BEARTOOTH OVERLOOK
Fishtail, Montana
$4,400,000 | 678± Acres
Beartooth Overlook | Fishtail, Montana
INTRODUCTION
Located just one mile from the charming town of Fishtail, Beartooth Overlook offers breathtaking views of one of Montana’s most spectacular and untamed landscapes while providing meaningful agricultural production and recreational opportunities. The ranch comprises diverse topography, including native stream bottom and rolling bluffs overlooking the West Rosebud River drainage and the Beartooth Range beyond.
Water is plentiful on this well-rounded ranch, with nearly a half mile of Fishtail Creek fishery flowing through mature cottonwood galleries and an extensive ditch system meandering through the center of the property. Additionally, a nearly 1± acre spring-fed trout pond frames the building site of a future lodge or fishing cabin.
With approximately 250± acres of flood-irrigated hay fields, and the balance of the acreage in native upland and riparian pastures, the ranch consistently supports in excess of 100± cow-calf pairs year-round. A convenient ranch compound consisting of two modest ranch homes, a shop, and corrals supports ranch operations in a bucolic homestead setting. Opportunities exist to enhance agricultural operations with expanding stock water developments and modernizing irrigation or continue the traditional operations of this low-overhead ranch.
A thoughtful conservation easement with Montana Land Reliance is in place on the ranch, allowing the construction of an additional main residence on one of the most spectacular building sites along the Beartooth front. Additionally, the easement allows up to a 10-person guest lodge to be built alongside the spring-fed trout pond and flanked by meandering Fishtail Creek— allowing a new owner to develop hospitality operations, including outfitting, guest ranching, and bed and breakfast.
QUICK FACTS
• 678± acres comprised of productive flood-irrigated hay fields, native upland pastures, and riparian creek bottom
• Currently supports 100± cow-calf pairs year-round
• Beautiful backdrop views of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountain Range, providing the highest peaks in Montana and excellent access to National Forest Wilderness
• 0.85± acre private spring-fed trout pond on property
• 0.44± miles of Fishtail Creek fishery on the north section of the property
• Extenstive ditch system flows through the center of the ranch
• Two modest ranch homes are already in place
• Montana Land Reliance conservation easement allows three building envelopes, the construction of an additional primary residence, and a guest lodge accommodating up to ten guests allowing for hospitality operations, including outfitting, guest ranching, and bed & breakfast
• Less than 1 mile away from the small town of Fishtail, Montana
• A 40-minute drive north of Red Lodge, Montana, and Red Lodge Ski Resort
• 1-hour drive to Billings, Montana
• 2-hour drive to Bozeman, Montana
ACREAGE
Beartooth Overlook encompasses 678± deeded acres, with elevations ranging from 4,500± to 4,880± feet, offering a diverse and picturesque landscape. The ranch features rolling native pastures and bluffs, framing a breathtaking backdrop of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountain range. In the spring, the hillsides come alive with a burst of native range grasses and wildflowers. The lower ranch boasts approximately half a mile of Fishtail Creek flowing through the north section, meandering through an old-growth black cottonwood gallery punctuated by a copse of aspens. An extensive ditch system flows through the center of the land, running south to north, keeping the lower elevations of the ranch lush and productive all summer long.
4 Beartooth Overlook | Fishtail, Montana
AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS
Historically operated as a sheep and cattle ranch, Beartooth Overlook continues to be a year-round working cattle ranch today. With approximately 333± irrigatable acres, of which 250± acres are currently hayed, the ranch consistently supports 100± cow-calf pairs and a small cavvy of saddle horses under the current regime. The current owners of the property take advantage of the ranch’s fortunate topography to provide flood irrigation throughout the ranch, keeping operational overhead low. Modern improvements to irrigation and stock water infrastructure could be implemented by a new owner to maximize production, or the ranch could continue to be kept running the oldfashioned way. Beartooth Overlook is suitable for the owner/operator, or to lease out agricultural operations, providing the new owner agricultural income in concert with other enterprises on the ranch.
HOSPITALITY OPERATIONS
Under the ranch’s conservation easement, hospitality operations for outfitting, guest ranching, and bed-and-breakfast businesses are specifically allowed. Up to a 10-person guest lodge can be built on the property near the trout pond and Fishtail Creek. The historic guest house on the ranch has been used in the past as a vacation rental.
IMPROVEMENTS
The ranch comes equipped with two charming ranch houses. The larger ranch residence is a modest yet comfortable abode, recently remodeled with three bedrooms, an office, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The historic guest house, dating back to the early 1900s, features three bedrooms and one full bathroom. Traditionally used as a vacation rental, the guest house exudes rustic charm, while the interior has been tastefully updated with a modern style.
