Kootenai Rocks Ranch

Stevensville, Montana
$6,500,000- PRICE REDUCED!

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This 867± acre unimproved ranch near Stevensville south of Missoula is adjacent to National Forest. An attractive hay meadow nestled below a gorgeous mix of conifers and deciduous trees offers many very private building sites with amazing views. Contiguous to other large holdings, this easily accessible large property is a rare find in the sought-after Bitterroot Valley. Excellent potential for equestrian facility.

Kootenai Rocks Ranch is located in western Montana’s Bitterroot Valley approximately two miles south of the community of Stevensville. Delta, Skywest, Northwest, United and Big Sky Airlines service the Missoula airport approximately 40 minutes to the north with numerous arrivals and departures each day. Missoula is also serviced by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, providing both in-state service and additional nonstop service to the west coast.

The Bitterroot Valley is arguably the most beautiful valley in Montana, if not the Northern Rockies. The Bitterroot River runs in a northerly direction throughout the length of the valley. The western edge of the valley is met by the towering, jagged peaks of the Bitterroot Mountain Range while the eastern edge of the valley is graced with the gentler horizon of the Sapphire Mountains. The Bitterroot Valley is one of the more populous valleys in Montana and therefore offers much more in the way of services than many other areas. The valley is dotted with quaint Montana towns, the largest of which is Hamilton located approximately 20 minutes south of the ranch. The Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area, located in the Bitterroot Mountains provides the locals a pristine roadless wilderness area that, when taken with two contiguous wilderness areas, accounts for the largest contiguous block of wilderness in the lower 48 States. Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area offers an excellent local ski area without the crowds found elsewhere.

The Bitterroot Valley is one of the lowest intermountain valleys in the Rocky Mountains. The base elevation at Kootenai Rocks Ranch is just under 3,400 feet above sea level. This location west of the continental divide results in a stronger “Pacific Northwest influence” than that which is found east of the divide. Consequently, the climate is mild by Montana standards. High readings of 90°F occur less than 20 days a year. Summers are pleasant and winters are characterized by steady, but not severe, cold. Extremely high winds are rare.

Kootenai Rocks Ranch gently slopes up to the west from Salish Trail, a well maintained county road that forms the eastern boundary of the property. Generally speaking, the property ranges from about one and one-half to two miles from east to west and one-half to one mile from north to south. There is an entrance to the ranch directly from Salish Trail. This “two-track” access road winds its way up to the west through an attractive, irrigated hay meadow and into the forest gradually gaining elevation until it meets a steep hill approximately one-quarter mile from the western boundary. This west boundary shares a property line with Forest Service lands for over one mile giving the owner direct access into the near 4,000 square mile wilderness area to the west. There are three drainages through the ranch that flow directly out of this wilderness: Silverthorn Creek, Kennedy Gulch and Million Gulch. The ranch is well watered with springs providing good growing conditions for beautiful patches of aspens and other deciduous tree and shrub growth among the more plentiful conifer trees. There are ample choices of building sites to choose from all over the ranch’s gentle topography. Unlike most properties in the Bitterroot Valley, this ranch mostly borders larger holdings providing extra “insulation” for privacy.

There are no structural improvements on the ranch.

Kootenai Rocks Ranch is part of a larger holding owned by the Baldwin family. The Baldwins currently operate a cow/calf operation with a strong sense of healthy stewardship.

Future operations of the ranch would be well suited to a "gentleman's ranch" with some light grazing for horses or cattle.

867±

The wildlife habitat on the ranch supports a variety of wildlife including black bear, whitetail deer, elk, bobcat, mountain lion, occasional moose, bald eagles and more. The forested land is a combination of deciduous and coniferous trees dominated by ponderosa pine.

Fishing is one of the major recreational resources of the Bitterroot Valley.
The Bitterroot River, a few minutes drive from the ranch, is a well-respected world class fly-fishing river flowing south to north through the valley until its confluence with the Clark's Fork of the Columbia River in Missoula. It has an exceptionally long season with fishable hatches from early March through early November. Rainbow and brown trout up to 28 inches are occasionally landed here as well as cutthroat trout up to about 20 inches or more.

There are water rights filed on a well for domestic use and stock water. The priority date is 1910. Further details are available upon request.

Taxes are estimated at $1,840 annually.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES - The management of a ranch such as this one can be made as simple and as time saving or as involved as one desires through the services of Hall and Hall’s ranch management division. These services are customized to each owner and ranch. They can be as simple as leasing out the agricultural operations so one has virtually no responsibilities. Or they can be as involved as assessing the existing resource, finding and hiring a caretaker or manager, buying livestock and equipment, expense paying and payroll accounting, etc. Wes Oja and Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting are available to describe and discuss these services further and welcome your call.

RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT - Should one desire to assess and enhance the existing fish and wildlife assets of this ranch Hall and Hall’s resource management division is available to do so. These services are custom tailored to each owner and ranch and can range from inventorying of existing conditions, plans for restoration and enhancement of streams and ponds and introduction of bird and game feed plots to bidding, cost accounting, construction supervision. Peter Weber at (406) 587-3090 and Wes Oja at (406) 656-7500 are available to describe and discuss these services further and welcome your call.

SPECIALIZED LENDING - Over the past 59 years Hall and Hall has created a legacy by efficiently providing capital to the intermountain west. In addition to traditional farm and ranch loans, we specialize in understanding the unique aspects of placing loans on ranches where value may be influenced by recreational features, location and improvements.
Competitive Pricing ● Flexible Terms ● Efficient Processing
In-House Appraisals ● Common Sense Underwriting
Dave Roddy ● (406) 656-7500 ● Billings, Montana