Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek offers a rare combination of the ideal setting and architectural pedigree where the natural attributes of the landscape- topography, water, woods, views, and privacy are further enhanced by the enduring beauty and style of the structural improvements. To quote architect Jonathan Foote, "The sensitive reuse of old materials and ancient craftsmanship used to assemble them allows the building to live on timelessly and quietly, as it walks softly on the land". The distinctive character of the property unfolds as you explore the many facets of the 56± acres. Located in a highly coveted area of Montana’s Paradise Valley, Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek offers an otherworld quality surrounded by wilderness, fly fishing, and adventure near Livingston, Bozeman, and Yellowstone National Park.
Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek is conveniently accessed off Mill Creek Road. Visitors have no idea what lies through the trees at the end of the meandering drive from the ranch entrance. The property's changing topography and tree cover create tremendous privacy, which is a unique feature in the generally open landscape of the Paradise Valley.
The owner’s residence and guest cabin blend seamlessly into the landscape with a homestead-era character. The owner’s residence is sited on a bluff above the creek, and the guest cabin is in a meadow below. Each enjoys its unique private setting while within short walking distance of each other. The guest cabin has its own driveway access, and a vehicular bridge across the creek provides access to a hidden meadow currently used as a horse pasture.
Below the residence, Mill Creek tumbles over its rocky bed in classic freestone trout stream fashion on its way to the confluence with the Yellowstone River, only about three creek miles downstream. The property’s 56± acres live larger than what the acreage would indicate. The mowed trails enhance the enjoyment of this multi-faceted acreage, whether fly fishing in Mill Creek or just taking a morning stroll.
Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek is a “best in class” property where the characteristics of the land and structural improvements are equally exceptional. It offers a multi-generational appeal for family and friends, a place for fond memories to be born. Outstanding privacy, majestic views, an exquisite home and guest cabin, and a tumbling trout stream make it a premier offering in the aptly named Paradise Valley.
Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek is approximately 21 miles south of Livingston, Montana, on the east side of the renowned Paradise Valley. The north entrance of Yellowstone National Park is approximately 30 miles to the south at the town of Gardiner and is the only entrance to the park that is open year-round.
Mill Creek flows through the property for approximately one-third mile and adjoins the Yellowstone River to the west. The Yellowstone River originates in Yellowstone National Park and winds through the beautiful Paradise Valley. The Absaroka and Gallatin Mountain ranges flank the valley, providing a dramatic setting, with up-close views of the Absarokas to the east and the Gallatins making up the western skyline.
Montana’s busiest commercial airport is approximately an hour away, eight miles west of Bozeman in the Gallatin Valley. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport services Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl Ski Resorts, and Montana State University, providing non-stop flights to over 20 markets in the United States with connections all over the world.
For private air service, The Yellowstone Jet Center at BYIA is one of the most highly rated FBOs in the northwest United States. Livingston’s Mission Field Airport is just five miles east of Livingston and has a 5,700± foot asphalt runway.
Approximately 25-30 minutes north of Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek, the town of Livingston boasts a population of 8,000± and serves as the seat of Park County. Rich in history and noted in western journals as a rowdy western town, it was once filled with characters such as Calamity Jane and Kitty O’Leary. In its earlier history, the River and the Mountain Crow Indians convened near the present-day town site.
Today, Livingston, the gateway to the Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park, supports numerous art galleries, a wine cellar, a bookstore, a restored McKim, Mead, White railroad depot, gourmet restaurants, theaters, fly shops, and a variety of antique shops. The world-famous Yellowstone River rushes through town and represents the spirit of this exciting small community.
Approximately 30 minutes south of the property is the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park, replete with all the scenic and geothermal features for which it has become famous. The north entrance at Gardiner is maintained year-round, allowing vehicular access in the winter for wildlife viewing. This region of the Park also has some of the best trout fishing in the world.
The vibrant community of Bozeman is approximately an hour from Mill Creek. Bozeman, an eclectic university town (population 55,000 plus 17,000 students), has received national notoriety in recent years for its scenic location, limitless outdoor activities, and historic downtown area. Its cafes and restaurants have become a popular meeting place for individuals who love fishing, hunting, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking available in the area.
Bridger Bowl Resort, a favorite ski destination in southwest Montana, is also approximately an hour’s drive. Bridger Bowl is touted for its diversity of terrain and friendly atmosphere. Winter recreation at Bridger Bowl and in the nearby national forest complements the wide array of summer season recreational opportunities in the area.
Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek’s 56± acres is naturally terraced, with the owner’s residence on the upper level and the guest cabin and creek immediately below. The topography allows unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains while maintaining extreme privacy. Mill Creek flows through a beautifully wooded riparian corridor that connects the nearby Absaroka Mountains to the Yellowstone River.
