Indian Creek Guest Ranch

Salmon, Idaho
$2,750,000- SOLD!

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Surrounded by the unspoiled wilderness of central Idaho, this historic guest ranch is located 30 miles northwest of Salmon, Idaho and 11 miles downstream of North Fork along the wild and scenic Salmon River. The property features 2.5± miles of Indian Creek, a large trout pond, and a full set of classic ranch improvements including a main lodge, guest cabins, manager’s residence and staff quarters. The ranch consists of 120± deeded acres and adjoins U.S. Forest Service lands on three sides.

The Indian Creek Ranch is located in Lemhi County, Idaho 11 miles west of the small crossroads community of North Fork and 35 miles northwest of the county seat of Salmon. The property is accessible year-round and reached from U.S. Highway 93 to North Fork. From North Fork, it is an easy 11-mile drive on a paved Forest Service road following the Salmon River downstream to its confluence with Indian Creek at the Indianola Ranger Station. Missoula, Montana is the principal service center for the region and located approximately 120 miles north of the ranch via Highway 93. The Missoula International Airport offers regular commercial air service on Delta/Skywest, Northwest, United, Alaska/Horizon, and Allegiant. The Lemhi County Airport just outside of Salmon features a 5,150’ x 60’ lighted runway at an elevation of 4,035 feet with 100-Jet A fuel. Salmon Air, a charter service based in Salmon, maintains a desk at Boise Airport and flies regularly between Salmon and Boise, Idaho. North Fork is the hub of local steelhead fishing on the Salmon River and offers a general store, café, motel, and campgrounds. Salmon (population 3,300) lies in the shadow of the Beaverhead Mountains at the confluence of the Salmon and Lemhi Rivers and offers retail services, government offices, and medical facilities.

The Indian Creek Ranch lies along the eastern edge of the largest wilderness and roadless area in the lower 48 states. This vast and diverse region ranges in elevation from 2,000 feet along the lower Salmon River to alpine summits of 10,000 feet in the Bighorn Crags. The Salmon River corridor downstream of North Fork is classified as a federal Wild and Scenic River and provides excellent steelhead fishing during the fall months as well as world-famous river rafting through the summer. On August 12, 1805, Capt. Meriwether Lewis, along with several men from the Voyage of Discovery, crossed Lemhi Pass into the Salmon River drainage, approximately 45 air miles southeast of the ranch, and became the first Europeans to cross the Continental Divide south of Alberta and north of New Mexico. Later that summer, Lewis and Clark started down the Salmon River and explored the Indian Creek drainage before deciding the terrain down-river was too rough to continue. Since those early days of western exploration, the Salmon River has been known as the “River of No Return” because of its remoteness and limited accessibility. Indian Creek is a tributary stream to the Salmon River and provides important spawning habitat for steelhead and Chinook salmon on their 800-mile journey from the Pacific Ocean upstream to spawning beds in central Idaho.

The elevation of the ranch headquarters is approximately 3,800 feet. The climate is surprisingly mild with the massive mountain ranges to the north and west acting as a barrier to prevailing storms. Annual precipitation averages 15 inches. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of 90 degrees and an average low of 50 degrees. January is the coldest month with an average high temperature of 31 degrees and an average low of 15 degrees.

The Indian Creek Ranch is a meticulously-maintained operating guest ranch offering excellent recreational opportunities in a beautiful mountain valley setting. The scenery features huge ponderosa pines and snowcapped peaks set above a “gin clear” rushing mountain stream. The ranch encompasses approximately 2½ miles of the valley floor with the ranch compound lying at the confluence of Indian Creek with Cabin Creek and Cow Gulch. From the deck of the lodge, one can relax and enjoy unblemished vistas of mountains, old growth forests, and lush meadows and riparian areas. A spring-fed, fully-stocked trout pond lies upstream of the buildings and adds to the serenity of the ranch and offers angling opportunities for large rainbow trout.

Ranch infrastructure includes:
Well-maintained, all-season gravel road
Pressurized underground sprinkler irrigation system
Hydroelectric generation system to provide power to the ranch
Underground power lines
New “jack leg” fencing throughout the property
New wooden corrals and gates
Spring-fed, fully stocked trout pond
New septic tank systems with drainfields
New domestic well with storage tanks

Buildings include:
Main lodge with commercial kitchen and dining room
4 cozy guest cabins with private baths, wood burning fireplaces and sitting areas
New manager’s home
Staff cabins
Washhouse
Equipment and storage buildings
Horse barn
New log tack building
Workshop/power shed
Many improvements are new or have been rebuilt since 2002.

The owners have been operating the property as a small, high-quality guest ranch and retreat. The commercial season begins on Memorial Day and extends through October. Guests can choose from a number of activities, including horseback riding, fly-fishing, whitewater rafting, hiking, wildlife viewing, or just plain relaxing with a good book on the ranch deck. Approximately 63 acres of the ranch is comprised of irrigated pasture and meadows. Irrigation water from Indian Creek is captured in an underground pipeline that creates gravity-flow pressure for the ranch’s sprinkler irrigation system.

ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT, RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT, AND FINANCING SERVICES OFFERED BY HALL AND HALL

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

120+/- Deeded

Price includes select equipment, furnishings, and personal property. A full inventory is available upon request.

With extensive public lands and a small population base, the Salmon River country of central Idaho is literally an outdoor recreational paradise. All wildlife species common to the Northern Rockies abound here, including elk, mule deer, moose, and bighorn sheep. Whitewater boating on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and lower main Salmon River is famous throughout the world and unrivaled in the west. Lost Trail Pass Ski Area, located on the Idaho-Montana border 16 miles north of North Fork, is a little-known gem with lots of powder and no crowds. Fly-fishing for steelhead on the nearby Salmon River can be outstanding and a wonderful way to spend a fall day.

2008 property taxes $1,413.58 per the Lemhi County Treasurer.