13 of the Most Unique Luxury Ranches Sold This Past Decade

This past decade, Mirr Ranch Group had the opportunity to be involved in the sales of some of the greatest and most unique luxury ranches in the American West. Here is a list of our favorite legacy ranch sales over the past ten years:

Top Luxury Ranches Sold

Wasatch Peaks Ranch

The Wasatch Peaks Ranch represents 20 square miles of the most spectacular pristine recreational property in the West. The ranch controls a continuous ridge line comprising 24 peaks and 15 bowls on the property and adjoining National Forest lands, making it “perhaps the most skier-friendly property for sale in the country” (Denver Post).

  • Expertise: We were selected given our background in public lands, work in the ski industry, and contact base. After much research, we decided to market the ranch as an exclusive private resort opportunity and were successful in finding such a buyer. Ranch sale designated as the Deal of the Year by the Land Report.
  • Legacy/Impact: Through Mirr Ranch Group’s efforts, the Wasatch Peaks Ranch will remain intact with limited development and a legacy for the new owner and members.
  • Conservation/Land Management: The new owners plan on creating a limited development ski area while continuing to manage the majority of the property as a ranch and open space.

Trees Ranch

Set at the foot of the majestic Zion National Park in southern Utah is the incomparable Trees Ranch with its brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs, towering monoliths, and grand temples. The ranch included portions of the North Fork and East Fork and headwaters of the Virgin River as well as Shunes Creek, a river designated as Wild and Scenic.

  • Expertise:  MRG was selected given its conservation ethic, understanding of public lands and connections to ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals across the globe. We marketed this accordingly as one of the most rare intact parcels next to one of the most visited National Parks in the nation. Ranch sale designated as the Conservation Deal of the Year by the Land Report.
  • Legacy/Impact: Our seller’s trust was created by one of the founders of the Grand Canyon Trust and a portion of the ranch was protected by an easement. Important water rights were retained to balance ecological concerns with the Virgin River.
  • Conservation/Land Management: Meticulously assembled over the years by visionary conservationist owners, the 2,066-acre ranch was sold to Paul Allen.
Trees Ranch - Utah

JE Canyon Ranch

With nearly 50,000 deeded acres, the JE Canyon Ranch represents one of Colorado’s largest private ranches and wildlife preserves. Situated in southeastern Colorado’s canyon country, the property includes unique red rock canyons that rival those in southern Utah.

  • Expertise: Our background in conservation deals and successful relationship with the Nature Conservancy and Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust helped contribute to the sale of JE Canyon Ranch. Ranch designated as the Ranchland Deal of the Year by the Land Report.
  • Legacy/Impact: After this sale, the entire ranch was placed under a conservation easement to retain a balance between ag production and maintenance of the unique biodiversity and cultural elements on the ranch.
  • Conservation/Land Management: The ranch was sold to The Nature Conservancy and is protected by conservation easements held by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.
JE Canyon Ranch | Colorado Ranches for Sale

Cielo Vista Ranch

Cielo Vista Ranch is aptly named, translated from the Spanish as “View of Heaven.” The 83,368±-acre Cielo Vista Ranch is one of the largest, most pristine private properties in North America. Dramatic snow-capped vistas not only form the backdrop of Cielo Vista, the peaks are indeed a part of the ranch itself. This property is home to nineteen peaks over 13,000 feet, including Culebra Peak (one of Colorado’s fourteeners).

  • Expertise: Due to our strong contact database in the sporting and conservation fields, we were able to find a high net worth individual interested in buying a hunting property of this size. Ranch designated as the 2017 Ranchland Deal of the Year by the Land Report.
  • Legacy/Impact: The property was sold to a conservation buyer looking to keep the property as one contiguous piece, primarily used for hunting and recreation.
  • Conservation/Land Management:  A third of the property is protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF).

Caribou Ranch

Situated right outside Nederland, Colorado. A recording studio in the 1970s and 1980s, the Colorado ranch is now a peaceful refuge with mature aspen and pine trees, expansive mountain views, an abundance of wildlife, live water in three year-round creeks, and well-maintained improvements.

  • Expertise: Through our relationship with the Buyer and our knowledge of unique landscapes, we were able to listen to their needs and pair them with this legacy ranch. Ranch awarded the 2014 Historic Deal of the Year by the Land Report.
  • Legacy/Impact: As the Land Report put it, Caribou Ranch is “on par with Abbey Road and Muscle Shoals” as a music industry “mecca.” This landmark property hosted and recorded over 150 legendary musicians – Elton John, The Beach Boys, John Lennon, U2, and Michael Jackson, to name a few.
  • Conservation/Land Management: The Caribou Ranch was originally 4,000 acres, but 2,600 acres were sold to the City of Boulder and Boulder County, who placed conservation easements on the 2,600 for a park and open space.

Sandstone Ranch

With its brilliantly colored red rock formations rising from the lush green meadows, the 2,038 acre Sandstone Ranch is quite simply one of the most iconic and scenic properties available in the Front Range of Colorado. The property adjoins National Forest and feels remote, although less than an hour from Denver. 

  • Expertise: We were retained given our leading presence as ranch brokers in Colorado and ability to find conservation buyers. Through our efforts we negotiated a sale directly with Douglas County Open Space.
  • Legacy/Impact: The property was slated as a rural development but through our efforts, we found a buyer who will maintain the ranch as open space in perpetuity and opportunity to preserve a traditional ranch for all to see.
  • Conservation/Land Management: The property was sold to Douglas County where they will hold as public open space. As Douglas County commissioner Roger Partridge put it,  “It is the preservation of the County’s history, heritage, wildlife habitat, as well as other cultural and natural resources—a quality of life investment for present and future generations” (Land.com).

