Executive Summary
This 145±-acre unimproved ranch is one of the premier properties located in Bridger Canyon, ten miles from Bozeman and five miles from the Bridger Bowl Ski Area. The 360-degree views of the Bridger, Absaroka, Bangtail, Gallatin and Chestnut mountains are spectacular from the timbered ridges or grassy meadows. Easily accessible but private, it enjoys immediate access into the national forest to pursue outdoor recreational adventures.
General Description
The Timber Ridge Ranch offers a landscape comprised of rolling meadows and gullies on the western part of the property, combined with a steep timbered ridge and small plateaus on its eastern half. The forage on the property consists of alpine species of brome, bunch grasses and timothy. The timber is primarily Douglas fir and there are scattered aspen and willow groves on the slope as it climbs toward the west.As one enters the property from the east, the view is of the steep timbered face and ridge. Continuing up into the property, a series of plateaus and small basins punctuate the face of the mountain. About halfway through the property, the top of the ridge breaks into a series of meadows and timbered gullies under the shadow of the Bridger Mountains. The ranch ranges in elevation from 5,500 feet on the eastern boundary to almost 6,500 feet on the ridge. Along the timbered face there are a number of small intermittent springs which provide water for livestock and wild game. The east, south and west boundaries of the property adjoin a neighboring ranch and the north boundary connects directly into the national forest. The nearest public access to the national forest behind the ranch is five miles to the north at Bridger Bowl Ski Area and three miles to the south at the “M” Recreation Area. The ranch’s location is ideal for private access into thousands of acres of public land.
Broker's Comments
The Timber Ridge Ranch is an exceptionally well located and scenic property. It lies in a beautiful canyon surrounded by granite-peaked mountain ranges just 10 miles from Bozeman. Alpine and Nordic ski areas are within 10 minutes of the ranch. Within 30 to 60 minutes of the ranch, blue ribbon trout fishing is available on several rivers, as well as miles of mountain trails on public national forest lands which lie directly adjacent to the property. The ranch offers a wonderful opportunity to build and enjoy a private secluded home near the thriving community of Bozeman.
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Location
Timber Ridge Ranch is located 10 miles northeast of Bozeman and five miles south of Bridger Bowl Ski Area in the Bridger Canyon. The ranch is on the west side of the canyon and east slope of the Bridger Mountains. It is accessed from paved Highway 86, then west to Alpen Strasse Road, and lastly, crosses a neighboring ranch before entering the property. The commercial airport, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, is a twenty-minute 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. The five airlines which offer numerous daily flights are Allegiant, Delta/Delta Connection, Alaska/Horizon, Frontier and United/United Express. They provide non-stop service to Phoenix/Mesa, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Houston, Chicago, New York City-LaGuardia, Newark, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma, Minneapolis/St. Paul Atlanta and Denver. These non-stop flights are subject to the winter and summer schedules of each of the respective airlines. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport also has two first-class FBOs, Yellowstone Jet Center (a Signature facility) and Arlin’s Aircraft, to service private aircraft.