All the structures were designed by renowned architecture firm JLF Architects and constructed by On Site Management (OSM). When asked to comment on the project, architect Paul Bertelli reflects, “From a story that began 52 years ago with an authentic Montana setting on the banks of Mill Creek grew an incredible journey for a fishing sanctuary of century-old, reclaimed barn wood and hand-stacked stone that is as timeless as it is a benchmark for design. This home is an inheritance for generations to come".
The owner’s residence was completed in 2000 with a footprint of 3,942± square feet, including the three-fourths season screened porch and finished garage. There are three bedrooms, three-and-one-half bathrooms, an office/library, an open kitchen, and a vaulted great room. The home features reclaimed timbers, reclaimed wood siding, and natural stone construction. The quality of craftsmanship is immediately apparent in the stonework, precise scribing of beams, metal work, doors, and custom cabinetry.
The guest cabin was an original homestead on the property that was restacked in its current location in 2000. The cabin footprint is 468± square feet with a covered porch, living/dining area, kitchenette, bathroom, and sleeping loft. The cabin and owner’s residence have a common drain field and separate wells. There is also a root cellar, garden shed at the guest cabin, and a 12’x16’ tool shed at the owner’s residence.
All mineral rights owned by the Seller are offered with the property.
Property taxes were $6,601.09 in 2022.
Mill Creek is one of the largest tributaries to the Yellowstone River in the Paradise Valley. An ideal size wading stream, Mill Creek offers excellent fishing for brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. Because of its proximity to the Yellowstone River, there are seasonal migrations of fish from the Yellowstone in addition to the resident trout populations. The creek is a classic freestone fishery, ideal for dry fly fishing.
The mighty Yellowstone is the longest, free-flowing river in the lower 48 states, flowing over 500 miles from its source in Yellowstone National Park to its confluence with the Missouri River in North Dakota. Over 100 miles of the Yellowstone, including that portion through the Paradise Valley, is considered blue ribbon trout fishing. Brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout are found throughout, with the portion closest to Yellowstone National Park containing the highest densities of the native Yellowstone cutthroat.
The Paradise Valley serves as a year-round home for a wide variety of wildlife and a wintering ground for large populations of big game animals migrating out of Yellowstone National Park. The wooded terrain and abundant water resources found at Timeless Retreat on Mill Creek provide ideal habitat for these animals.
As one climbs into the mountains, just a few miles east of the property, it is common to see elk, moose, and even mountain goats on the craggy peaks. This wilderness supports grizzly bears, wolves, and the elusive wolverine, all evidence of the vast area of the unspoiled natural landscape in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area and adjoining Yellowstone ecosystem. Of these larger game animals, whitetail deer and mule deer are most likely to be seen on the property, but it would not be unusual to see any of the area's wildlife enjoying the habitat.
Because of its size, the Yellowstone is considered an ideal float fishing river. Public access points along the river's course provide a tremendous variety of floating options. The nearest drift boat "put in" is at the Mill Creek Bridge, only about three miles from the property entrance.
Many of the finest trout streams in the West originate in Yellowstone National Park. Fishing in the park provides an unparalleled wilderness experience as well as some of the finest trout fishing anywhere. The upper Yellowstone River, Gardner River, Slough Creek, and Soda Butte Creek are all accessed from the park’s main entrance at Gardiner, approximately 40± miles from the property. All these streams are strongholds for the Yellowstone cutthroat, which grow to sizes more than 20 inches in length and is known for its eagerness to take dry flies.
The park's west side contains the Firehole, Gibbon, and Lamar Rivers, all headwater streams of the Madison River. There are also hundreds of lakes and smaller streams throughout Yellowstone and the neighboring wilderness, making this one of the world's most prolific trout fishery resources. An avid angler will find a lifetime of fishing opportunities in the Yellowstone area.
Another unique fishing resource in the Paradise Valley is the world-famous spring creeks, known as Nelson’s, Depuy’s, and Armstrong’s (O’Hair’s). All three creeks are privately owned fee fisheries that provide year-round fishing opportunities. These spring resources are nutrient-rich treasures, a haven for trout of all species, as well as vital spawning tributaries to the Yellowstone River. The "Spring Creeks" and their crystal-clear waters offer a light line, small fly experience that is challenging and memorable.
The national forest boundary is only about four miles from the property, with trails originating from the Mill Creek drainage. The Paradise Valley has a wealth of trailheads accessing the national forest and the Absaroka Wilderness. These trails are ideal for exploring the forest during all seasons of the year. Whether on a morning walk or exploring the backcountry, the opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or cross-country skiing are boundless.
