38,420 Acres in Evanston, WY - $25,000,000
LOCATION AND LOCALE
Completely encircled by public lands, Big Thunder Ranch provides a rare opportunity to own a large block of deeded land along the border of Wasatch National Forest. Situated in the southwest corner of the grand state of Wyoming and with easy access off route I-80, this magnificent property is 77 miles from the booming metropolis of Salt Lake City, Utah and less than 45 minutes from the small city of Evanston, Wyoming which supports a jet capable airport, medical facilities, banking, theaters, grocery and retail services and is host to a selection of fine eateries and pubs, seasonal festivities and annual cultural eventsand is official training site of the Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Uinta County, in which Big Thunder Ranch is located, has a population of approximately 20,000 and is teeming with old west history, steeped in modern traditions, and is the hub of many scenic ...
Uinta County, in which Big Thunder Ranch is located, has a population of approximately 20,000 and is teeming with old west history, steeped in modern traditions, and is the hub of many scenic destinations including the Historic Mormon, Oregon and California Trails, the Lincoln Highway and Scenic Highway 150 through the beautiful Uinta Mountains. The ranch is 35 miles from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and 65 miles from blue-ribbon trout fishing on the Green River below the Flaming Gorge.
ACREAGE AND GROUNDS
Including Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leased ground, the main ranch spans over eleven miles north to south and over ten miles east to west. It borders Wasatch National Forest for over seven miles. With elevation gradients running from 6,500 feet to 8,700 feet, the ranch encompasses an entire year-round ecosystem for elk, mule deer, moose and antelope.
Big Thunder Ranch is comprised of 13,160 deeded acres with another 25,560 acres of attached BLM lease, the ranch controls 38,420 acres. The upper reaches of the ranch provide great summer range, while the lower reaches include irrigated and sub-irrigated land of over 1,520 acres. The Leavitt Basin pasture provides good spring and summer grass for cattle. The lower pasture on the Cottonwood Bench unit includes two pivots and supplies adequate winter range. A good quality set of shipping corrals, along with a certified set of 30,000-pound capacity Fairbanks-Morse scales sets this ranch up as a turn-key cattle operation.
Wildlife flourishes on Big Thunder Ranch. Large aspen stands and mature fir trees on the deeded ground provide excellent elk and mule deer habitat; marshy areas protected by ravines create perfect conditions for prime moose territory; and open plateaus offer feed and space for pronghorn antelope.
HUNTING, FISHING AND WATER
The Big Thunder Ranch is a big game hunters dream ranch. The ranch is home to large herds of elk, mule deer and antelope. Many of the states largest elk and mule deer can be found roaming the hills and meadows of the ranch. Hunters will have chances at Boone and Crockett quality animals. The Big Thunder Ranch does qualify for landowner hunting tags for elk, deer and antelope. While not a large stream, Sage Creek meanders through the ranch for over seven miles, providing a great opportunity to build some large trout ponds. The Wyoming Game and Fish have set a fish block on the forest boundary due to a pure strain of Colorado Cutthroat Trout that call Sage Creek home. The Game and Fish are very excited to work with the future owner to move the fish block to the bottom of the deeded ground and develop better habitat to strengthen this native cutthroats population.
The Big Thunder Ranch also includes Reed Reservoir, a lake built and permitted to hold 1,076 acre feet of pristine mountain water that is fed by Sage Creek. The lake covers roughly 60 acres of ground, making an average depth of over 17 feet with deeper parts reaching over 30 feet. The reservoir has been historically used for irrigation, but the fact that Sage Creek provides a year-round supply of water makes this lake an ideal prospect for development into a trophy fishery, similar to the popular Piedmont Reservoir nearby. Additionally, the lake is a drawing card for migratory waterfowl.
PRIMARY RESIDENCE/IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS
Outstanding beauty, breathtaking views and functionality culminate to give this majestic property such diversity. A nicely developed private road runs the length of the main ranch from which can be reached a multitude of incredible and stunning potential building sites scattered about the ranch. Whether the desire is to overlook the High Uinta Wilderness Area, a backdrop on several areas about the ranch and seen from the Hickey Mountain parcel in particular; or to take in southern views scanning the horizon across irrigated meadows and over recreational country, the options are limitless. Overlook the lake, park on the creek bank or maybe nestle into the timber and groves of aspen glowing gold in autumn.
