Located on the sprawling, untouched land of Cibola County, New Mexico, Rincon Ranch is a superb 12,880± acre trophy hunting ranch and wildlife area. Internally land-locked within the private land are also 3,806± acres of BLM leased land and 2,881± acres of state leased land for a total of 19,567± acres. This stunning and secluded ranch just 10 miles southwest of Fence Lake, New Mexico, comprises some of the largest and most spectacular canyons in the region. Weaving between sandstone mesas, rambling through canyons, and winding around plateaus, the land on the ranch features native juniper and pinyon pine, ponderosa, oak brush, and mountain mahogany. Over 36 miles of well-marked dirt roads lead to all corners of the property. Yet, with only one entry point, this ranch is both easy to navigate and extraordinarily private.
Besides exceptional privacy and natural beauty, the primary attraction of Rincon Ranch is the quality of the hunting. In fact, it’s become known for some of the best and biggest trophy elk and mule deer in the country over the past 20 years. While most of the surrounding ranches offer only flat grassland, Rincon Ranch’s canyons, mesas, caves, and meadows offer year-round food sources as well as incomparable shelter for migratory animals. As a result, the trophy elk and mule deer hunting opportunities on Rincon Ranch are second to none. Generations of animals have thrived on this land, thanks to impeccable land management, varying natural terrain and excellent food sources that make for an unmatched wildlife habitat.
The ranch owner’s habitat is the sprawling modern lodge in the southeastern corner of the property. Situated on a high cliff with sweeping views of the ranch land, the lodge is a turnkey retreat with thoughtful amenities to set the stage for living in or visiting this incredibly scenic slice of New Mexico.
Rincon Ranch is also an incredible place for observing ancient history through the artifacts and petroglyphs left behind by Ancestral Puebloans, sometimes known as Anasazi. This was a bustling trading area over a thousand years ago. Today one can find numerous ruins, artifacts and petroglyphs throughout the property — evidence of a bygone world that still echoes throughout the land.
Rincon Ranch will cater to a seasoned hunter or preservationist with an appreciation for the natural beauty, privacy, and exceptional topography of the land. Spend some time discovering evidence of ancient life, hiking atop sandstone mesas, or observing the incredible wildlife, and you’ll understand why there’s nowhere on earth quite like Rincon Ranch.
The future owner of the ranch will have the knowledge that the sale has contributed to improvements to help increase the numbers of wildlife on the ranch and maximize the trophy quality of the animals harvested from this superior habitat compared to other regions and ranches.
Rincon Ranch is located in western New Mexico near the border of Arizona, about 10 miles from Fence Lake. An oasis among the high desert grasslands of Cibola County two hours southwest of Albuquerque, this 19,567± acre ranch is a rare southwestern retreat with unrivaled trophy hunting opportunities and a modern lodge with all the amenities for comfortable ranch living.
Rincon Ranch occupies a stunning swathe of land stretching across canyons and mesas. The land rises over flat-top mesas and falls into rocky canyons, tumbling over grassy meadows and weaving through native juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa pine. The ranch is exceptionally private; only one road accesses the entrance. Within the ranch boundary lines, dirt roads allow access throughout the property.
The hunting here is second to none. The quality of the habitat here presents an unmatched opportunity for mule deer and elk to thrive all year long, thanks to plenty of food resources — mostly mountain mahogany — as well as shelter among rocky canyons during the harsher winter seasons. Strict land management over the past 20 years has ensured a prime habitat and, as a result, exceptional hunting rights. Owners will have access to special game and fish tags based on their ongoing commitment to habitat improvement.
The topography of the ranch is particularly spectacular. A round mountain called Porter’s Knob rises on the northwest corner of the ranch. Four canyons known as Perry Canyon, Rincon Hondo Canyon, Provenger Canyon, and Zuni Canyon carve their way hundreds of feet into the earth. Two underground aquifers create surface water seeps known as Perry Spring and Zuni Spring, offering hydration for animals in the area, as do five solar-powered wells on the ranch, which also service the lodge. High Lonesome Mesa is one of the highest points on the property, along with Santa Rita Mesa. The namesake mountain, the Rincon, is visible from many points throughout the ranch.
Additionally, the history of the ranch is extraordinary. Over one thousand years ago, this place served as a trading corridor for Ancestral Puebloans. Artifacts such as arrowheads, pottery, petroglyphs, and ruins can be found just about anywhere on the ranch.
Rincon Ranch is a place where a wildlife preservationist or hunting aficionado can be dedicated to preserving the history, geology, and wildlife to support the ranch’s impressive legacy and unlimited potential.
