How to find 100 acres and a river

When it came time to find a piece of property in Montana, Tom Brokaw was a man with a simple request: 100 acres and a river. An avid fisherman and upland bird hunter, he wanted a property where both his rural hobbies could be enjoyed. If you look long enough, chances are you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
It took some time, but as Brokaw told The Land Report he eventually found his perfect parcel. Will you be able to? A fly-fishing haven is something everyone can dream about, but how attainable is that marvel in Montana or that wonder in Wyoming?

According to John Pierce, president of the Jackson, Wyoming, office of Hall and Hall ranch sales, “It is certainly an attainable commodity.” Several factors determine price when it comes to finding a second home or recreational getaway. The most notable, Pierce says, is the quality of the fishery.

“How great a fishery is it?” Pierce asks. “[A great fishery is] going to command more than 100 acres that sit on the banks of the Yellowstone River where people float by all day.”

Pierce points to the Silver Creek Retreat, a 323-acre parcel with a mile of Silver Creek running through the property, near Pinedale, Wyoming. According to AnglerGuide.com, “Silver Creek has the highest density of trout of any river its size in the U.S.” With those kinds of credentials, land on Silver Creek can command a higher asking price. The retreat is currently listed for $1.35 million.

Silver Creek offers a look at what good land on a good river sells for in the current market. The property has no buildings, meaning the asking price reflects just the land value.

Not surprisingly, prices have risen in recent years. “You’re going to pay a little more than when Tom was first looking around,” Pierce says. But prices have not risen to an unattainable level. And finding that untouched plot of land on a river affords the freedom of customization. Whether you’d prefer a palatial lodge or a small fishing cabin on the riverbank, the choice is yours.

“One of the interesting things about fishing is that in the right situation you really can control a little ecosystem and your own habitat and improve it,” Pierce says. “You can have the fishery you want and have it be a private, or reasonably private, amenity.”

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