West Rim Ranch

Details & Features

Overview: The West Rim Ranch is located on the quiet side of the Teton Mountain Range on the northwestern rim of the Big Hole Mountains in both Teton County and Madison County, Idaho. The ranch is comprised of 2,553.56 deeded acres of diverse landscape that includes timbered hillsides, large open pastures, deep tree-lined canyons and a 2.5-mile shared border with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. From north to south, the ranch ascends to meet the forest border with elevated views of the nearby agricultural landscape and larger ranch holdings to the north and west. Wide-open spaces dominate the horizon, which is framed by numerous mountain ranges including the Lemhi Range, Lost River Range, Centennial Range, and the Big Hole Range. On a clear day, one can see the tree-covered hillsides of Yellowstone National Park.

Acreage: The ranch is comprised of 2,553.56 deeded acres with large rolling pastures and a modest slope rising to the National Forest boundary at 7,300 feet in elevation. The ranch’s deeded acreage spans both Teton and Madison counties with 1,774.72 acres located in Teton County and the remaining 778.84 acres in Madison County. Historically, this ranch has been used as a cattle ranch and small grain farm, however, the current owners have temporarily retired the cultivated acreage. During this time, the ranch has been enrolled in a continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for the past 12 years. This program is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and overseen by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designed to rest and rejuvenate agricultural soils while benefiting local wildlife. The program offers the landowners an annual lease payment of $41,377 for the 1,424.5 acres that are retired. Most of the contracts were recently renewed and will expire in 2023. The pastures that are enrolled in the CRP program are well established with native perennial grass pastures, which offer the local wildlife cover and forage throughout the entire ranch. On the southern portion, one finds tree-covered hillsides and open pastures lined with aspens and conifer trees along the nearly 2.5 miles of National Forest boundary. This area offers elevated views overlooking the entire ranch and operational farm fields to the north. Long established harvest-to-market roads meander through the ranch, allowing direct and easy access to forest service roads and millions of acres of public lands.

Wildlife and Hunting: As an extension of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the area offers a diverse population of wildlife, benefitting primarily from the nearby Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Big game species include elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, wolf, mountain lion, bobcat and fox. Birds of interest include the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, golden eagle, bald eagle and other raptors native to the area as well as more than 60 other bird species.

The current owners have conducted several wildlife studies verifying the importance of the habitat on the West Rim Ranch. In two separate studies, both the Idaho Fish and Game and Intermountain Aquatics, a local environmental consulting firm, identified three sharp-tailed grouse leks, or breeding grounds, on the property. Considering the sharp-tailed grouse is listed as “high priority” in the Idaho Bird Conservation Plan this property and the high density of leks found onsite only solidifies this ranch’s importance in our ecosystem. The canyons that dissect the plateaus on the property are lined with aspens and conifers and are considered critical habitat for big game. These canyons provide movement corridors, refuge and critical winter and transitional range for these animals.

• 2.5 miles of Caribou-Targhee National Forest boundary
• Big game migration corridor and hunting onsite
• Upland bird habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge
• Great conservation easement potential with subdivision entitlements
• CRP income on 1,227 acres
• 400 acre farm lease in place
• 25 miles to Driggs, Idaho