North Platte River Ranch

Situated on the North Platte River in eastern Wyoming near the Nebraska border, the North Platte River Ranch is located just southeast of Torrington. The ranch is accessed by heading south of Torrington on Highway 85, then turning easterly down Highway 92 towards Huntley and then due east a little over a mile on County Road 64 where the ranch headquarters are situated at the western boundary of the ranch. The ranch runs along the beautiful North Platte River for five and a half miles, providing lush river bottom habitat loaded with cottonwood trees. The town of Torrington is the county seat and provides most basic amenities as well as being the home to Eastern Wyoming College and Torrington Livestock Market and Sale Barn. Torrington itself has a small municipal airport, with Scottsbluff, Nebraska having the nearest regional airport 32 miles away. It is 182 miles to Denver International Airport. 

The North Platte River Ranch sits in the midst of prime farming and ranching country. The mild and temperate climate in this region makes it an ideal location for raising cattle and dryland and irrigated crops consisting of native and alfalfa hay, corn, dry edible beans, sugar beets, potatoes, sunflowers and wheat. Beef cattle and cattle feed are the primary commodities of the area, with Goshen County producing more cattle annually than any other Wyoming county.

The town of Torrington has a population of around 6,700, giving it an ideal small agriculture town atmosphere but with plenty of amenities including several eating and shopping establishments along with an 18-hole golf course, several churches, and a small community hospital. Torrington also boasts the largest livestock auction operation and barn in the state, as well as the Western Sugar factory and is the home of Eastern Wyoming College. Public schools in Torrington include Lincoln Elementary School (grades K-2), Trail Elementary School (grades 3-5), Torrington Middle School (grades 6-8) and Torrington High School (grades 9-12).

The historic North Platte River bottom was part of the original Oregon Trail route used by fur trappers and traders; ruts from the wagon wheels can still be seen on the ranch. Museums and historical sites in Goshen County include Fort Laramie, the Hell Gap Paleoindian Site, the Homesteaders Museum and the Grattan Massacre Site. Recreation opportunities in the area are abundant with hunting and fishing, water sports at the nearby Hawk Springs, Springer and Guernsey Reservoirs.

Torrington has the typical semi-arid climate of the High Plains region, with high temperatures reaching the 90’s in July and August and low temperatures dropping to 10 degrees in the winter months of December and January. For the majority of the year, the average temperatures run between 20 to 40 degrees in the winter months and 60 to 70 in the summer months. Annual average rainfall is 13.8 inches with precipitation reaching an average of 2.5 inches in the wettest months of May and June and about half of the year receiving over an inch of rain on average. Snowfall is the highest in the months of February and March with as much as 8 inches. Wind speeds also tend to be strongest in the months of March and April at over 12 mph on average.

The Torrington and Goshen County area is rich with history; the North Platte River served as a route for fur traders and trappers bound for the Rocky Mountains. Later, in the 1840’s and 1850’s, the same route functioned as part of the route for early pioneers following the historic Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail. On the ranch and in nearby town of Guernsey, ruts created by the wagon wheels of pioneers can still be seen and are as deep as five feet. By the late 1850’s this route was regularly scheduled for east-west stagecoaches carrying passengers and the U.S. mail, as well as becoming part of the route for the short-lived Pony Express. From September 1876 to February 1887, a north-south Cheyenne to Deadwood stagecoach line ran to the gold fields in the Dakota Territory in the midst of the Black Hills gold rush. The town of Torrington was founded in 1900 by W.G. Curtis and was named for his hometown of Torrington, Connecticut. The growing city soon became the main source of civilization for nearby farmers and ranchers. 

Historical sites and museums in the area include the Fort Laramie National Historic Site, the Hell Gap Paleoindian Site, the Oregon Trail Ruts, the Grattan Massacre Site, and the Homesteaders Museum.

WYOMING AS A TAX HAVEN

Many consider Wyoming to be one of the tax friendliest states to live in. Here are a few of the reasons:

No state income tax on personal or corporate income or out of state retirement income

No state inheritance or gift tax

No state capital gains tax

Dynasty trusts are permitted in Wyoming

No tax on personal property held for personal use

Property taxes in general are low and based on assessed values. 

No taxes on the sale of real estate

Please consult a tax professional for more information and assistance in evaluating Wyoming as “tax haven”. 

The North Platte River Ranch has very comfortable and functional improvements including a one story, three bedroom 1,288 square foot ranch style house that was built in the late 1950’s but has recently been remodeled. In addition to excellent pipe corrals and livestock handling facilities, the headquarters includes a detached four car garage, three grain bins, various tool and livestock sheds, and a 4,800 square foot Quonset building with concrete floor that is used as a shop and equipment storage. 

Currently the pivots are seeded as follows: 

NORTH PLATTE RIVER RANCH PIVOT IRRIGATION PLANS FOR 2018

The North Platte River runs along five and a half miles of the ranch and is a key resource for the waterfowl and wildlife on the ranch. In addition to the river system, the ranch has numerous water wells that are the water supply for the irrigated cropland. For the livestock water, there is a pipeline and tanks running throughout the ranch. Additionally, the overflow of a water well on the southwest end of the ranch supplies water to a couple of ponds. 

These are records found in the State Engineer’s Office and Board of Control records and may or may not reflect the actual situation on the ground. Water Rights are not guaranteed by the Seller nor by Hall and Hall. It is Buyer’s responsibility to conduct their own water rights search and investigation. 

Sellers will convey 50 percent of all the mineral rights that they own. The Seller has not completed a mineral rights search.

Based upon past years, the real estate taxes are estimated to run around $5,700.00 per year.

The North Platte River is home to a variety of fish as it traverses through Wyoming. The higher elevations of the river have exceptional trout fishing and the lower reaches, near the ranch, hold a variety of warmer water fish such as perch, walleye, bass, catfish and green sunfish. Nearby Hawk Springs and Guernsey Reservoirs also provide excellent angling opportunities. 

With the lush river bottom, the North Platte River Ranch supports and holds a variety of wildlife, including big game species of whitetail deer, mule deer as well as antelope. The area is considered to be in the heart of the waterfowl Central Flyway, a bird migration route that follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada, accounting for a high number of waterfowl species. This allows for exceptional duck and goose hunting. Other species of wildlife include bald and golden eagles, hawks, owls and numerous species of songbirds. The area is also home to cottontail rabbits, red squirrels, and wild turkeys.

The North Platte River Ranch has been run as a diversified operation with 480± acres of pivot irrigated cropland where hay and grain crops have historically been raised. Other crops such as corn, dry edible beans, sugar beets, potatoes, sunflowers and wheat also do well in this area. In addition to the cropland, the ranch runs a cow herd of 220± Animal Units year-round and they are easily able to run another 700-800 AUM’s seasonally. Discussions with the seller suggest the ranch could support 300 AU’s year-round with the existing crop production. This offers good diversity and a pretty optimal year-round operating plan.