New Mexico very well may be considered one of the West’s last remaining frontiers, in the sense that there are still opportunities to acquire large, deeded acreage ranches, the state’s population is lower relatively speaking than other surrounding areas, there is typically a limited supply of available ranches, and if one is ultimately looking to invest in a land asset class - New Mexico offers a lesser barrier to entry on a per acre land cost valuation. Rincon Ranch is a perfect example of an investment opportunity for a large, deeded acreage holding in a remote area that offers seclusion, privacy, excellent big game habitat, and a lower price per acre for a similar ranch in places like Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado. Rincon presents a truly high-grade wildlife ranch, turnkey lodge, opportunity to build a primary residence, and own one of the better hunting ranches in the western United States.
Rincon Ranch is located in western New Mexico near the border of Arizona, on a pristine hunting reserve in Cibola County. It’s about 10 miles southwest of Fence Lake, a small town 65 miles south of Gallup and 55 miles west of El Malpais National Conservation Area. From Fence Lake, it’s only a 20-minute drive to the entrance gates to Rincon Ranch.
Rincon ranch is incredibly secluded, surrounded by private ranchland to the north, east and south, and a federal land trust to the west. Rincon Ranch is near several ancient Native American reservations and just a short drive from picturesque conservation areas. The closest commercial airport is Albuquerque International Sunport, while private aircraft can make use of municipal airports in Springerville, AZ, Gallup, NM, or Grants, NM, each less than 90 minutes away. Each of these towns offers the opportunity to load up on groceries and supplies.
Rincon Ranch lies in a largely untouched part of New Mexico while offering access to some of the region’s most incredible scenery and historic places. Here you’ll find exceptional hiking and mountain biking in a historic place that is ripe for discovery.
Petrified Forest National Park
Just over two hours away and over the border into Arizona is Petrified Forest National Park. Stretching north and south between Interstate 40 and Highway 180, this national park offers incredible views of mesas, ancient dwellings, and interesting petrified logs. Sightsee from a vehicle, on a bicycle, or on foot through hills of bluish bentonite clay to see plant and animal fossils, petrified wood, and incredible sedimentary stone within distant mesas.
El Malpaís National Monument
Only 90 minutes away is El Malpaís National Monument. This ancient volcanic landscape offers a first-hand look at incredible geologic features formed over the past 60,000 years. The result is a real-life land of fire and ice, a place of lava flows, cinder cone volcano, lava tube caves, and sandstone bluffs. Here you can experience both adventure and solitude, whether hiking the rough trails on foot or enjoying scenic drives. Don’t miss the incredible views of the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook or the one-mile Lava Falls Trail. High-clearance 4WD vehicles can access the Chain of Craters in order to explore jagged hiking trails and lava tube caves. The ancient Zuni-Acoma Trail offers a way for visitors to follow in the footsteps of the Ancestral Puebloans along a seven-and-a-half-mile one-way ancient footpath connecting the modern Zuni and Acoma Pueblos bordering El Malpaís.
Albuquerque
As the largest city in New Mexico, Albuquerque features a blend of modern culture, Spanish traditions, and Native American tribal history. Old Town Albuquerque, with its many historic adobe buildings, hearkens back to 1706 when the city was founded as a Spanish colony. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center keeps the area’s tribal history alive. Here you can experience world-class museums, larger-than-life hot air balloon experiences, golf, and even skiing on Sandia Peak. Albuquerque is two and a half hours from Fence Lake.
Gila National Forest
Take a four-hour trip south of the ranch to the incredible Gila National Forest. This public forestland spans 3.3 million acres of hills, mountains, and rangeland, including 170 miles of the Continental Divide. This rugged realm of cactus, juniper, pine, spruce, and aspen is known as the former stronghold of Geronimo, the prominent Chiricahua Apache leader. The Gila Wilderness offers magnificent mountain scenery, pleasantly cool summers, and relatively warm winters, giving it a reputation for excellent recreation all year long.
The climate in New Mexico is considered an arid or semiarid climate, characterized by light precipitation and plenty of sunshine. Rincon Ranch reflects a typical southwestern Arizona climate, with plenty of warm, dry, sunny days countered by a short monsoon season from July through September. Colder temperatures and shorter days make for a brisk but beautiful winter, while spring and summer bring splashes of vibrant wildflowers among the ancient pinyons, junipers, and mountain mahogany. The elevation on the ranch ranges from 7,000 feet to 7,500 feet, with the most pleasant weather occurring between April through November.
Rincon Ranch stands upon a former Ancestral Puebloan trading corridor. Over one thousand years ago, these peoples left countless artifacts, ruins, and petroglyphs etched in sandstone rock and canyon walls. Much of these historic remnants have never been excavated or fully explored.
