Valepy Butte Ranch

ACREAGE AND DESCRIPTION
The Valepy Butte Ranch property consists of approximately 9,091 acres acres of timbered high country in one contiguous block. The ranch is unique in many ways; 1) there is no public access, 2) a high percentage of forested lands, 3) the character and lay of the land is very appealing with smooth, gently rolling terrain with deep soils allowing the ranch to be very usable and productive, and 4) very secure, easily controlled and inexpensive to operate.

The gentle topography of the ranch grades upward from North to South reaching its highpoint near Valepy Butte and has elevation range of 3,800 feet to 5,000 feet. The vegetative habitat for the lower southern exposures consists of intermixed Ponderosa Pine, Juniper, brush, browse and grass. The higher elevations and northerly exposures consist of Douglas Fir, White Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Aspen, Tamarack (Larch), Willows and lots of grass. The varied habitat is ideal for the diverse wildlife that inhabits the ranch.

LOCATION
Ochoco Ranch is located in Central Oregon and just 45 minutes from the Redmond/Bend commercial airport (RDM). The property is 11 miles east of Prineville, OR on Highway 26. Prineville, which also has a municipal airport (PRZ), is located 30 minutes from Bend and 20 minutes from Redmond.

LOCALE
Central Oregon is a rapidly growing area highlighted by natural beauty, pleasant year around weather (300+ days of sunshine annually), and an abundance of recreational opportunities. The area is characterized by the snowcapped Cascade Range to the west (Deschutes National Forest) and a series of mountains to the east (Ochoco National Forest). A variety of springs, creeks and streams drain this geographic area with the Deschutes River capturing flows from the Cascade Range and the Crooked River draining the Ochoco National Forest area. The elevations below the tree line are typical high desert ecosystems composed of grasslands, Sagebrush and Juniper while the higher elevations contain Ponderosa, Firs and Aspen. These ecosystems provide a variety of fish and wildlife species and allow for a multitude of recreational activities including big game and bird hunting, lake and river fishing, boating, river rafting, golfing, climbing, snow skiing, snowmobiling and many others. A number of recreation activities take place at Ochoco Lake State Park, Prineville Reservoir State Park and Mount Bachelor Ski Area and Lake Billy Chinook (Round Butte Reservoir). The communities of Redmond, Bend and Prineville offer all major services and a multitude of cultural activities. Notable is the Old Mill District (a shopping area rejuvenated from the old lumber mill site) as well shopping in downtown Bend which offers a variety of shops and restaurants. A smaller scale Old Mill District is being planned for Prineville. Concerts, music and arts festivals fill the calendar for the area.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Crook County enjoys the dry climate of the high desert. Sunny days, low humidity and cool nights characterize the semi-arid climate in the high desert. The temperature can drop more than 30 degrees in one day during the year. Like all of Oregon east of the Cascades, generally the Prineville and Crook County’s weather is characterized bright sunshine, hot days and cool nights in the summer, and sunny days and cool and cold temperatures in the winter. The warm days and cool nights of the high desert is due to the air mass from the west which gives up most of the moisture over the Coast Range and Cascade Mountains, before reaching Crook County. There is approximately 11” of rainfall and between 9” to 14” of snowfall each year. Half of the precipitation falls between the months of October and February, much of the precipitation is experienced as snow in the higher elevations. There is between 9” to 14” of snowfall. The higher elevations of the Ochoco Mountain range average 18” to 20” of annual precipitation.

DEVELOPMENT/CONSERVATION POTENTIAL
Ochoco Ranch would be an ideal candidate for many types of development and/or conservation. In addition to its physical characteristics, the property offers a remarkable panoramic view of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Deschutes River Basin to the west. The property offers a myriad of recreation potential including:
Hunting and fishing
Horseback riding
Mountain biking
Camping and backpacking
ATV, motorcycle and snowmobile trails
Snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross-country skiing
Guest ranching and cattle drives
Wildlife viewing and bird watching..and relaxing

SUMMARY
The acreage of timbered high country comprising the Valepy Butte Ranch makes this an exceptional resource. This resource combined with its excellent location nearby to a rapidly growing area along with the multitude of recreation possibilities allow the Valepy Butte Ranch to be well positioned for future value enhancement. The property is a blank canvas, available in its raw natural form, allowing it to be taken in a variety of directions by the new owner. 

Co-listed with Jake Polvi 541-410-3050, [email protected].

The information found above has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable and is believed to be correct, but the owners, owners agents and brokers do not guarantee its accuracy. This offering is subject to errors, and withdrawal without notice.  All distances, sizes, capacities, and similar measurements and figures are approximate.  All information about properties should be independently verified by interested purchasers.