From yesteryear
An old homestead still stands holding secrets to the pioneer history associated with the property.
For the future
A masterpiece to match the magnitude of Big Thunder Ranch would be a glorious addition to this impressive property.
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Between the varied terrain of this vast property itself and the neighboring national forest and surrounding region, a plethora of recreational choices are offered. Year around the property is paradise for the hiker, horseback rider and photographer. Enthusiasts of winter sports can enjoy endless miles of snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Autumn brings with it the thrill of big game archery and rifle hunting.
In the immediate vicinity the Green River flows south on its way to meet the Colorado River, eventually flowing through the Grand Canyon, offering opportunities for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and hiking. The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is comprised of 90 miles of lakes and 375 miles of shoreline, with craggy peaks rising high and filled with colorful rock formations, fossils and ancient Indian petroglyphs. Southwest Wyoming is home to more than 1,600 wild horses in five separate Wild Horse Herd Management areas. And who can forget that Wyoming is home to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
World-class skiing abounds an easy, scenic drive north to the Jackson and Pinedale areas or south into Utahs Olympic Park in the Park City area.
AREA HISTORY
The ranch and its surrounding area hold an interesting history. Early explorer and fur trader William Henry Ashley is the first white man known to have visited the adjacent
Henrys Fork Valley. Fur trappers, including Jim Bridger and Jebediah Smith, from his Rocky Mountain Fur Company, worked the streams and rivers of the area. Ashley selected a site on the Henrys Fork River just a few miles east of Lone Tree for his first annual trappers rendezvous in 1825. Trappers, Indians and supply wagons gathered for the weeklong affair of trading, socializing and athletic competition before the wagons headed back to civilization and the mountain men returned to their traps. These rendezvous continued in several valleys throughout the Rocky Mountains each year until 1840 when the fur trade died out.
In 1847 Mormon pioneers traveling to Utah passed just north of the ranch. This opened the region for settlement. In 1857, a US Army Expeditionary Force under the command of Colonel Albert Johnston marched toward Utah to put down the so-called Mormon Rebellion. Brigham Young sent scouts and raiding parties to slow the Army by running off their livestock, cutting off their supply wagons and burning the grass needed for livestock forage. Johnstons army was thus forced to spend the winter at nearby Fort Bridger. Because of the scarcity of feed, a number of government horses and cattle were sent to the Henrys Fork Valley to winter over. One of Johnstons scouts, Phil Mass, helped move the cattle. He later returned as the first white settler in the Valley in about 1862. A few brave hearted settlers comprised the initial settlement consisting of a few small, scattered ranches.
The ranch itself has a colorful past. Because of its isolation, the Valley was something of a haven for horse thieves and hired killers, not the least of who were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A large bootleg operation was run on the ranch during the Prohibition. The ranch owner at the time, Ross Reed, was so nervous that he moved his house to a vantage point where he could watch law enforcement coming from miles away. Visiting the ranch today, one will notice the high foundation the old house was placed on, as if it were a watch tower.
PRICE AND BROKERS COMMENTS
$25,000,000
The sheer beauty, size and magnitude of this rugged ranch parallel that the of old west and days gone by. For those of us born 100 years too late, this truly is a way to recapture the pioneer spiritall the while taking full advantage of the modern amenities set before us in this era. This simply is the cream of the crop. Whether your passion is riding herd on your trusty steed, working the land or prowling for game, you can have it all, and more, on this incredulous playground.
It is both an honor and humbling experience to represent the phenomenal Big Thunder Ranch to the market in search of the perfect entity to steward this holding.
Location: Uinta County, WY Price: $25,000,000
Acreage: 38,420 Acres Sq. Feet:
Bedrooms: 0 Bathrooms: 0
Contact: Jane Iten