Mantle Ranch

The Mantle Ranch is an ecological, cultural and geological jewel located in an astonishingly beautiful and serene river corridor with thousand foot high yellow and red sandstone canyon walls carved by the wild and free flowing Yampa River. 

  • Expertise: MRG was retained given our public lands experience and ability to market inholding in National Parks and other public lands. Ranch was promoted through editorials in WSJ and the New York Times.
  • Legacy/Impact: The Mantle Ranch is one of the only inholdings in the US that is granted a right by law to graze cattle and had historical significance due to the pioneering efforts of the Mantle family.
  • Conservation/Land Management: Mantle Ranch is an inholding within Dinosaur National Monument replete with significant cultural resources including petroglyphs, and we located a conservation buyer who shared the vision to maintain these attributes.

Sandy Ranch

The Sandy Ranch is located in scenic southern Utah adjoining Capitol Reef National Park. The property is a historic cattle ranch with approximately 253,100 acres set in one of the most picturesque regions of the West.

  • Expertise: MRG was retained given its expertise in conservation, public lands, and marketing unique landscapes next to National Parks.
  • Legacy/Impact: The property is an oasis in the middle of a high desert with water that flows from Aquarius Plateau through rock canyons carved by pioneers. Area supports the second largest herd of free roaming bison in North America. Wallace Stegner was inspired by this landscape when he drafted the iconic Wilderness Letter.
  • Conservation/Land Management: MRG found a buyer that appreciated the ranch heritage and the need to conserve its significant water and ecological resources.

Six Shooter Ranch

Because of its sheer size, vast resources and diversity of terrain, Six Shooter Ranch, at over 36,000 deeded contiguous acres, is one of only a few properties in North America which is, by all accounts and in all earnestness, akin to a national park.

  • Expertise: MRG was selected given its hunting and recreational expertise as our brokers are celebrated hunters in the West and know how to market properties of this magnitude to UHNW sportsmen. 
  • Legacy/Impact:   As Jeff Hubbard put it, “This iconic property offers that rare mix of material timber/agriculture resources coupled with extraordinary recreation value; and this sale underscores how central and eastern Oregon remain a relatively yet-to-be-discovered ranch market with tremendous long-term upside potential.”
  • Conservation/Land Management:  In an effort to improve the trophy quality of the bucks and bulls on the ranch, the previous owner limited hunting for nearly five years on the property. The size of the ranch affords the rare ability to truly “manage” elk and deer herds for trophy quality. We found a conservation buyer who shared the passion to conserve the ranch.
Six Shooter Ranch - Mitchell, Oregon for Sale

Silver Mountain Ranch

Nestled against the stunning backdrop of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Silver Mountain Ranch offers extraordinary recreation, production, and development opportunity only 2.5 hours from Denver.

  • Expertise: MRG was chosen to represent the Sellers of this property through our proven record of selling large hunting ranches to avid conservation minded sportsmen.
  • Legacy/Impact: This is simply one of the finest hunting properties in the American West, boasting record-book quality elk, mule deer, antelope, and the iconic Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. 
  • Conservation/Land Management: The Silver Mountain Preserve is a sanctuary for several species of big and small game animals including Colorado’s State animal, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Over the past 25 years, hunting has been carefully managed and regulated to ensure the highest trophy quality available on a ranch of this size.

Robinson Canyon Ranch

Robinson Canyon Ranch is a very diverse ranch, providing tremendous wildlife habitat, fisheries, and livestock capabilities in the heart of cattle country.

  • Expertise: MRG was chosen to market the property as a combination recreational and agricultural operation, with expertise in big-game management, fisheries enhancement, and ranch management.
  • Legacy/Impact:  Robinson Canyon Ranch is located in central Johnson County, the immediate area that had historical significance in the Johnson County Cattle War of the late 1800s.
  • Conservation/Land Management: Robinson Canyon Ranch is protected through perpetuity via a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy, protecting open spaces while allowing the continuation of inherent agricultural operations and recreational opportunities.

Wolf Mountain Ranch

Wolf Mountain Ranch is a beautiful mountain ranch, nestled in the Little Wolf Mountains of southeastern Montana, providing habitat for trophy elk and mule deer.

  • Expertise: MRG was chosen to represent the hunting and recreational opportunities of this incredible recreational ranch, in an area that may have been historically over-looked by hunting minded ranch buyers.
  • Legacy/Impact:  The ranch is held within the Little Wolf Mountain range, and is contiguous with other large acreage family ranches, all of whom are great stewards of the land and embrace the opportunity to manage livestock and wildlife in a mutually beneficial manner.
  • Conservation/Land Management: The buyer was enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue with sound land management practices that benefit wildlife and agriculture in a very unique low elevation mountain setting.
Wolf Mountain Ranch | Montana Ranch for Sale

North San Luis Valley Portfolio

This collection of properties lie in the northern San Luis Valley, set against the backdrop of and adjacent to one of Colorado’s most stunning ranges, the northern Sangre de Cristos.

  • Expertise: Mirr Ranch Group brokers represented the Seller and Buyer for this transaction. We were selected given our history of marketing and selling ranches with complex water rights issues.
  • Legacy/Impact: This portfolio of ranches is blessed with an abundance of surface and subsurface water with senior rights from both the famed aquifers of the valley and surface waters from Cotton, San Luis, Cherry, and Kerber Creeks. This area is a battleground between many users who want to export the water out of the region.
  • Conservation/Land Management: Due to the magnitude of water rights on the property, we found a buyer who has recognized the responsibility and the impact this ranch has on the region and to preserve these rights.

We look forward to continuing to represent the most unique and exclusive legacy ranches in the American West and working with our loyal customers for the next ten years. Check out some of our current listings that may make the list in the coming decade!

For your convenience, we recap these 13 luxury ranch sales in the following video:

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