With the perfect balance of agricultural production, diverse recreation, and modern elegance, the approximately 2,964 deeded acres of this Montana ranch is an efficient and productive cattle operation combined with the modern sophistication of a state-of-the-art custom-designed residence.  Containing a varied landscape of timbered ridges, irrigated pastures, and rolling hillsides, Three Peaks Ranch has been skillfully managed by a fourth-generation Paradise Valley ranching team since 1999 and is a proficiently run operation for a buyer desiring simplicity of ownership in one of Montana’s famed locales.

Located in Montana’s celebrated Paradise Valley and adjoining the Gallatin National Forest for approximately two miles to the south, the sub-alpine setting of this Montana Ranch is private, productive, and serenely beautiful.  The snow-capped peaks of the Absaroka Mountains range in elevation from 9,100´ and 11,200´ and provide a magnificent backdrop for the Ranch.

Following Davis Spring Creek, the graveled private driveway, off Mill Creek Road, serpentines from the Ranch Headquarters east to the Owner’s Compound.  Nestled in the foothills of Chico Peak, the approximately 13,300-square-foot executive home is concealed from the public eye and provides an excellent sense of discovery upon entry.  Designed by the nationally acclaimed award-winning team out of Denver – architect, Steven Sall, and builder, Mesa Properties, the custom home was constructed in 2006 on the site of the original homestead.  The historic appeal of this setting is evident with tremendous panoramas of the Yellowstone River Valley, the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park, and west to Electric Peak and the Gallatin Mountain Range.  Several of the original structures have been carefully restored giving the compound an historic appeal.

Davis Spring Creek is the water source for a series of three professionally-designed and strategically-placed ponds that host abundant aquatic life and thriving populations of rainbow and cutthroat trout.  This riparian thread, protected from cattle grazing, is a prime upland bird and migratory waterfowl habitat and attracts a wide range of Montana’s wildlife species.

The Ranch Headquarters is a well-designed modern cattle operation comprised of a manager’s home, main shop, equine facilities, calving barn, and cattle handling facilities.   Constructed in 2005, the approximately 3,850 square-foot Manager’s Home is a beautiful complement to the owner’s home and contains high-end finishes, a practical floor plan, and panoramic mountain views.  The Ranch comfortably runs 300 head of mother cows and contains 420± irrigated acres – the majority under pivot.

Three Peaks Ranch is a unique offering in today’s real estate market that combines a productive low-overhead cattle operation with an exquisite executive-style home for comfortable year-round living with access to quality amenities in nearby Livingston and Bozeman.  Compared to similar offerings in the Paradise Valley, this Montana ranch for sale is an attractive, well-priced operating cattle ranch with superb improvements in an ideal location.  Co-listed with The Land Brokers.

Located thirty minutes south of Livingston off scenic Highway 89, Three Peaks Ranch is easily accessible year-round.  Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, just south of the Ranch, offers both casual and fine dining.  The awarding-winning Chico Dining Room is known as one of the region’s best restaurants, specializing in exceptional cuisine, with much of the produce grown on the premises.  Situated about 40 miles to the south of the Ranch is the North Entrance into Yellowstone National Park and the quaint Montana town of Gardiner.

There are three airports within an hour’s drive of the Ranch.  Five miles east of Livingston, Mission Field (LVM) has three runways, – one 5701′ x 75′ asphalt runway which is in good condition, and two turf runways also in good condition.  LVM offers limited services including 100 Octane and Jet A Fuel, charter services, and limited hanger facilities.  Communications are provided by CTAF/UNICOM: 123.0, WX ASOS: 135.275, and by Great Falls Radio on Frequency 122.2.  Additional information is available by calling manager Russel Ferguson at 406-222-6504. Gardiner’s airport is located two miles northwest of the town.  The 3200′ x 55′ runway is a surface of asphalt/aggregate friction seal coat and is in good condition.  Airport communications are available on CTAF/UNICOM 122.8.  Additional information is available by calling manager, Bill Chapman at 406-848-7539.

Recently upgraded, the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport at Gallatin Field (BZN) in Belgrade offers three full-service FBOs and excellent commercial services through Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Delta, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and US Air. The seventh-busiest passenger airport in the Pacific Northwest, Bozeman offers direct flights to over a dozen major airports around the nation including Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Minneapolis.