Locale
The Timber Ridge Ranch lies in a tight mountain valley, Bridger Canyon, at just over 5,500 feet in elevation. It is framed by the 6,900-foot Green Mountain to the south, the 8,000-foot Bangtail Mountains to the east, and the 9,000-foot peaks of the Bridger Range to the west. Twenty-five miles east of the ranch looms the Absaroka Beartooth Mountain Range with its 11,000-foot granite peaks on the horizon. The granite caps of Bridger, Saddle and Baldy Peaks of the Bridger Range are directly west of the ranch, filling the western sky. Below and east of the property is Bridger Creek, which is the primary drainage for the canyon. Bridger Canyon is named after one of the great explorers of the early nineteenth century, Jim Bridger. Bridger scouted many of the trails used by the early settlers and knew these mountains well. He was one of the first white men to explore the nation’s and the world’s first national park, Yellowstone. Early settlers in this area initially had a precarious hold on Indian country. Roaming Lakota, Blackfoot and Flathead Indians frequently passed through this mountain valley and came in conflict with the new settlers. These settlers were fortified by the US Calvary, which was based in Fort Ellis near Bozeman. The conflict between settlers and Indians culminated in a fatal encounter in 1869 between a war party of Blackfoot Indians, white settlers and US Army Soldiers. This battle resulted in the naming of Battle Ridge, an historic landmark about nine miles north of the ranch. Bridger Canyon below the ranch has seen a fair bit of high-end residential development but there has been strict zoning. It is one of the most sought-after areas outside of Bozeman because of the beauty of the valley and its access to Bridger Bowl Ski Area, which is recognized as one of the finest “local” areas in the U.S. Many good local skiers actually ski there in preference to Big Sky/Moonlight Basin, which is located an hour south of Bozeman and is one of the finest destination ski areas in the Rockies.Bozeman lies in a large valley 10 miles southwest of the Timber Ridge Ranch. Bozeman has a population of approximately 37,000. Nine thousand Montana residents, together with another six thousand seven hundred non-residents, make up the student body of Montana State University. Bozeman offers first-class restaurants, art galleries, theaters, fly-fishing shops and all the necessary services such as banks, vehicle and equipment dealerships, grocery stores, etc. Bozeman is also one of the Intermountain West’s fastest growing cities. It is unique in that the resort flavor of the town created by great skiing and fly-fishing is tempered by the State University and the fact that this is still an agricultural service center for the surrounding farms and ranches.Approximately 30 minutes east of the ranch, Livingston offers services including fine restaurants, art galleries and fly-fishing shops. It is one of the recreational meccas of southwest Montana, attracting fly-fisherman from all over the world as well as serving as a northern entrance to Yellowstone Park, the only entrance that is open to the public for year-round vehicular access.
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Acreage (Deeded & Leased)
Deeded Acres: 145±
State Leased Acres: 0±
Private Leased Acres: 0±
BLM Leased Acres: 0±
Indian Leased Acres: 0±
Other Leased Acres: 0±
Total Leased Acres: 0±
Total Acres: 145±
Improvements
As of this writing, there are no improvements on the ranch other than a four-strand, barbed-wire boundary fence made of wooden braces with steel posts constructed in 2007. The current owner is in agreement with the neighboring ranch over which access is gained to move an existing easement to a more accessible year-round ingress and egress location. The access road has not been constructed, but a bid from a reputable road contractor is available for review upon request. A new owner will be able to pick out the building site where one can create a living environment suitable to one’s individual tastes.
Taxes
Annaul property taxes are approximately $102
Learn about the recreational amenities
Recreational Considerations
Recreational opportunities abound, both on and off the Timber Ridge Ranch. The ranch is endowed with wonderful wildlife habitat consisting of a mix of wetter areas near the springs, sage benches, grassy meadows, timber ridges and aspen groves. Elk are the primary occupant of the ranch because of the excellent cover along the timbered face and the meadows on top for forage. However, at any time of year, the ranch could be traversed by mule deer, moose or bear.Blue ribbon trout fishing is also available near the ranch. Within thirty minutes one can be fishing on the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers. Somewhat further away, there is wading or floating on the Boulder, Smith and Madison rivers. For the outdoor enthusiast, hundreds of square miles of national forest lands lie in the Bridger Mountains, literally out the back door. Many miles of trails beckon the backcountry horseman, hiker, mountain biker and snowmobiler. Birders will not want to miss the annual fall migration of raptors along the top of the Bridger Mountain range. Counts average 2,600 birds, primarily golden eagles, making this a significant national observation and research project site. Bridger Bowl Ski Area lies five miles north of the ranch. Eight chairlifts serve 2,700 vertical feet of alpine skiing on 75 runs spanning 2,000 acres. A mile to the north of Bridger Bowl, the Bohart Ranch Cross-Country Ski Center offers 29 kilometers of groomed and tracked trails on nationally recognized cross-country ski terrain, which was chosen as the site of the 2002 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships.
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Grazing Resources
The Timber Ridge Ranch was utilized as summer pasture for cattle by a neighboring rancher. However, the ranch has been rested for the last few years and not grazed.
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