The Thunder River Ranch is blessed with ideal elk habitat, and it is located in Area 7, one of the nation’s finest trophy elk hunting areas. Bull elk scoring 380+ are common, and the size of the ranch allows hunters plenty of completely private elbow room. Herds in excess of 700 elk are regularly seen on the ranch. Other big game at home on the ranch include both mule and whitetail deer, antelope and black bear. Landowner tags are available for elk, mule deer and antelope. Other wildlife that captures the attention of serious hunters on the ranch includes mountain lion, turkey and a large variety of waterfowl.
Straddling an incredible 11 miles of the famed Laramie River, 3.7 miles of Bluegrass Creek and sharing three miles of shoreline with Wheatland Reservoir Number 2, the Thunder River Ranch is one of the best-watered ranches in this part of the state. The river and streams support wild populations of brown, brook and rainbow trout, some of which grow to the 20+ inch class. Bluegrass Creek is a particularly productive tributary that can keep the most avid flyfisher occupied for days. Other small tributaries on the ranch hold wild brook trout in abundance. Multiple ponds, springs and lakes exist throughout the property (some of which hold trophy trout) and many more could be developed. The Big Spring represents an 1892 water right that irrigates meadows west of the river and also offers huge fishery enhancement potential.
The Thunder River Ranch has a proven track record as a cattle business. Presently it is home to 1,500 yearling calves for summer grazing, and water rights are in place for 800 acres of irrigated grasslands. The entire ranch is perimeter and cross fenced, and a full complement of well-maintained ranch buildings supports the cattle operation.
Four homes grace this exceptional property. Two luxury homes sit near the Laramie River and are the headquarters for the owner and guests, complete with porches ideal for watching elk graze or simply soaking in the 100-mile views of the broad Wyoming horizon. The historic homestead house and classic old school house have been renovated, and make for abundant employee or guest housing. A fourth ranch homestead is located in the backcountry of the ranch, and serves well as a hunting and fishing base camp.
As a hub for recreational activities of many varieties, the Thunder River Ranch is unexcelled. Trophy hunting and fishing head the list, but the land is suited to much more. The Laramie River is a huge asset, and rafting, paddle boarding, and kayaking can all be enjoyed on different sections of its 11 miles on the ranch. Rock climbers could spend a lifetime exploring bouldering and roped routes on the granite outcroppings scattered throughout the ranch, and the ranch simply begs for developing mountain bike routes ranging from the casual to the extreme. Serious recreationists might even design an adventure race on the ranch that incorporates kayaking, climbing and mountain biking!
Although remarkably private, the Thunder River Ranch is nonetheless easily accessible to Wheatland, a solid ranching community 30 miles to the east; Laramie, about an hour’s drive to the south, the home of the University of Wyoming and commercial air service; and Saratoga on the North Platte River, less than an hour southwest, the setting for the famed Old Baldy Club and a jet airport well utilized by the jet setters of this beautiful resort community . The larger communities of northern Colorado like Boulder and Steamboat Springs are a couple of hours distant, and Denver International Airport is approximately three hours away.
Words alone don’t do full justice to the Thunder River Ranch. “Magnificent”, though, is what we at Harrigan Land Company are calling the Thunder River Ranch. As a wildlife and fishing ranch where privacy is treasured, the Thunder River Ranch excels. If it has been awhile since you’ve seen “magnificent”, we’d like to show it to you at the Thunder River Ranch.
All elk photos were taken on the ranch or in the immediate area and are a good representation of the ranch trophy quality.