In addition to the two homes, a functional shop with corrals are just a short distance out back. The ranch compound is tucked nicely on the lee side of a row of legacy homestead willows and hemmed in with a small pond and other shelterbelt hedges between the two homes.
One additional main residence may be constructed on a thoughtful pre-approved building site on the ranch’s largest bluff overlooking the Beartooth front to the south. That said, the possibility exists for the main residence and guest lodge sites to be moved to new locations by a new owner with the prior approval of the Montana Land Reliance.
Beartooth Overlook | Fishtail, Montana
RECREATION
Beartooth Overlook is near some of the most beautiful and pristine mountain wilderness: the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, a trail riding and hiking paradise. Summer activities include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and floating while enjoying the massive views of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountain Range. Red Lodge Mountain is approximately a 1± hour’s drive from the property for downhill ski and snowboarding enthusiasts. The ski resort delivers 70 runs, 2,400 feet of vertical drop, and six chairlifts, providing great terrain without long lift lines. The Tippet Rise Art Center hosts large-scale outdoor sculptures, music concerts, and hiking and biking trails on 12,500± acres and is only a 15± minute drive from the property. Beartooth Overlook also provides recreational opportunities on the ranch. Find quiet enjoyment fishing on Fishtail Creek or hiking and riding throughout the property.
Fish caught on property
Hunting & Wildlife
Beartooth Overlook offers inspiring wildlife viewing and opportunities to fill the freezer with venison. The riparian bottoms of the ranch provide excellent habitat for whitetail deer, while the uplands are native grounds for mule deer. The vast nearby public lands are renowned for their wilderness hunting, and embarking on expeditions from the ranch is as simple as trailering a short drive to the trailhead.
Young Bull Moose Wades in Pond on Property
Fishing
Beartooth Overlook is situated upstream of the confluence of Fishtail Creek and West Rosebud Creek to the east. About half a mile of Fishtail Creek flows through the north parcel of the ranch, providing quality fishing opportunities for wild trout right on the property.
Additionally, the ranch boasts a spring-fed trout pond situated in a private meadow just off the northern bank of Fishtail Creek. The pond is permitted through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and allows for the stocking of rainbow and brown trout. Together with Fishtail Creek, the private pond offers the opportunity for a new owner to sculpt this location into a premier recreational destination on the ranch.
For an angler looking to explore off-ranch, the forks of Rosebud Creek are hard to beat. Both begin in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area and flow through beautiful mountainous terrain. Although both West Fork Rosebud Creek and East Fork Rosebud Creek are classified as “creeks,” they carry lots of water and are larger than some “rivers” in Montana. Rosebud Creek has excellent brown trout fishing, similar to that found in the lower sections of its forks.
WATER SOURCES
Montana waters, in all their varied forms and locations, belong to the state for the benefit of its people. A water right is the right to use the water within state-established guidelines, and not any ownership of the water itself. Since water rights in Montana are guided by the prior appropriation doctrine, a person’s right to use a specific quantity of water depends on when the use of water began, establishing the relative priority date of use on the water source. The first person to use water from a source established the first right, the second person could establish a right to the water that was left, and so on. Additionally, water users are limited to the amount of water that can be beneficially used. Beneficial use includes, but is not limited to, agricultural, recreational, fish and wildlife and domestic purposes.
Montana is currently conducting a statewide adjudication of all water rights with priority dates prior to July 1, 1973. The statewide adjudication is a court process that prioritizes and quantifies all existing water rights in each Montana drainage basin. With eighty-five basins in Montana, and over 16 Beartooth Overlook | Fishtail, Montana
219,000 water right claims, the statewide adjudication is a massive undertaking that is expected to stretch well into the future. Until the adjudication process is complete, the status of any particular water right claim cannot be guaranteed. Fay Ranches, Inc., its brokers and salespersons do not warrant or make any representation concerning the quantity or quality of any water rights, nor any legal entitlement to use of water rights, permits to appropriate water, exempt existing rights, determination of existing water rights, nor any ditches, ditch rights, or ditch easements appurtenant to or constituting a burden on the property. Water rights claims appurtenant to the property may or may not have been fully or finally adjudicated, and any Buyer is advised to make any offer to purchase contingent upon and subject to such independent inspections, evaluations, and advice concerning the water rights and adjudication process as a Buyer might deem prudent. All Buyers should be aware that Fay Ranches, Inc., its brokers and salespersons involved in this offering have not conducted an expert inspection or analysis of the water rights for this property.
CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP
A thoughtful Montana Land Reliance conservation easement is on the property with three building envelopes allowing the option to replace the current buildings with similar dimensions. An additional primary residence may be constructed, in addition to a guest lodge to accommodate up to ten guests.