LIVINGSTON & SURROUNDING AREA

The bustling town of Livingston, with a population of approximately 7,000, offers city amenities with the charm of a historic western town.  Surrounded by mountains, and ranch land, and centered in the Yellowstone River Valley, Livingston is the home of many diverse industries and businesses.  A multitude of coffee shops and art galleries intertwine through the downtown with boutique-style retail stores including a gourmet wine & cheese specialty shop and restaurants offering an array of local beef and buffalo burgers to fine gourmet dining.  For ranching supplies, the Spurline in Livingston and Murdoch’s in Bozeman offer a full line of quality feed, fencing, and vet supplies as well as western wear.  Livingston HealthCare provides quality healthcare including a 25-bed critical access hospital, a multi-specialty physician practice, rehabilitation services, and home-based services.  A new $50-million hospital is planned for Livingston in 2015.  From small consulting firms to large corporations like PrintingForLess.com, one of the world’s largest online print services, Livingston and the Paradise Valley are ideal communities to raise a family and grow a business.

Only four miles from the Ranch, families can expect their children to receive a high-quality kindergarten through 8th-grade education at Arrowhead Public Schools in Pray, Montana.  With less than 100 students in the school and an average of 10 students per class, Arrowhead’s CRT test scores historically have been on par or above the state average.   Park High School, located in Livingston, is designated District #1 and serves grades 9-12.  With class sizes averaging 26 students, Park High School graduates consistently score above both the state and national averages on the American College Test (ACT).  Since 1979, 21 Park High School students have been National Merit commended students, semi-finalists, or finalists.   Park High School interscholastic teams compete in the Montana High School Association as a Class ‘A’ school.   Less than an hour from the Ranch is Bozeman’s Montana State University which has recently received the Carnegie ranking as one of the nation’s top 108 universities in research.  Home of the Bobcats, MSU offers a full slate of NCAA Division I Intercollegiate athletics.

Throughout the Paradise Valley, land ownership is comprised of homesteaded agricultural operations and recreational landowners with an occasional celebrity that contributes to an eclectic mix of residents.

Approximate driving distances to other cities and area attractions:

The topography of Three Peaks Ranch can generally be described as a sub-alpine setting made up of lush irrigated meadows and rolling foothills that transition into a mountain setting.  The Paradise Valley is a classic north-south Rocky Mountain River Valley with the Yellowstone River being the focal point.  Framed by the Gallatin Mountain Range to the west and the Absaroka Mountain Range to the east, and Yellowstone National Park to the south, the Paradise Valley is aptly named.

Three Peaks Ranch encompasses approximately 2,964 deeded acres.

The deeded land is generally classified as follows:

2,128± Acres of Native Pasture and Improved Pasture Land
393± Acres of Timber and Selectively Harvested Timber Land
 423± Acres of Pivot and Sub-Irrigated Land
20± Acres Under Improvements
2,964± Total Estimated Deeded Acres

One of the attractive operational features of the Ranch is that the six pivot irrigation systems are gravity fed thus eliminating the electrical costs associated with pumping out of a canal, river, or well.  Generally, the Ranch is divided between the Upper Ranch and Lower Ranch as determined by the water which irrigates the respective acreages.

Mill Creek water irrigates the Lower Ranch which contains three pivots west of the Ranch Headquarters and several wheel-line irrigated pastures positioned directly south of the Headquarters.

The Upper Ranch is generally described as those acres positioned south of the Mill Creek Ditch.  The two center pivots and one wheel-line field are irrigated with water originating in Davis Creek which flows just east of the Owner’s Home.

The majority of the irrigated acres are utilized through a rotational grazing system. The 80-acre pivot, directly west of the Owner’s Home, serves as the hay base for the Ranch generating about 160 tons of alfalfa-grass hay annually.  The management philosophy implemented on Three Peaks Ranch is one of low overhead and high production.  The irrigated grazing pastures produce good stands of orchard and bluegrass that historically generate 2 to 3 pounds of daily gain on calves.

Several dryland pastures contain a mix of alfalfa and crested wheatgrass which are utilized in the Spring before the cattle are moved to the higher irrigated pastures.

For full water rights details contact Swan Land Company.

The bulk of the irrigation water used on the Ranch originates in Mill Creek.  A diversion point in Mill Creek is positioned just east of the Owner’s Home, diverting water from Mill Creek into the Mill Creek Ditch.  Irrigation water, weather depending, is typically turned on around May 1st and shut off around October 1st.  The Ditch flows in a westerly direction from Mill Creek across the Ranch.  Midway across the Ranch the Ditch is diverted into three pipelines.  The “A” Line is a 24″ pipe providing water to about 3,000 total irrigated acres – the Ranch being the first user on the “A” Line.  The pivots and wheel lines on the Lower Ranch are gravity fed through the “A” Line.  The “B” and “C” Lines also spur off at this point of diversion and run in a southwestern direction serving additional irrigated land west of the Ranch. Davis Creek water rights serve the two pivots and the single wheel line on the Upper Ranch.  The water rights out of Davis Creek are high water rights that typically last through July.  The Ranch is the second water user on Davis Creek.

