Indian Creek Ranch is located 18 miles south of Ennis and 57 miles north of West Yellowstone in the center of the Madison Valley with major views of the Madison Range from a secluded setting on the Madison River. It lies in one contiguous block adjoining Highway 287.
A jet capable airport and fixed-base operation complete with fuel is located approximately 15 minutes to the north of the ranch between Cameron and Ennis. The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is located at Belgrade, approximately an hour and 15 minutes from the property. Delta, Horizon, Southwest, and United offer multiple daily flights (jet and turboprop operated) to and from their respective hubs of Salt Lake City/Minneapolis, Seattle, and Denver. Additionally, Frontier and Allegiant also service this airport. During the summer and winter tourist seasons, there are many non-stop flights to other major US metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. This airport has a customs station to accept international passengers. The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is the busiest airport in the state of Montana. It also has two fixed-base operations providing a variety of services to those who utilize private aircraft.
The Indian Creek Ranch is in the enviable position of being located in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Rocky Mountain West. The Madison Valley is world-famous for its superb fly fishing and dramatic mountain scenery. The valley was created millions of years ago by glacial action leaving a broad river valley, expansive alluvial benches, deep canyons coming out of the surrounding mountain ranges, and towering granite peaks. The Madison River starts at the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbons Rivers in Yellowstone National Park. It flows north to the headwaters of the Missouri River at Three Forks, where it converges with the Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers to form the Missouri. The main part of the Madison Valley is encompassed by the Centennial Range to the south, the Madison Range to the east, the Gravelly Range to the west, and the Tobacco Root Range to the north.
The ranch is situated in an area that is known for its large well-run cattle ranches. The Sun Ranch and Carroll Ranch lie to the south, the Bar 7 Ranch to the west, and Sphinx Mountain, Cedar Creek, and the Jumping Horse Ranches lie to the north. One of the major benefits of land ownership in the Madison Valley is that over 85,000 acres of privately held lands are protected from future development by conservation easements and the surrounding mountain ranges are federally owned, providing unimpeded views in perpetuity. These conservation easements assure that future generations will enjoy these lands as open space.
The Indian Creek Ranch is conveniently located to enjoy much that Southwest Montana has to offer. Ennis, a very attractive small town of 800, is the headquarters for fly fisherman destined for the Madison River. It’s an easy 20-minute drive north of the ranch. It offers good restaurants, a well-supported local hospital, art galleries, fly shops, and guide services in abundance. It is also a trade center for a geographic area, which includes the Madison Valley and the eastern slope of the Tobacco Roots to the north.
Bozeman is just over an hour’s drive from the ranch. With roughly 40,000 residents, Bozeman is home to Montana State University and another 14,000± student residents. It boasts the Museum of the Rockies and an active community theater and arts group. A major opera production is offered each spring. The city is a commerce center, providing virtually every service one might require. It has been a leader amongst Montana cities in attracting preferred industry.
From the ranch, there is easy access to all the recreational pursuits one might wish to enjoy. Fishing on the Madison is immediately accessible from the ranch, and adjoining state and BLM lands provide additional areas in which to ride, walk, and fish.
The Yellowstone, Gallatin, Jefferson, Henry’s Fork, Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, and Missouri are all within a two-hour drive from the ranch. Hiking, horse pack trips, camping, and wildlife watching are out the back door. The Bear Creek Trail is a major trailhead into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and is within fifteen minutes of the ranch boundary. For the winter sports enthusiast, superb skiing is available at Big Sky Ski and Summer Resort, around an hour and a half driving time, which also provides access to multiple golf courses seasonally. It is notable that the ranch is located just eleven air miles from the Yellowstone Club. Theoretically, one could fly a helicopter from one to the other should members be interested in ownership.
Ennis, out in the middle of the Madison Valley, typically has 90 frost-free days and receives 11.5 inches of precipitation annually. The Indian Creek Ranch, with its location about 15 miles upriver at an elevation of around 5,400 feet above sea level, would have a somewhat shorter season but not much difference in precipitation. With the Continental Divide at the south end of the valley, the prevailing wind is from the south. In the winter months, this wind bares the limited snowfall off of the benches and ridges, allowing winter grazing for the livestock and wildlife, evidenced by the thousands of elk seen throughout the valley during this season. In the summer months, thunderstorms build over the mountains. One often enjoys the cooling effects of these rain showers during the afternoons and evenings in the valley.