Wood River Valley Ranch

Details & Features

Surrounded by Shoshone National Forest, the ranch is accessed by a well-maintained year-round county road. Twenty minutes from the ranch, the historic town of Meeteetse provides the local amenities. With its streets and storefronts historically lined with wooden boardwalks, hitching rails and water troughs, the quaint town of Meeteetse offers dining, lodging and shopping with the Western flair.

As one of the premier legacy properties in Park County, the Wood River Valley Ranch controls 1,888 acres. With year-round access, the ranch boasts 1,248 deeded acres ranging in elevation from 6,900 feet along the river to more than 8,500 feet near the top of the famous Noon Point Peak. With well over a mile of the Wood River running through the property the land varies from riparian river bottom with towering cottonwoods, irrigated pastures and fertile range lands to alpine meadows accented with quaking aspens. The Wood River Valley Ranch offers 328 irrigated acres for excellent hay production or grazing. Along with the deeded acreage, the ranch has 640 acres of State of Wyoming land lease for grazing. The ranch currently supports approximately 100 head of mother cows and 150 yearlings and has excellent potential for cattle and horse operations.

With no detail overlooked, the Wood River Valley Ranch includes a beautiful 4,000 sqft mountain home with spectacular views of the Absarokas. Features include six bedrooms, a large living room with a magnificent stone fireplace and vaulted ceilings, and a deck with unobstructed views of the entire Wood River Valley. A winding drive leads up to the attached garage. To complement the ranch operations, there is a well-designed workshop and separate equipment building. For the ranch caretaker or friends and family, there is a beautiful log cabin accented with knotty pine floors, a cozy wood stove and a deck with log railings overlooking the ranch pastures and the Wood River.

Bisecting the ranch is the Wood River — a free-flowing natural river dominated by Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The Wood River originates in the Washakie Wilderness and winds out of the Absaroka Range into the valley, making the Wood River one of the most private fisheries in Wyoming. The property controls over a mile of the river, providing excellent fishing for 12 to 16 inchers with the occasional 18-inch bruiser. Wade fishing is optimal from June through October for these native cutthroats. There is an incredible amount of gold-medal fishing water within an hour from the Wood River Valley Ranch. After exhausting the cutthroats at home, additional “blue ribbon” fisheries including the North and South Forks of the Shoshone River are located just outside of Cody. The North Fork is known for chunky cutthroat trout and rainbow trout averaging 13″ to 15″ in size, with many fish reaching over 20″. The South Fork is mostly private until it reaches national forest, which provides miles of excellent hike-in fishing. Brown trout appear to be dominant in this area, however cutthroat and rainbow trout average 10″ to 15″ with some 18″-plus fish. Both forks run into the Buffalo Bill Reservoir just west of Cody. The Lower Shoshone flows out from the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, where the fish count is roughly 2,200 per mile. While fish numbers begin to drop down-river toward Powell, many sizable rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout call this section home.

Seldom does a ranch this size offer world-class hunting, and not just one or two species, but all four of the West’s top big game species, elk, antelope and both mule and whitetail deer. The Wood River Valley Ranch has been a historical and principal migratory route for elk during the fall and winter months, and although the ranch boasts exceptional antelope and mule deer hunting, it’s the elk and whitetail that push it into the world-class category. Several 370-plus class bulls have been taken within the last few years, and 180-plus bucks are harvested every year. Surrounding the valley are millions of acres of public lands made up mostly of National Forest and Wilderness providing excellent habitat. Wood River Valley Ranch sits within a limited quota area so only a limited number of tags are issued for each species, and because most of the hunt area lies within private property, public hunting is limited. All of this combines to create a hunting property that is world class. Although tags are limited the Wood River Valley Ranch has qualified in the past for two elk and deer Land Ownership tags, giving the owner and family members the chance to hunt every year. Deer tags are for either mule or whitetail.

The idyllic setting of Wood River Valley Ranch also provides one of the area’s most diverse wildlife-viewing environments. Bordered by state and public lands and just miles from the Washakie Wilderness, this area is home to many different species of wildlife. In addition to the big game species noted previously, moose, bear, mountain lion, wolves, bobcats and even the elusive wolverine and lynx can be found on the property and in the immediate National Forest surroundings.

• World-Class Fishing And Hunting
• 4,000 Sqft Residence
• Shoshone National Forest Access
• Mountain Views
• Caretaker Home