The Seller will convey with the Ranch 100% of whatever mineral, oil, gas, geo-thermal, hydro-carbon, and gravel rights it actually owns, subject to reservations by previous owners.  The Seller makes no representation as to the quantity or quality of any mineral or other subsurface rights appurtenant to the Ranch.

The elevation gain on the Ranch is about 1,850 feet, with the highest point around 6,890 feet above sea level near the Gallatin National Forest and the lowest around 5,040 feet above sea level.  The Owner’s Home sits at 5,440 feet, high enough to capture the impressive Paradise Valley views, but low enough to avoid any low-hanging clouds if they settle on the mountaintops of the Absaroka Range.  The Ranch Headquarters and Manager’s Home sit around 5,140 feet.

The average annual precipitation is approximately 16″ inches.  Located in the USDA Hardiness Zone 4, the average growing season of the area is approximately 93 days.  The last frost of the year is typically early to mid-June and the first frost tends to be in early September. Average high temperatures in June, July, and August range from 73° to 80° Fahrenheit.  In December, January and February average high temperatures are between 33° and 39°. Summer average minimum temperatures range from 44° to 48°.  Winter average minimum temperatures are typically between 14° and 18°.  There is plenty of sunshine throughout the year.

OWNER’S HOME

Electricity is provided by Park Electric Co-op based in Livingston.  Telephone service is provided by CenturyLink.  Domestic water for the homes and corrals is provided by individual wells.   The water in the homes is treated through a commercial purification system serviced by Pur Water Technologies based in Bozeman.  All residences are on individual septic systems. A central-station burglar/fire detection system is monitored by Oso Security Company. Annual electric costs for the improvements and stock water wells typically run about $15,000.  The annual irrigation electrical cost is currently running at about $3,500.

The taxes on the real estate and improvements for 2012 were approximately $38,000.

Paradise Valley was appropriately named by the early settlers who were awed by the natural beauty, the massive river, fertile soil, gold, and awe-inspiring natural wonders of the area.  Until the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883, the Valley was a part of the Crow Indian Reservation.  The Crow Indians named the Yellowstone River “E-chee-dick-karsh-ah-shay” (Elk River) and the early French trappers called it “Roche Jaune” (Yellow Rock).  During the mid to late 1800s, homesteaders and farmers moved into the area in increasing numbers.   Many of these pioneers traveling along the Oregon Trail branched south and landed in Emigrant Gulch where they discovered gold. A short-lived mining boom followed.   John Tomlinson, a millwright and surveyor, on his way to Emigrant Gulch traveled with parts to a sawmill, which he set up on Mill Creek.  From the lumber he milled, he built the first boats which would go back down the Yellowstone to Missouri.  Others such as Floyd Counts, who mined in the Gulch would cross over the drainage into Mill Creek to mine claims.

With the convenient location of the warm springs at the mouth of Emigrant Gulch, a town was established to aid the miners.  Chico, supposedly named in 1866 after a Mexican miner, opened for public bathing in 1883.  In 1900 Percie and Bill Knowles opened a boarding house for gold miners, and in 1902 the “plunge”, two circular pools under a roof, was opened.  Along with the hotel, there was also a 24-bed hospital.  Chico Hospital was known as one of the finest and best-equipped facilities in Montana.

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 is the nation’s largest and oldest national park.  Native Americans had been in the area for thousands of years prior to John Colter’s 1807 excursion into the mystifying land of hot springs, mud pots, and geysers.   But for over half a century, any accounts told of the area were deemed as myths.  These myths persisted until 1871 when the Hayden Expedition scientifically documented the astonishing natural features and wildlife of the region.  These natural wonders of the area were publicized through the artwork of Thomas Moran, and Yellowstone National Park was established soon thereafter and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.  An abundance of information is available about the history, culture, and science of the Park at the History and Research Center in Gardiner, as well as the newly built state-of-the-art Old Faithful Visitor Education Center.

