Judith Headwaters Ranch
Listing Price:
$3,300,000
The Judith Headwaters Ranch, formerly known as the Circle Bar Ranch, is located thirteen miles southwest of Utica in Judith Basin County, Montana. The area has a variety of different landscapes including wildflower-filled meadows and heavily timbered slopes that form the Little Belt Mountain Range. The communities of Utica, Hobson and Stanford offer small town amenities as well as the Judith Basin Museum and Utica Museum, which feature artifacts from the Homestead Era. Fine dining, commercial air service, state parks, golfing and shopping can be found 90 miles away in Great Falls. Lewistown is located 45 miles to the northeast and offers shopping, a public airport with a 6,100-foot asphalt runway, as well as a drive-in movie theatre, two golf courses and full service hospital.
The Judith Headwaters Ranch encompasses approximately 478 acres of pasture and river bottom as well as roughly 40 acres of irrigated land for a total of over 500 acres. The Lewis and Clark National Forest’s 1.8 million acres are in close proximity to the ranch and the state elk refuge is located nearby. There is direct access to hundreds of thousands of acres of spectacular untouched beauty through the adjacent state land. The terrain includes meadows, rolling hills, scenic vistas and timbered slopes, which rise behind the ranch headquarters to form the Little Belt Mountain range. The Judith River starts on the ranch from her two tributaries, the South Fork and the Middle Fork. The river meanders through the ranch for approximately a mile, offering excellent fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout. The terrain on the ranch is conducive to developing a landing strip in the meadows, and the ranch is accessible year round by improved county gravel road.
The Judith Headwaters Ranch offers a number of extensive improvements including a suite, nine cabins, two barns, a recreation hall, pool house, shop, reception hall, main lodge, four hotel-style rooms and residence. The barn offers equine safety with its iron and wood stall partitions and functionality with its removable walls for cleaning and stall-size options. Propane heat, a freeze proof hydrant, outdoor water troughs, rodeo-size arena, and space for team penning and riding lessons make this a versatile facility.
The recreation/meeting hall on the Judith Headwaters Ranch is complete with a car-port, porch, river rock fireplace and two bathrooms creating a great place to view the buffalo pasture to the west. The main lodge is a log structure that includes a full-sized commercial kitchen, dining room, bar, 3 bedroom suite, 4 hotel-style rooms and large living room complete with high ceilings, panoramic picture windows and native stone fireplace. The residence is a remodeled 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with fireplace, jetted hot tub and a large extra space perfect for an office. The ranch also features a heated swimming pool and glass-enclosed hot tub.
Recreational opportunities abound on the Judith Headwaters Ranch. With miles of trails in the nearby Lewis and Clark National Forest as well as the ranch terrain of rolling hills, meadows and timbered slopes, the incoming owner has the choice of horseback riding, hiking, hunting, pack trips and wildlife viewing. The location of the ranch is ideal for hunting since it borders state land and has National Forest access ½ mile away. Winter activities also exist near the ranch with hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Downhill skiing is also possible as Showdown Ski Resort is within an hour and a half drive, offering runs for all skill levels.
With the close proximity of the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the state elk refuge, it is not unlikely to see large elk herds. Mule deer and Whitetail deer graze on the hills and ranch grounds. The onsite Judith River meandering behind the barn also lures several species of upland birds and the occasional moose to the property. Bird watching is outstanding with eagles, Peregrine falcons, hawks, bluebirds, hummingbirds, ducks, geese, Sandhill cranes, goldfinches, Great Horned owls, as well as many other diverse species present on the ranch. Big game wildlife viewing is also outstanding on the nearby 7,745-acre Judith River Wildlife Management Area with its abundant vegetation for wintering elk and other species such as deer and antelope. Black bear, mountain lions and bobcats are also native to the area.
| Acreage: |
500 Acres |
| Live Water: |
1 mile of the Judith River meanders through the property |
| Nearby Town: |
Utica, MT |
| Features: |
Extensive improvements including a suite, nine cabins, two barns, a recreation hall,pool house, shop, reception hall, main lodge, four hotel-style rooms and residence. |