Paleontology
The Rincon Ranch preserves extensive fossil-bearing outcrops of the Middle Cretaceous Rio Salado Tongue of the Mancos Shale and the Late Cretaceous Moreno Hill Formation.
The Middle Cretaceous Rio Salado Tongue of the Mancos Shale is only found in west-central New Mexico and primarily in the Fence Lake area. Fossils from this unit occur in nodular limestone concretions and include several genera of ammonites, gastropods, bivalves, and, more rarely, shark teeth and marine reptile fossils. Exposures of the Rio Salado Tongue are extensive on the Rincon Ranch, with many miles of accessible outcrop and several established fossil localities. Numerous exceptionally preserved ammonite specimens have been found on the ranch, ranging in size from a few inches wide to a foot or more. Shark teeth and marine reptile bones have also been found on Rincon Ranch.
The Moreno Hill Formation in west-central New Mexico preserves sedimentary rocks from the earliest part of the Late Cretaceous time period. Dinosaurs from this time interval are extremely rare in North America and around the world. Dinosaur fossils found in the lower part of the Moreno Hill Formation include extensive trackways of theropod dinosaurs and body fossils of Tyrannosaurs, Ceratopsia, Ankylosaurus, Therizinosaurus, and hadrosaurs. Exposures of the Lower Moreno Hill Formation are extensive on the Rincon Ranch. In a limited period of professional paleontological prospecting, a site preserving postcranial elements of a ceratopsian dinosaur, Zuniceratops, has been located. Excavation of the site is ongoing.
Legality
Laws, such as the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act of 2009, regulate the collection of fossils on federal and state land in the United States of America. There are, however, no restrictions concerning the collection and sale of vertebrate, invertebrate, or trace fossils located on privately owned land in the US. This presents a unique opportunity for citizens with fossil-bearing rock formations on their private land to collaborate with professional commercial paleontologists to generate revenue while contributing to the science of paleontology and to our collective understanding of the history of life on Earth.
Rincon Ranch comprises a rare trophy hunting ranch and wildlife area, including 12,880± acres of deeded land, 3,806± acres of BLM leased land, and 2,881± acres of state leased land for a total of 19,567± acres. The property includes four canyons, two springs, two landmark mesas, and two primary mountains jutting up from the earth. The combination of mesa-top grassland, rock formations, canyons and caves, with clusters of pinyon, juniper, and ponderosa, make this acreage a spectacular destination for the scenery alone.
The Rincon Ranch is located in one of the most remote and breathtaking areas of Western New Mexico, and the modern lodge on the property offers complete privacy and security as well as incredibly modern amenities and comforts.
The seven-bedroom, six-bathroom residence sits atop a cliff, offering amazing views of the surrounding ranch. The lodge can comfortably sleep up to 18 — ideal for introducing visiting family or guests to the beauty and adventure of the ranch. Diversions such as a full-size pool table, karaoke, horseshoe pit, and bar area offer spaces to wind down and connect. Yet, stepping outside and staring at the stars might prove to be one of the more memorable activities, as the area’s dark skies reveal some of the best stargazing in the region, if not the country.
Any and all seller-owned water rights appurtenant to the property are included in the sale.
Any and all seller-owned mineral rights appurtenant to the property are included in the sale.
The Rincon Ranch has incredible wildlife populations of elk, mule deer, mountain lion, and black bear, making the wildlife viewing truly amazing. The well-managed land offers an exceptional habitat for elk and mule deer, as well as predatory animals such as mountain lion, bear, coyote, and bobcat.
Hunting is the prime mode of recreation on Rincon Ranch, which is up with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) as a special management ranch.
The ranches allocation is currently 12 ranch-only landowner tags for bull elk. These can be used as either archery or rifle permits. There are two archery seasons to choose from (Sept 1-14 and Sept 15-24). The ranch is open to rifle hunting on October 1 and hunt dates run through the end of January. Rifle tags can be validated for any five consecutive day period within that time frame.
The ranch is allocated two mule deer habitat enhancement tags. These are obtained through habitat enhancement work done on the ranch each year. They can be used any five consecutive days between December 1 and January 31, which is during the mule deer rut. Archery mule deer season is September 1-24. Rifle season is the first week of November, and there is a muzzleloader season in mid-November. These three seasons offer guaranteed tags for private land.
Tags for mountain lion, black bear, and other predators are also over the counter. The elk and mule deer tags are only valid on deeded private property. Hunters who obtain a Unit Wide permit for these species are legally allowed to hunt private and public lands.
Additionally, Rincon Ranch has over 50 miles of hiking, biking, and OHV trails for guests to explore and enjoy while on the property.
