flows from the southern flank of Blizzard Mountain through stands of cottonwood, aspen, and willow and provides water for two irrigation rights covering approximately 50 acres. Adjoining federal and state lands and one other private ranch holding, Cottonwood Ranch is part of a large, undeveloped landscape that features exceptional public lands and nearly 100,000 acres of conserved private lands. Jointly managed by the National Park Service and BLM, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve received its original monument designation in 1924 and encompasses ancient lava flows and over 400 square miles of protected sagebrush steppe grasslands. The visitor center and headquarters for Craters of the Moon is located a few miles east of the ranch. Primary access to the property is from U.S. Highway 20/26 following the route of the historic Goodale’s Cutoff of the Oregon Trail. This is a seasonal road that crosses BLM lands for approximately three miles before ending at a private gate that leads to the heart of the property. A conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy covers Cottonwood Ranch and allows for a broad set of agricultural, recreational, and residential uses.
