17-06-2025
A 2,000-Acre Montana Ranch With 20 Private Ski Runs Lists for $24 Million
If you've ever dreamed of owning a ski resort—but without the crowds, the lift lines, or the pesky permitting process—there's a ranch in Montana that might check every box. Just 20 minutes south of Missoula, nestled in the foothills of Lolo Peak, a sprawling 1,981-acre property known as Lolo Ranch has just hit the market asking $24 million. The best part? It comes with over 20 professionally designed ski runs already carved into the mountainside.
Back in the mid-2000s, the ranch was the site of an ambitious plan to create a full-scale luxury ski resort. The then-owner, a local named Tom Maclay, envisioned slopeside lodges, shops, and high-end housing but ran into regulatory roadblocks with the U.S. Forest Service. After years of stalled permits, the project fell apart, the bank foreclosed, and the land was quietly auctioned off for $22.5 million in 2014, The Missoulian reported. What remains a decade later is a rare piece of recreational infrastructure: dozens of smoothed and cleared trails, winding from elevations near 6,000 feet down through forested ridges and open pastures.
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Today, Lolo Ranch is better suited for private use. There are no lifts, but snowmobiles or snowcats can easily ferry skiers to the top. 'On a good snow year, you could be there shredding for a couple months,' listing broker Deke Tidwell of Hall and Hall tells Mansion Global. In the off-season, the trails make for phenomenal mountain biking.
The rest of the ranch is equally impressive. With five bedrooms and six baths, the rustic 5,000-square-foot lodge has plenty of room to host a large group. There are outbuildings for livestock; approximately 155 acres are under pivot irrigation, and the property holds extensive water rights sourced from multiple waterways, including McClain Creek, which runs right through the middle of the land.
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Thanks to its location at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains, Lolo Ranch borders over three miles of public land, offering direct access to the Lolo National Forest and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness—one of the largest roadless areas in the Lower 48. Several alpine lakes lie just beyond the property line, reachable by foot, bike, or high-clearance vehicle.
Wildlife is abundant here, but elk are the undisputed stars. 'The largest resident elk herd in the northern Bitterroot Valley lives here year-round,' Tidwell adds. 'They don't go anywhere because they're so happy.'
Infrastructure from the failed resort plan—including underground power, miles of roads, and graded trails—opens the door for future development. But the land isn't burdened by a conservation easement, so the next owner can choose whether to build, conserve, or simply enjoy a very scenic version of of Robb Report
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