Mackay Bar Ranch

Details & Features

More people have walked on the moon (12) than have owned Mackay Bar Ranch (5). In central Idaho, this 21-acre Ranch has an unparalleled wilderness location—it’s within the 2.36 million acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, the largest contiguous wilderness in the Lower 48 states, and on the Salmon River, the longest undammed river in the Lower 48 states. Even getting here is an adventure—a twin-engine plane can land on the Ranch’s private, riverside airstrip, you can jet boat up the river, or, in the winter, snowmobile in. Despite this remote, off-the-grid location, life at the ranch is not rustic. The power is supplied by hydro, solar, and propane, and there’s Internet and a professional kitchen. Mackay Bar Ranch is life in the wild, in total comfort.

You don’t think of building sandcastles or having a beach bonfire in Idaho, but Mackay Bar Ranch has a private white sand beach. It could be in the Caribbean if you ignore the mountains rising around it and the occasional elk, bighorn sheep, or bear on the riverbank. Really. As wondrous as the existence of a white sand beach in the northern Rocky Mountains is the “riverhood” family you become a member of as an owner. Here, the handful of residents are respectful, resourceful, and helpful neighbors. The U.S. Postal Service contracts with an aviation company to deliver the mail weekly; it is the last airmail route in the Lower 48. A river really does run through here, but magic is the heart of Mackay Bar Ranch.

Watch the videos on Flying In and Out of Mackay Bar’s Private Airstrip or coming and going via Jet Boat.

• 21 deeded acres off-grid, inholding in the 2.36 million acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
• Historic ranch, established in 1956 with 3,000 feet of Salmon river frontage
• 8,000 sqft of renovated improvements, including a main lodge, 2-bedroom river suite, 4-en suite-guest rooms, 3-cabins, staff quarters, shop, and barn
• 2,000’ private backcountry airstrip
• Large, west-facing white sand beach and low water jet boat port
• Fully fenced pasture and corral
• New landscaping, underground sprinkler system, and abundant water rights and supply for domestic and irrigation use
• New generator and power system (hydro, solar, and propane)