Circle B Spring Creek Ranch

The Circle B Spring Creek Ranch is at the center of a small-town valley, framed within several mountain ranges, and has amazing attributes plus some that are typically associated with a ranch getaway retreat. The small, neighborly community of Manhattan provides basic amenities and some excellent eateries. Bozeman, a highly sought-after recreational, dining and boutique mecca, is approximately 20± minutes from the property. 

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BYIA) at Gallatin Field is an easy 15± minutes from the Circle B and is serviced by Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, Frontier, and United Airlines, and also features the Yellowstone Jet Center, the number-one-rated FBO in the northwest United States. For more information see www.bozemanairport.com. 

The Circle B Spring Creek Ranch is just outside the small town of Manhattan, which began as a farming community successful in the malting business and continues the farming heritage today expanding into ranching, potatoes, dairy, and wheat farms. Manhattan encompasses the atmosphere and culture that prevails in small-town Montana. A day on the street might consist of a quiet chat with friends from the surrounding area, mingling with 5,000 other attendees at the annual Potato Festival or enjoying an evening of Shakespeare in the Park. Small businesses consisting of the usual amenities also include woodcarver’s, artisans, and antiques. A medical clinic, dentist office, full-service bank, museum, and art gallery flourish beside grocery, hardware, and auto repair businesses.  

Not to be missed is the “best little steakhouse in the west,” The Oasis, located just around the corner from the quaint main street where the portions satisfy any appetite and the steaks placate any critic’s palate.

Bozeman, an eclectic university town (population 35,000 plus 13,500 students), is 20± miles east of the property and in recent years has received national notoriety for its scenic location, limitless outdoor activities and historic downtown area. The cafes and restaurants have become a popular meeting place for individuals who love the fishing, hunting, skiing, mountain biking and hiking available in the surrounding area.

The Montana Handbook describes Bozeman as a lovely setting that makes the most of its physical attributes, with hiking, fishing, and skiing practically out the back door. However, what makes Bozeman such a great place is the town itself. More than any other Montana city, Bozeman has maintained its handsome old downtown as a business center, which makes the city seem centralized and community focused.

Within an hour’s drive south from Bozeman, Highway 89 leads to the entrance of three world-class ski resorts: Big Sky Ski and Summer Resort, The Yellowstone Club Resort, and Moonlight Basin. Big Sky Ski and Summer Resort and Moonlight Basin Ski Resort are contiguous and can be skied with the same ticket. The combination of the two resorts results in the largest ski resort in the lower 48 states, with tremendous terrain for the beginner as well as extreme skier. Bridger Bowl ski area is approximately a 45± minute drive east of the property and offers light, fluffy snow locally known as the “cold smoke.” Bridger Bowl possesses a unique small-town atmosphere with world-class terrain.  

Continuing south on Highway 89, past the turnoff to Big Sky, is the entrance to Yellowstone National Park replete with all the amazing scenic and geothermal features for which it has become famous. It also has some of the best trout fishing in the world.

Owner’s Home

Renovated in 2005, the beautiful home has reclaimed fir plank floors, granite countertops, hand-cast plaster walls, and reclaimed beams and trim. The siding consists of rough-sawn fir, the windows and doors have been capped, and the front door is custom-made. Both dining and living areas contain fireplaces. There are five bedrooms, including one master bedroom, and four bathrooms, a screened-in porch, covered patio, and a hot tub with ozone and ionizer system. The master bedroom contains a brick fireplace. The home exudes luxury yet retains all the coziness and comforts of family life.  

Garage 

This two-bay garage also has an extra room with a ¾-bath on the ground floor and could lend itself nicely as an entertainment or excerice room. A loft area currently serves as a kids’ play room, but has a myriad of use potentials such as a home office or fly-tying space. There is ample storage available under the stairs in the garage, as well as, in the eaves of the loft. 

Machine Building

With southern exposure, this insulated machine shop boasts three automatic garage doors, concrete floor with commercial-grade floor paint and electric heat. The center bay is a drive-through bay and was built with a raised door for higher equipment.  

Barn

The barn has fir plank siding and a metal roof, and the interior has two stalls.

Coyote Cabin

Nestled along the banks of Baker Creek, this was a homestead cabin circa 1930. New windows have been installed, and with the woodstove it serves as a wonderful warming hut. 

Lean-tos

One lean-to is currently used for wood storage and the other serves as livestock protection.

Also on the property is an enclosed orchard and within the orchard are cedar, raised-bed vegetable gardens.

The estimated yearly property taxes are approximately $9,500.00.

