 The Medicine Bow Valley brings out the imagination of those who travel here and places them in the romantic days of the Old West. Its snowcapped mountains are truly a brought to life painting along with its spacious sage brush prairies. Characteristics such as uncrowded, unhurried, unpolluted and tranquil are just a few that are cherished here at Medicine Bow. The area brings us back to the images of what use to be as if time does not exist here. Gazing upon the mountains and out into the fields, you can almost expect to see a horse carrying a dust covered cowboy herding his cattle. The Medicine Bow River Ranch is located approximately 5 miles south of the small town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming and approximately 45 miles northwest of Laramie. Home of the University of Wyoming, Laramie offers daily commercial flights to Denver. To the north, the small town of Medicine Bow provides basic services and has a 3,500 foot gravel airstrip. There is a good quality grass airstrip on the ranch itself that is capable of handling single engine traffic. It could be paved and extended to accommodate larger aircraft. There are several points of interests in the Medicine Bow area. The Petrified Forest is located 40 miles North of Medicine Bow and contains petrified sub-tropical trees. The Shirley Basin Uranium Field is one of the largest and richest in the world. There is also the Shirley Basin and Mountains that feeds deer, antelope and elk, sage chickens, blue grouse, ducks, geese and even more. The area is a hunter’s dream. The Elk Mountain is a landmark that stands 11,162 feet in elevation. The Medicine Bow National Forest offers numerous recreational activities for the whole family. Skiing, camping, hiking, fishing and dude ranching are some of what you can do. The Hanna Coal Mines located 19 miles west, is one of the largest coal mines in the Western States. The Como Bluff and Dinosaur Museum is the site for the famed Dinosaur Graveyard and renowned fossil beds ever discovered. Wind Turbines are located in the area which is the world’s most powerful wind energy generating unit. There is the grand Virginian Hotel, a National Historic place carrying many antiques. The Medicine Bow Museum is also a National Historic place. Currently, the ranch is supporting a cowherd of 700 cows, plus bulls. Steer calves typically average above 600 pounds. In addition, the ranch can run 1,000+ yearlings from May through October. The ranch produces approximately 1,500 tons of hay, which is enough to sustain the cowherd through the winters. Presently, the ranch also maintains 200 +/- rodeo horses on a monthly pasturage basis. The ranch is well managed by qualified personnel who would like to continue working for a new owner if this is needed.
 There are two beautiful custom log residences situated about two miles apart, with the ranch headquarter and managerial housing located in between. All are located along and above the river in beautiful settings. The South Lodge is 4,200 +/- square feet and sits above the valley floor overlooking a large pond and the curves of the Medicine Bow River. Across the valley are unique and beautiful rock formations known as the Alligator Rock and the Bible Rock. The house is beautifully sited and landscaped. It has three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a huge great room with a cathedral ceiling, a modern kitchen, a loft office area, a formal dining room and a laundry room. The house also features a large stone fireplace and is custom finished through out from the cabinets to the stairway. On the exterior is 4,000 feet of wrap around deck overlooking the valley. The North Lodge contains nearly 7,500 square feet. It has four bedrooms, a playroom area over the garage, and a 2,000 square foot finished basement with a library and large office, playroom, fireplace, large family kitchen and dining area that is a great place to gather.
The ranch encompasses nearly 21 miles of the Medicine Bow River and 6 miles of the Wagon Hound Creek. The river has its origins in the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains and it flows about 30 miles from these mountains through foothills before entering the ranch. Through the ranch the river is a meandering gravel bottom prairie stream with numerous switchbacks and old oxbows that have been cut off as the channel evolved, forming wetland areas for water fowl and wildlife. Historically, trout did not exist in the Medicine Bow drainage. Initially stocked several decades ago, populations have been able to naturally sustain themselves. Overall, the numbers of fish are not large, though the size of a typical fish is quite impressive. The river harbors brown, rainbow, cutthroat and some cutbow hybrids. Many of these fish are in the 2.5 to 5 pound range. The river is easily waded and quite conductive to fly-fishing tactics with numerous riffles and pools.
The predominant ‘Big Game’ specie on the ranch is antelope, which number in the thousands. Mule deer inhabit the river bottom and are growing in number. Elk are to be found mostly in the Wagon Hound Creek portion of the ranch and they, too, are increasing. The southern portion of the ranch adjoins the Wick Wildlife Habitat for several miles. The Wick Wildlife Habitat is owned by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and is managed for winter ranch for +/- 600 Elk. There is a multitude of waterfowl, both geese and ducks in addition to myriad populations of song birds and raptors, including numerous eagles. Upland game birds, including grouse, partridge and doves are seasonal on the ranch.
The Medicine Bow River Ranch represents an opportunity to purchase an enormous block of land in one of Wyoming’s best locations. In addition to over 27 miles of private trout streams, the ranch is in top condition with high quality fencing, water systems and working facilities, as well as two superb log residences and strong management in place. Located within an hour of one of Wyoming’s most desirable cities, this 78,000 acre ranch deserves the scrutiny of a savvy investor prepared to live comfortably in a beautiful setting somewhat off the beaten path, but still easily accessible. 5,000 acres of water rights are included in the sale of the property.
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