B grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 1988, he graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in Business Administration. He then moved to Colorado and began a nine-year career in the ranch and resort industries. His admiration for the wide-open spaces and the abundance of recreational opportunities in Montana inspired his move in 1997. After farming and ranching in central Montana, B settled in the Bozeman area and guided fly fishermen on southwest Montana’s renowned waters for seven years. He was licensed in real estate sales in 1999 and is currently a licensed broker in Montana and Wyoming. His lifelong recreational interests and professional background in ranching and the resort industries naturally led to a real estate focus in ranch and recreational properties. B treasures the time spent with his family on their small ranch and home along the Madison River. He is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys backcountry adventures and hunting and fishing throughout Montana.
The Fort Ranch on the Yellowstone is a standard bearer for Montana river ranch retreats. The 141± acres lie along approximately half of a mile of the north bank of the renowned Yellowstone River, just five miles from the rural ranching and outdoor community of Big Timber. The custom log and stone two-bedroom, two-bathroom owner’s residence overlooks one of Montana’s most renowned fly-fishing rivers toward towering, snowcapped mountain peaks. Complimentary structures include a detached garage with a loft-style guest apartment, livestock barn, and outdoor riding arena. A superb horse property, the combination of native range in the hills and irrigated meadows along the river provide variety and an ideal combination of livestock pasture and wildlife habitat. Fly fishermen will delight in wade fishing or floating to and from the property. The spacious great room, kitchen, and wrap-around covered patio are surrounded by mountain views and the winding river below, offering a majestic setting for entertaining friends and guests. Impeccably maintained, the Fort Ranch is ready to enjoy.
Upon entering The Fort Ranch, you first cross rolling pastures. The residence comes into view with the often-snowcapped Beartooth Mountains as a backdrop. As you reach the residence, the Yellowstone River and irrigated fields below the house are revealed, completing the panoramic landscape seen from the home.
The “layered” aspect of the ranch, with its variety of land types, uses, and vistas, adds to the property’s appeal. The combination of hills and draws, irrigated fields, and cottonwood-lined riverbank provides recreational and wildlife diversity.
The views of the Yellowstone River and nearby mountains are truly spectacular and best enjoyed from the wrap-around porch of the residence. Looking upriver at the Crazy Mountains is arguably one of southwest Montana’s most picturesque scenes.
Just below the residence is a detached garage/shop with a very welcoming guest apartment above. The horse barn and outdoor riding arena are at the base of the hills, followed by the irrigated hay field, which adjoins the Yellowstone River. There is a picnic area in the Cottonwoods along the river, which is very accessible for wade fishing or floating.
The Fort Ranch on the Yellowstone offers all the most desirable attributes of a Montana ranch retreat, and it is a turnkey opportunity, ready to move into. The Yellowstone is one of Montana’s most iconic rivers. The location, privacy, spectacular setting, custom residence, and associated structures are highly functional and beautifully done. It is a special property with a great feel, one that you don’t want to leave.
The Fort Ranch on the Yellowstone is located five miles east of Big Timber, Montana. From Interstate 90, two miles north on paved State Highway 191 and three miles east on paved Howie Road takes you to the ranch drive. The property boundary is south of Howie Road and is not visible from Howie Road.
The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is a 65-mile drive west of the ranch. It is the busiest passenger airport in Montana and sixth busiest in the Pacific Northwest, serving the Greater Yellowstone region. Nine airlines offer numerous daily flights with non-stop service to 24 U.S. markets. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport also has two first-class FBOs, Yellowstone Jet Center (a Signature facility) and Arlin’s Aircraft, to service private aircraft.
The Billings Logan International Airport is an 85-mile drive east of the ranch and is the second most-active airport in Montana. Its airlines include Alaska, Allegiant, American, Cape Air, Delta, and United with daily non-stop service to many US and Montana cities. Edwards Jet Center is a high-quality FBO that handles private aircraft.
Private aircraft up to the size of small jets are accommodated at the Big Timber Airport, approximately ten miles south of the ranch, and larger jets can land at the Livingston Airport, about 35 miles to the west.
The Fort Ranch is located on the north banks of the Yellowstone River in the Yellowstone River Valley. The ranch’s location in the valley places it north of the Absaroka and Beartooth ranges and east of the Crazy Mountain range, ninety miles north of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Valley continues through Montana almost to the North Dakota border and contains some of Montana’s most productive agricultural land along its entire length. The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states and is as untamed as it was when Captain William Clark headed downstream over 200 years ago.
