Location: The Castle Creek Ranch is located 8 miles south of Lewistown with access to the property being 7 miles of paved road and 1 mile of county gravel road. The intimate ranch setting is exquisite and luxury of being within minutes of one of Montana’s most sought-after communities is remarkable. Lewistown has been recognized by national magazines and journals as one of the best places in America to live, hunt, and fish.

Lewistown Area: Lewistown, with a steady population of 6,500, is in the Center of Montana surrounded by five area mountain ranges. The ranch is located just 8 miles to Lewistown, 105 miles to Great Falls, 130 miles to Billings, and 163 miles to Bozeman. Located to the north is the Missouri River and Fort Peck recreation area, noted for all types of hunting and fishing recreation, and 92 miles to Crooked Creek Marina.

Central Montana Recreation: Central Montana has a wide variety of outdoor recreation. Main water features of Central Montana include Crystal Lake, Judith River, Missouri River, Big Spring Creek, Warm Spring Creek, and Ft. Peck Lake. Fishing in Lewistown often revolves around Big Spring Creek, home to blue ribbon Brown and Rainbow Trout. This wade and walking stream can be fished year round, along with stream fishing Lewis- town also has a variety of reservoirs and ponds. Recently, Lewistown was noted as “a galaxy of hunting destinations” by Outdoor Life. The five mountain ranges surrounding the town include: Big Snowy, Little Snowy, North Moccasin, South Moccasin, and Judith Mountains, within these mountains, are an endless variety of recreation opportunities. For instance, the available hunting possibilities include Elk, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Antelope, Bear, Lion, and Turkey. The surrounding foothills and prairie landscape are also popular for native upland bird species such as Mountain Grouse, Prairie Grouse, Hungarian Partridge, and Pheasants. Hunting access is available from the Bureau of Land Management, State Lands, Fish Wildlife Parks improvement areas, guided hunts, block management, and local landowners.

Ranch Size: The Castle Creek Ranch has 679 deeded acres with a balance of timber, grazing, and production.  According to the Department of Revenue and land is divided into three categories with 204 acres are Forest Land, 395 acres are Grazing Land, and 80 acres Hay Land. The present agricultural use has been primarily focused on cattle grazing during summer months in combination with hay production.

Water: This ranch is in a high moisture area resulting in lush foliage and extensive water resources. Castle Creek meanders through the ranch splitting the hay meadows for over one mile. Besides Castle Creek there are natural springs and developed springs as sources of water for livestock and wildlife. There are multiple water tanks for horses and livestock. Two older wells are present on the ranch. The wells have not been used but give a good understanding of what a new well would produce.

Castle Creek, a small stream fed from springs and runoff is a great ranch amenity. Fresh year round water for livestock and wildlife as well as small numbers of fish. Although not necessarily a fishery older surveys show numbers of rainbow trout, brook trout, minnow, sculpin, and suckers.

Improvements: The Ranch includes a set of improvements built in 1960. A 400 sq ft garage and a 2,880 sq ft calving barn. Both structures have tin roofs, wood siding and serve a utilitarian purpose.

Taxes / Conservation Easements: The 2017 real estate taxes were $1,128. There are no conservation easements in place on the ranch.

Agricultural Operation: Originally the ranch was used as a summer grazing unit and hay production for a larger operation in Central Montana. Currently, the ranch is leased to a neighboring rancher on a year to year agreement for pasture and hay production. As a summer unit, the ranch could easily support 70 head of cattle. There are 80 acres of hay ground which normally produces two or more tons per acre depending on the year. The fields have a good stand of recently reseeded alfalfa. An abundance of productive grasses and numerous trees on the ranch provide an excellent environment for pasturing the cattle and horses.

Climate: Fortunately, this property lies within a climate zone that has 20 inches of precipitation yearly and a 105-day growing season. Climate reports indicate that this area receives about 60 inches of snow during the winter months. This property experiences the best of all four seasons Montana has to offer.

Big Snowy Mountains: There are several smaller mountain ranges in Central Montana with a variety of recreation. The Big Snowy Mountains are just south of Lewistown that include 106,776 acres of Lewis and Clark National Forest. The most widely used accesses are from the Red Hill Road, Cottonwood Creek Road, and Crystal Lake Road. The area is designated a federal wilderness study area. The result is almost total solitude for anyone who travels the area exploring, hiking, or hunting within minutes from Lewistown.

Wildlife & Habitat: The diverse topography of the ranch appeals to most area wildlife. Hunting opportunities include big game and upland birds. The game hunting is highly sought after area for prized Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Black Bear, and Elk. The Ranch is located in the 411 Hunting District with Elk tags being a draw. The Castle Creek Ranch also supports numerous upland birds species common in the area including Turkey, Hungarian Partridge, Sharp-Tailed Grouse, and Mountain Grouse.

Comments: Phillips Realty is truly honored to offer one of the lushest, scenic, mountain properties available. The Castle Creek Ranch is minutes from one of Montana’s finest communities. Lewistown is noted in many national magazines as one of the most desirable places to live and experience the outdoors. The ranch has 679 deeded acres and has a balanced mix of Pine Trees, Aspen Groves, and Brushy Meadows, with a Colorado feel and a wide variety of wildlife. Almost all the land is located on one side of the county road to ensure privacy.