The Paradise Ranch on the South Fork Bench is located towards the tail end of the famous canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Snake River. Comprised of 307± deeded acres and bordering Caribou - Targhee National Forest on all but one boundary, the ranch offers a diverse blend of rolling hills, agricultural grasslands, expansive aspen groves and conifers to sagebrush steppe and willow thickets along the various draws throughout the ranch. The terrain transitions gently from the forested lands downhill to the steep, rocky cliffs overlooking the beautiful waters and vistas of the South Fork Canyon located just a stone’s throw from the property boundary. Here you will enjoy some of the best fly fishing waters in the West.
The Paradise Ranch on the South Fork Bench offers an incoming owner the opportunity to own one of the few private inholdings along this coveted stretch of canyon. A landscape rich in conservation and preservation, the ranch represents a truly wild and scenic retreat for future generations to enjoy world-class wildlife, recreation, and fishing on the South Fork of the Snake River, just a stone’s throw from the ranch.
Located in southeast Idaho’s Bonneville County, the Paradise Ranch is set in a mountainous region along the South Fork Bench, essentially surrounded by Caribou-Targhee National Forest with its 1.6 million acres of public lands literally out your back gate.
Idaho Falls is the nearest city with over 60,000 residents and is just a short 35-minute drive from the ranch. Here you will find all major city amenities including an array of restaurants, shopping, a commercial airport, and the region’s largest health care hub, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC). Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks is a scenic drive just under two hours from the ranch.
The South Fork of the Snake Canyon remains relatively undeveloped thanks to various groups and agencies committed to preserving this precious corridor. For nearly 30 years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Teton Regional Land Trust, the Conservation Fund, and the Nature Conservancy of Idaho have worked tirelessly with conservation partners and willing landowners to protect much of the land you see as you float down the river. There are over 20,000 acres of protected lands along the South Fork of the Snake and the lower Henry’s Fork River thanks to numerous conservation easements.
The South Fork of the Snake River has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM due to its highly valued wildlife habitat, corridors, and native fishery, which is home to the highest concentration of Yellowstone cutthroat trout. This unique designation brings with it special management attention and resources to the fishery and wildlife resources, as well as its historic, cultural, agricultural, and scenic values.
Conservation Easement: There is an existing conservation easement in place on the Paradise Ranch with the Teton Regional Land Trust (www.tetonlandtrust.org). The easement allows for the continued operation of a viable farming and ranching operation along with the development of a “floating” residential building envelope not to exceed ten acres in size. A copy of the conservation easement can be provided upon request.
$389.90 in 2019
The Paradise Ranch on the South Fork Bench overlooks the canyon stretch of this world-class fishery. From the ranch, it is a short hike or ride down to the river with national forest in between. The South Fork proudly holds title as the top native Yellowstone cutthroat fishery in the West thanks to continued efforts and management of Idaho Fish and Game, local outfitters, and anglers who have adopted primarily catch and release ethics. This tailwater fishery flows out of Palisades Dam on the Idaho/Wyoming border and flows northwest for 66 miles through high mountain valleys, rugged canyon, and broad flood plains to its confluence with the Henry’s Fork River near Menan Buttes, west of Rexburg, Idaho.
The river boasts a tremendous diversity of hatches throughout the fishing season with both aquatic flies and terrestrials. Anglers will enjoy healthy populations of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, rainbows, and browns ranging anywhere from 12 inches to as large as 27 inches.
The Paradise Ranch offers incredible fishing on the South Fork River and also serves as a great staging spot for day trips to some of the best fisheries in the West. Idaho’s Henry’s Fork, Fall River, and Teton Rivers are all within an hour’s drive from the ranch with the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Montana’s Madison River at just two hours away.
The ranch is home to a diverse mix of wildlife. This area of the South Fork River Canyon serves as a critical migratory corridor for elk and deer as they head to their winter range. Some will stay on the ranch during the late season migration as it offers great habitat, shelter and forage. Wildlife observed on the ranch include elk, deer, moose, black bears, and red fox. Birds of prey are also abundant as they use the ranch’s cliffs and trees for nesting and hunting perches overlooking the river and fields below. The ranch is surrounded by over 1.6 million acres of national forest and BLM lands offering seemingly endless trails for year-round activities including horseback riding, hiking, biking, or ATV’s and snowmobiles.