The Paradise Valley is renowned worldwide for its fly fishing, whether on high-mountain lakes and ponds, spring creeks, or floating down the Yellowstone River, which originates in Yellowstone National Park, just 40 miles to the south.  Exceptional fishing for avid anglers is found year-round in one of the most scenic areas of Montana. With a backdrop of snow-capped peaks in every direction, the Yellowstone River, which is the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States, provides consistently changing eddies, riffles, and deep pockets to explore.  Anglers cast nymphs, dries, or streamers in hopes of landing a native Yellowstone cutthroat, rainbow, brown trout, or the prolific native mountain whitefish.  It is one of the seminal experiences in fly fishing to catch the famous ‘Mother’s Day Caddis’ hatch on the Yellowstone when it coincides with fishable water conditions in May.   In addition to the untamed waters of the Yellowstone River, a trifecta of world-famous spring creeks – Armstrong’s, DePuy’s, and Nelson’s, are only a short drive away and offer consistent water temperatures and constant flows to create an ultimate breeding ground for the aquatic insects on which trout thrive.  These spring creeks are full of educated trout that have challenged the most experienced anglers to go deep in their fly boxes.  Yellowstone National Park is open seasonally to fishing and has a lifetime of fishing experiences within its borders on lakes and famous rivers like the Madison, Firehole, and Lamar.  Within the confines of the Ranch, there are three spring-fed ponds that have been carefully rehabilitated to enhance aquatic life and optimum growing conditions for the rainbow and cutthroat trout that are stocked from the Nelson Spring Creek hatchery.

Bordering the Gallatin National Forest, Three Peaks Ranch sees a plethora of wildlife.  Historically, big game hunting on the Ranch has been exceptional and provides the opportunity to view healthy herds of elk, whitetail deer, and mule deer.  In addition to big game, the Ranch is also home to several species of upland birds and migratory waterfowl.  The Ranch is located in Hunting District 317.  For specific regulations and additional information please refer to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website at www.fwp.mt.gov.

The Paradise Valley is renowned for its multitude of recreational activities.  In addition to fly fishing on the Yellowstone River, whitewater rafters, kayakers, and paddle boarders take advantage of the rapids in the Yankee Jim Canyon.  With over 700 miles of trails in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, hiking, camping, and horse-pack trips are unlimited.  The geothermal features, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and natural beauty and history of Yellowstone National Park are less than an hour from the Ranch and allow for a lifetime of exploration.

The winter activities within close proximity to the Ranch are unlimited.  There are multiple downhill ski and snowboard areas as well as Nordic skiing trails to explore.  Exceptional skiing at Bridger Bowl offers 2,000 skiable acres and a 2,700-foot vertical rise.  Bridger Bowl offers a wide variety of terrain including long slopes, glades, chutes, and gullies. Just north of Bridger Bowl, Bohart Ranch offers 30 kilometers of groomed Nordic skiing trails. Situated on private and Forest Service lands, the scenic trail system covers terrain well suited to all levels of ability.  About an hour and a half from the Ranch, Big Sky Resort-Moonlight Basin Interconnect offers access to “The Biggest Skiing In America” with 5,532 skiable acres and endless ways to navigate 4,350 feet of vertical drop.   Closer to home, the groomed Nordic ski trails at Mammoth Hot Springs, or guided snowmobile tours through Yellowstone National Park provide endless winter adventures.

Or simply relax in the therapeutic waters and enjoy a gourmet meal at Chico Hot Springs just seven miles down the road. In addition, all of the amenities of Livingston are only a pleasant 20-minute drive from the Ranch and the vibrant university town of Bozeman is about 45 miles away.

Three Peaks Ranch is a productive and efficient cattle operation with executive improvements in one of Montana’s premier locations.  The approximately 2,964 deeded acres include over 420 irrigated acres – the majority under pivot.  The size, scope, and condition of this Ranch provide all the necessary ingredients for a successful cattle ranch along with unlimited recreational opportunities in the adjoining Gallatin National Forest.  For those who have tracked property values in the Paradise Valley for the past several years, this offering is very competitive in today’s market and includes many desirable amenities for a comfortable year-round lifestyle.  Three Peaks Ranch provides the unique opportunity to acquire a recreation and working ranch in the heart of the famed Paradise Valley – the gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

The architecturally designed executive home is one of the defining features of the Ranch.  The practical floor plan, tasteful décor, and extraordinary views of the Yellowstone River Valley and the Gallatin Range create a true sense of place.  The historic structures on the Ranch have been tastefully updated and all of the improvements have been impeccably maintained.  An astute buyer will quickly gain an appreciation for the thoughtful touches that have been incorporated into this exquisite residence.

The lush-irrigated meadows produce outstanding pasture for solid gains on cattle and also attract good populations of wildlife.  The current ownership has done an exceptional job managing the Ranch, and conservative grazing patterns have led to the enhancement of big game and upland-game bird populations.  The addition of three spring-fed trout ponds perfectly complements the recreation opportunities on the Ranch.

Finally, this attractive holding has bona fide potential for placement of a conservation easement and enjoying the personal satisfaction of environmental preservation plus the tax advantages attendant with such a decision.  Due to its proximity to the Yellowstone ecosystem, every one of the viable conservation organizations will be enthused and very helpful in assisting to structure an easement on the Ranch.

A 48-hour notice is requested to make proper arrangements for an inspection.