Circle B Spring Creek Ranch is a rare find that provides an angler with a variety of angling experiences with 1.5± miles of the West Gallatin, 1.6± miles of Baker Creek and V Creek, and .5± mile of private fishing on Monk Spring Creek. The large fish in the Gallatin system seek refuge during the warmer months in the different spring creeks on the ranch, providing the angler a rare experience of fishing for large fish in more intimate water. Baker Creek is notorious for its legendary browns as well as allowing for good shots at exceptional rainbows. There are great hatches that occur on the ranch’s streams as well as excellent “hopper fishing” which creates some of the best dry-fly fishing in the area. In fall and spring there are great hatches of blue-wing olives. Caddis are present from April through October and are thick at times. There are golden stoneflies which show up in April and May which make a yellow stimulator the choice this time of year. In August and September there is a prolific trico hatch in the morning. This particular stretch of the West Gallatin offers some tremendous fall streamer fishing where it is possible to catch lunker browns in excess of 24 inches. 

On any fly-fishing property, no matter how good the fishing, the day will come when there is a desire to venture out to fish other rivers. It is difficult to find a location where there are more quality options within a short drive. The Madison, Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers are located within 15 to 45 minutes of the ranch and are arguably the most famous fly-fishing rivers in the world due to their scenic beauty as well as incredible numbers and size of trout. These rivers earned early notoriety from such well-known fly-fishers as Joe Brooks, Charles Brooks, and Bud Lilly.

The Madison, Yellowstone, and Gallatin Rivers are known for their dry-fly fishing which range from blue-winged olives and midges in the spring, the salmonfly hatch in June, mayflies, caddis, hoppers and terrestrials in the summer, to blue-winged olives and midges in the fall and winter. Throw in some of the best streamer fishing in the state, as well as great nymph fishing, and there are a variety of rivers that can provide a lifetime of entertainment for beginners as well as seasoned veterans.

Other rivers that are within 1½ hours from the property and offer world-class trout fishing are the Jefferson, Ruby, Big Hole, Missouri, and the Beaverhead Rivers. Several world-class “fee” spring creek fisheries are also close at hand. The Milesnick Ranch is located within 5± miles of the ranch and offers challenging dry fly-fishing on their two spring creeks. Thirty miles over the hill in Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River, Depuy, Armstrong, and Nelson Spring Creeks attract avid anglers from around the globe. Additionally, there are several tributaries, spring creeks, and mountain lakes in the area that will become known to you as you explore your surroundings. 

Of course the lure of traveling further out may beckon a curious angler. One to two hours will put you into the Henry’s Fork watershed in Idaho or well into the center of Yellowstone National Park. The Park is where many of these famous rivers originate and its nutrient-rich waters are the reason that the greater Yellowstone region is noted as being one of the best areas in North America for catching trophy trout. The vastness of this area can occupy an angler for a lifetime.

Waterfowl, pheasant and whitetail deer are at home on the Circle B Spring Creek Ranch and wildlife viewing of all types is readily available. Bird and animal watching is to be anticipated while navigating the ranch or while sitting quietly on the porch. The Circle B is an oasis for all kinds of wildlife with hundreds of species of birds including pairs of active nesting red-tail hawks, turkey, sandhill cranes, wood duck and cinnamon teal being some of the most beautiful. With large populations of whitetail deer, it is not uncommon to see over a hundred deer out feeding in the morning and evening hours. There are a myriad of different fauna that call the ranch home and a lifetime could be spent experiencing all that it has to offer.

The waterfowl seem to remember this area and the ranch offers a staging area for waterfowl on their way south, and as a result the hunting can be quite impressive in October, November, and December. Circle B has excellent populations of whitetail deer with bucks as large as 150 BC spotted seeking protection within the property’s outstanding riparian bottom. Pheasant hunting on the ranch is good and with the introduction of some small grains the hunting should be exceptional. With careful thought, rest and restoration, the ranch has become a true demonstration of complete trophy management. With trophy class whitetail, vast flights of waterfowl and strong populations of pheasants, Circle B affords the owner a prestigious and absolute hunting experience. 

Through the summer months, golf is a popular sport and the greater Bozeman area supports four public and two private courses. The vast mountain ranges, beautiful meadows and streams, and lush valleys offer a multitude of recreational pursuits, including horseback riding, hiking, backpacking, bird watching, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and many other desirable outdoor pursuits.

In addition to the property’s outstanding fishing, the Circle B Ranch is within close proximity to four different word-class ski resorts including Big Sky, Bridger Bowl, Moonlight Basin, and the notoriously private Yellowstone Club Resort.  

Circle B Spring Creek Ranch sits at an approximate elevation of 4,200± feet and enjoys mountain views of the Horseshoe Hills (6,600± feet), Spanish Peaks (11,015± feet) and Bridger Mountains (9,665± feet). The Manhattan area has a sunny climate with cool summer mornings and afternoons reaching into the 80s and 90s in the warmer months. The winter months average 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter and spring provide most of the precipitation desired by this farming community depositing 2-3 inches of rainfall and 8-9 inches of snowfall, on average.