LAPRELE CREEK RANCH
Douglas, Wyoming $9,900,000 1,065± Acres
INTRODUCTION Every season has its place on LaPrele Creek Ranch. Elk bugles echo from the canyons and fields come autumn, the rattle of clashing whitetail and mule deer antlers punctuate the rut, and dimples of rising trout dot the riffles and pools of Laprele Creek and the reservoirs from spring to fall. That natural rhythm is why this 1,852± acre ranch in Converse County, Wyoming, works so well as one complete operation. The lower ground follows LaPrele Creek, a Platte River tributary, and its neighboring streams. Nearly 1.3± miles of LaPrele Creek frontage, eleven ponds and reservoirs, and roughly 220± irrigated and subirrigated acres keep the hay meadows green. Across State Highway 93, sage flats give way to mahogany hillsides, conifer-covered ridges, spectacular rock outcrops and canyons, with the Laramie Mountains rising to 9,000 and 10,000 feet beyond. About 787± acres of state lease land are included with the 1,065± deeded acres. Wildlife follows the same layers. Elk, whitetail, and mule deer use the canyons and creek bottoms, and antelope work the open flats. The ranch’s place in Elk Hunt Unit 7, an area notoriously hard to draw, gives an owner two landowner deer, antelope or combination highly coveted elk permits. Periodically stocked trout reach up to six pounds in the reservoirs, and Medicine Bow National Forest lies just a few miles away. The restored 1868 hand-hewn log headquarters has a vaulted 2021 great room and back-up solar, plus a finished ranch hand home and barns. A flexible conservation easement of roughly 755± acres preserves the open character while reserving building rights and potential tax advantages. Douglas is twenty-five minutes away, Casper an hour, Cheyenne two hours, and Denver three. Seldom does a ranch this complete, with water, grass, game, agriculture and livestock production and privacy, come to market in this tightly held valley. **One of the sellers is a licensed Wyoming real estate agent. LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • • • • •
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Size: 1,852± acres in Converse County, WY (1,065± deeded, 787± state lease) Setting: Creek-bottom meadows, sage flats, timbered ridges, and canyons below 9,000-10,000-foot Laramie peaks Live water: Nearly 1.3± miles of frontage on 5 creeks, including LaPrele Creek, a Platte River tributary Reservoirs: 11 ponds and reservoirs, 2 periodically stocked with exceptional and productive rainbow and brown trout up to 6 lbs Hay Ground: 220± acres of hay ground, consisting of irrigated, sub-irrigated, and dryland Hunting: Two landowner elk tags in unit 7, and two landowner tags which may be used for deer (unit 65), antelope or a combination Livestock: About 260 AUMs of summer high country, plus about 70 AUs on south-facing winter ground where hay is rarely needed Headquarters: Restored 1868 homestead of about 3,300± square feet with 4 bedrooms, a stunning 2021 great room, fully solar powered with battery storage, grid and generator backup Conservation easement: About 745± in highly flexible conservation easements with generous, reserved building rights and potential tax advantages; land around existing improvements remains free for new building Location: 25± minutes to Douglas, 1± hour to Casper, 2± to Cheyenne, 3± to Denver; paved Highway 93 runs through the ranch
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LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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IMPROVEMENTS LaPrele Creek Ranch is improved with restraint and good taste, avoiding the expensive over-building that burdens many ranch properties. What is here is useful, well kept, and built to last. Headquarters residence. The main home is a piece of restored Wyoming history, with portions dating to the original 1868 homestead. Its roughly 3,300± square feet include four bedrooms (or three plus an office) and 1.75 baths. The walls are hand-hewn logs more than a century old, sandblasted, oiled, and rechinked. A vaulted, log-beamed great room of about 500± square feet, added in 2021, has both a wood stove and a gas fireplace. Wide-plank fir floors, stone and tumbled marble tile, and accents of aspen paneling and exposed hewn logs give the home a warm, cohesive feel. Power for the long term. The home runs entirely on a 2023 solar installation with full grid backup, and it is wired for a generator as well.
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SECOND RESIDENCE The “Guard Shack,” a nicely finished home of about 400± square feet, houses the ranch hand. It has vaulted ceilings with fans, tile floors, and marble countertops, along with a truck port, a separate storage and utility building, and an ATV port. A porch upgrade is underway.
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BARN COMPLE X Two storage buildings, a partially restored historic loafing shed, and a barn with a concrete floor, shop setup, and several storage areas support daily operations. The parts needed to extend the solar system to the barn complex have already been purchased. A leveled, construction-ready site is waiting for a future hay barn. The hay base and irrigation can be expanded, and added spring development on the high-country range would likely raise its carrying capacity.
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RECREATION From its canyons and mahogany slopes to its cottonwood bottoms and trout-filled waters, LaPrele Creek Ranch is a paradise for hunters and anglers. Elk, whitetail, and mule deer thrive across this varied landscape, while antelope, black bear, mountain lion, upland birds, and waterfowl add to the variety of each season’s pursuit. Licenses for the highly coveted Elk Hunt Area 7 are notoriously difficult to draw, making the ranch’s four landowner tags especially valuable: two for elk and two for deer or antelope. Anglers enjoy 1.3± miles of productive frontage along LaPrele Creek and its neighboring waters with several more miles of intermittent and year-round tributaries. Eleven reservoirs are periodically stocked with rainbow and brown trout. When it’s time to venture beyond the ranch, the hundreds of thousands of acres of Medicine Bow National Forest lie just a few miles away, extending the opportunities for adventure well past the property’s boundaries.
