The Rocking M Ranch is located in western Idaho at the south end of Hells Canyon, 30 miles from the ranching and farming community of Weiser which is the county seat for Washington County. Boise, Idaho and its commercial airport are approximately 75 miles southeast of Weiser. The ranch totals 35,550± acres with 17,900± acres of deeded land. The balance of the ranch is comprised of two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing permits and a State of Idaho grazing lease, each of which is exclusive to the ranch.
The property extends for 13± miles along Brownlee Reservoir, which impounds the Snake River and separates Idaho and Oregon, and borders the Payette National Forest for nearly 7 miles. Ranging from 2,100 feet in elevation along the reservoir to over 5,800 feet atop Iron Mountain, the ranch encompasses a diverse mix of canyons, ridgelines, mesas, timbered and brushy slopes, grasslands, springs, and year-round creeks and is home to abundant wildlife including elk, mule deer, and a mix of upland gamebirds.
A 6,100± square foot log residence, known as Mountain Man Lodge, with 11 bedrooms and 7 baths built in 1980 is perched above Brownlee at the mouth of Dennett Creek and offers sweeping views to the south and west of the reservoir and Hells Canyon. The lodge also features a floating boat dock and a 3,000± gallon triple-vaulted fuel tank to service boats and vehicles.
The ranch is currently leased to a local rancher who runs 418 cow/calf pairs on the ranch for 6 months. The deeded property is managed in conjunction with BLM and state lands under a rest/rotation grazing system. Ranch improvements include working corrals, two older line cabins, several sheds, and exterior and pasture division fencing. The ranch holds 9 irrigation rights from various sources for a combined total of 186.1 acres along with 12 stockwater rights, 4 domestic water rights, and 2 wildlife water rights.
Approximately 16,455± deeded acres are subject to 5 separate conservation easements held by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). The former owner of the ranch conveyed these easements to IDFG beginning in 1994 for the purpose of preserving open space and wildlife habitat. In general, the easements restrict subdivision and residential development, provide for cattle grazing subject to certain management guidelines, and allow for the public use of the eased lands for hunting and other recreational activities. Four parcels totaling 1,345± acres, including the Mountain Man Lodge and adjoining lands, are not subject to conservation easements and are available for purchase separately.
The Rocking M Ranch represents an opportunity to own, operate, and enjoy a large piece of landscape with significant wildlife values and grazing resources on the threshold of Hells Canyon, one of the West’s most diverse and dynamic ecosystems. The large, well-situated lodge offers numerous opportunities for an owner to capitalize on the recreational attributes of the ranch. This unique ranch represents the ultimate long term investment for patient capital.