Big Timber is on the south side of the river, five miles from the ranch. Big Timber exhibits an excess of civic pride. It is just “big enough” to support all the services one normally needs - from the gourmet fare at the restored Grand Hotel, to banks, car dealers, grocery store, pharmacy, hospital, art galleries, and restaurants. It is essentially a small agricultural town with a variety of overtones related to fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation, and it is also a home base for the platinum/palladium mine that operates at the head of the East Boulder Valley. The area's residents help support its excellent restaurants, shops, and galleries that one would not find in most Montana towns of this size.
Historically, Big Timber was a cow town, home to multiple generations of ranching families. Due to its aesthetic beauty, multiple recreational opportunities, and small-town friendliness, this ranching town has attracted absentee ranch owners who have moved to the area to take advantage of the recreational opportunities and to enjoy this dynamic small Montana town.
For a change of pace, Livingston (30 minutes) and Bozeman (one hour) are easily accessible. Both offer a wider variety of services and social and cultural amenities. Montana’s largest city and its commercial center, Billings, is located 90 minutes east of the ranch.
The Fort Ranch custom residence was constructed in 2007 using hand-hewn dovetail logs, substantial natural stone, and rustic metal. The home features a gourmet kitchen with commercial-grade appliances, which adjoins the vaulted dining/great room with a stone fireplace and picture windows framing the Yellowstone River and nearby mountains. All 2,460± square feet of living space are on the main level, including a master bedroom and bathroom, a guest bedroom and bathroom, and an office, which was once a third bedroom sharing access to the guest bathroom.
The home is well-appointed with hardwood and tile flooring, and stone countertops. The wrap-around porch is a special feature of the home, adding substantial outdoor living space. Views of the Yellowstone River, Crazy Mountains to the west, and Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains to the south are simply stunning, making the porch area ideal for outdoor meals and entertaining.
A short, landscaped walkway from the residence leads to the 1,216± square foot (32’ x38’) detached garage/shop. Above the garage is an inviting loft-style guest apartment with a three-quarter bathroom and a kitchenette.
Below the residence is a livestock barn. The barn has a tack room and a squeeze chute for handling cattle. Steel pens are great for horses or cattle, and there is a newly constructed and surfaced outdoor riding arena, also steel construction. It is a beautiful setting for riding, with the nearby Yellowstone River and a large group of Cottonwoods providing shade.
The ranch holds irrigation rights from Big Timber Creek and a tributary of the Yellowstone River, which are conveyed by the Bailey-Clark Ditch. Provisional rights are also available directly from the Yellowstone River. Hay is typically harvested on a portion of the acres, and the rest are grazed. A complete description of the DNRC water right reports is available through the offices of Hall and Hall.
Annual property taxes are approximately $5,275.00.
Originating in Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone River is a world-famous trout fishery. In contrast to its more popular upper reaches in the Paradise Valley, this stretch of the Yellowstone River receives far less use, seeing fewer float fishermen passing by. It is known by locals to have fewer, but larger specimens of rainbow and brown trout. The gentle bank and gravel bars along the ranch’s frontage provide excellent wade fishing opportunities. Floating the river in a drift boat or raft is a great way to enjoy the Yellowstone River, and the river frontage allows launching or landing on the ranch.
The Yellowstone River corridor is rich in wildlife, including whitetail deer, wild turkeys, abundant waterfowl, raptors, and a variety of other animals. Mule deer and antelope inhabit the hills and hay fields bordering the river.
Ducks and geese are always resident along this river frontage, and their numbers increase during the fall with the influx of northern migratory birds. The most abundant upland game bird species is the Hungarian partridge, which finds the combination of hills, native range, and irrigated meadows to be an excellent habitat.
The current owners have horses, although cattle have been raised in the past. The property is divided into pastures, each with its own water source. The irrigated meadows may be grazed or hayed. The combination of native range in the hills and irrigated meadows is nicely balanced, providing flexibility for any livestock operation.
The 373± acre sporting property is located near Belgrade, Montana. Encompassing the headwaters of Story Creek, productive cropland has been managed for wildlife from pheasants to waterfowl to trophy quality whitetail deer.
2,134± acres of high-quality recreational or development ground, 19 miles from Kalispell and 32 miles to Whitefish. Multiple lots, gated access, paved approach, and grid power to the eastern boundary.
This 178± acre ranch is located on the Yellowstone River and is one hour east of Billings. Waterfowl, deer, turkey, and pheasant are abundant.
Quality 8,800± acre eastern Garfield County grass ranch available for the first time in fifty years. An excellent mix of native and improved pasture, pipelines, stock water, and improvements.
The Trinity Ranch is a 158± acre property located on the Stillwater River. Less than ten minutes upstream of Columbus, offering Stillwater River frontage, Beartooth Mountain views, and simple improvements.