Each of us at Fay Ranches has a love of the land and a desire to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting the use of thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitat and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, the landscape on which we work has been significantly enhanced by the conservation ethic and land use practices of our clients.
MINERAL RIGHTS
All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the seller will convey to the buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.
LOCATION
Fishtail, Montana, is less than one mile northeast of the property and is the nearest small town, offering basic staples and other necessities. Red Lodge, about 40± minute drive south of the ranch, boasts a variety of historic buildings now used as art galleries, restaurants, and shops. The famed Pollard Hotel is steeped in history with a guest list that includes Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. The famous Beartooth National Scenic Byway originates in Red Lodge. It snakes 68± miles and over 10,947 feet in elevation on the Beartooth Pass into Cooke City and the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park.
AIRPORT SERVICES
Beartooth Overlook | Fishtail, Montana
SUMMARY
Beartooth Overlook is a classic homestead ranch in one of Montana’s most dramatic and romantic locations. The stunning views of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness from the ranch are aweinspiring, and the landscape is rich with history and tradition. This idyllic ranch presents an exquisite combination of productive working land, unmatched long views over open space, and room to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. The ranch has ample water resources and is ideal for wildlife habitat and agricultural operations. The conservation easement in place is very thoughtful, allowing additional building development and business opportunities for a new owner to make the ranch truly their own while preserving the very thing that drew the first people to this special place.
$4,400,000
Cash
Please contact Matt Henningsen at (406) 570-5072 | mhenningsen@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com .
Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.
RELATIONSHIPS IN REAL ESTATE
As required by Montana law, a broker or salesperson shall disclose the existence and nature of relevant agency or other relationships to the parties to a real estate transaction. The various relationships and description of duties are as follows:
1. SELLER AGENT
A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Seller to:
Act solely in the best interests of the seller; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the seller; Disclose all relevant and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the seller agent and not known or discoverable by the seller unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the seller agent; Safeguard the seller’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the seller’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the seller for any funds or property of the seller that comes into the seller agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.
Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a seller and obtaining a seller’s written consent, to represent multiple sellers of property and to list properties for sale that may compete with the seller’s property, without breaching any obligation to the seller.
A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to:
Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the seller agent, except that the seller agent is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent when the seller agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a buyer and a buyer agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.
2.
BUYER AGENT
(cont)
A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Seller to:
Disclose any adverse material facts that are known to the buyer agent and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any purchase offer; Disclose to the seller or the seller agent when the buyer agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a seller and a seller agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations.
3. DUAL AGENCY
If a seller agent is also representing a buyer, or a buyer agent is also representing a seller with regard to a property, then a dual agency relationship may be established. In a dual agency relationship, the dual agent is equally obligated to both the seller and the buyer. These obligations may prohibit the dual agent from advocating exclusively on behalf of the seller or buyer and may limit the depth and degree of representation that you receive. A broker or a salesperson may not act as a dual agent without the signed, written consent of both the seller and the buyer.
A “Dual Agent” is obligated to a Seller in the same manner as a seller agent and is obligated to a Buyer in the same manner as a buyer agent, except a dual agent:
Has a duty to disclose to a buyer or seller any adverse material facts that are known to the dual agent regardless of any confidentiality considerations; and May not disclose the following information without the written consent of the person to whom the information is confidential; The fact that the buyer is willing to pay more than the offered purchase price; The fact that the seller is willing to accept less than the purchase price that the seller is asking for the property; Factors motivating either party to buy or sell; and Any information that a party indicates in writing to the dual agent is to be kept confidential.
4. STATUTORY BROKER
A “Statutory Broker” is not the agent of the Buyer or Seller but nevertheless is obligated to them to:
Disclose to: i. a buyer or buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the statutory broker, except that the statutory broker is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; and ii. a seller or a seller agent any adverse material facts that are known to the statutory broker and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any purchase offer; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in putting together a real estate transaction, and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations.
5. IN-HOUSE SELLER AGENT DESIGNATE
Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker agreement with the buyer, an in-house seller agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a seller for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the seller with respect to the designated transaction.
6. IN-HOUSE BUYER AGENT DESIGNATE
Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker agreement with the buyer, an in-house buyer agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a buyer for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the buyer with respect to the designated transaction.
BUYER AGENT
A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to: Act solely in the best interests of the buyer; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the buyer; Disclose all relevant and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the buyer agent and not known or discoverable by the buyer, unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the buyer agent; Safeguard the buyer’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the buyer’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the buyer for any funds or property of the buyer that comes into the buyer agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations. Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a buyer and obtaining a buyer’s written consent, to represent multiple buyers interested in buying the same property or similar properties to properties in which a buyer is interested and to show properties in which a buyer is interested to other prospective buyers, without breaching any obligation to the buyer.