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HUNTING | WILDLIFE LaPrele Creek Ranch is alive with game. Elk, whitetail, and mule deer move through its canyons, juniper and mountain mahogany slopes, and cottonwood-lined creek bottoms, and the rolling hillsides are designated critical winter habitat for elk and mule deer. Antelope work the open flats, while black bear and mountain lion use the rougher country. Upland birds and waterfowl are plentiful, and an occasional moose wanders through. Varied terrain, reliable water, and good cover make this productive habitat in every season, with the Medicine Bow National Forest just a few miles away.
FISHING Water is the heart of LaPrele Creek Ranch. LaPrele Creek, a Platte River tributary, runs through the property in riffles, runs, and pools that hold rainbow and brown trout. Nearly 1.3± miles of creek frontage across three perennial and two intermittent creeks gives anglers plenty of private water to explore. Eleven ponds and reservoirs, six year-round and six seasonal, two are periodically stocked and support healthy populations of trout up to six pounds. Whether wading the creek or casting from a reservoir bank, anglers have variety close at hand.
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LOCATION Privacy without isolation defines this location. A paved, state-maintained road reaches Douglas, a town with full services and a hospital, in about 25 minutes. Douglas’s Converse County Airport serves private and general aviation, while Casper’s Natrona County International Airport, roughly an hour away, offers commercial flights connecting through Denver and Salt Lake City. Cheyenne Regional Airport sits about two hours south, and Denver International, three hours away, links the ranch to the world. Whether arriving by pickup, charter, or airline, owners and guests will find this Converse County ranch surprisingly easy to reach.
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AIRPORT SERVICES Converse County Airport (DGW), Douglas, WY: about 25 minutes. General aviation with FBO services. Casper–Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, WY: about 1 hour. Daily commercial flights connecting through Denver and Salt Lake City, plus a full-service FBO for private aircraft. Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS), Cheyenne, WY: about 2 hours. FBO services and connecting commercial flights. Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, CO: about 3.5 hours. Major international hub with worldwide connections.
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WATER & IRRIGATION The ranch holds over 200± acres of adjudicated water rights. Multiple ponds, reservoirs, and seasonal streams provide water for stock and wildlife. Year-round, Laprele Creek runs through the ranch for approximately 1.3± miles, enhancing water availability. Currently, 220± acres are in hay production, some in grass/alfalfa and some in native grass pastures. The 220± acres of hay ground consist of a combination of irrigated ground, sub-irrigated ground, and dry land.
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LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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MINER AL RIGHTS All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the seller will convey to the buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.
CON SERVATION | STEWARDSHIP Two very flexible conservation easements cover portions of the ranch, about 745 acres, through Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust. These easements were negotiated to keep the ranch working, allow continuing resource and agricultural expansion--in most cases without notice to or approval of the easement holder - providing and protecting the invaluable fishery, wildlife and water resources, and offer an owner, in their sole discretion, to donate some, or all of the reserved building rights through easement amendments, which may produce additional tax advantages without changing how the ranch operates. The reserved rights also cover agricultural structures, habitat, and resource projects, so the ranch can continue operating and improving as it always has. A possible tax benefit. At the buyer’s sole discretion, some or all of the reserved building rights could be donated through easement amendments, which may produce additional tax advantages without changing how the ranch operates. This is general information, not tax, legal, or financial advice. Serious, qualified purchasers can review the full easement documents with their own legal and tax counsel, which is strongly recommended before relying on any statement here. Each of us at Fay Ranches loves the land and wants to see it remain a productive agricultural ground and a quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethics and land-use practices have significantly enhanced our work landscape. 30
www.fayranches.com | 800.238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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SUMMARY LaPrele Creek Ranch brings together what few Wyoming ranches can: live water, productive hay ground, and excellent hunting on 1,852± acres in Converse County. Nearly 1.3± miles of creek frontage and eleven reservoirs support trout up to six pounds, while elk, whitetail, and mule deer thrive in Elk Hunt Unit 7, with two landowner tags for an owner. A restored 1868 homestead anchors the ranch, and a flexible conservation easement protects its open character. Just 25± minutes from Douglas, this tightly held valley rarely offers the full plethura of production, accessible privacy, superb hunting and fishing and comfortable, historic but not ostentatious improvements. Come see for yourself.
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www.fayranches.com | 800.238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
LaPrele Creek Ranch | Douglas, Wyoming
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**One of the sellers is a licensed Wyoming real estate broker.
CONTACT PRICE $9,900,000
TERMS Cash Conventional Financing 1031 Exchange
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This is an exclusive Co-Marketing with Fay Ranches and Western Land Sales. Please contact Neil Bangs at (307) 217-0327 | nbangs@ fayranches.com, Kelsea Vaughan at (307) 575-2776 | kvaughan@ fayranches.com or Roy Ready at (307) 234-2211 | roy@westernland. net to schedule a showing. An agent from Fay Ranches or Co-Marketing Agency must be present at all showings unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.
NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.
www.fayranches.com | 800.238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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