Montana Ski Area That Never Opened Up For Sale

A 2,000-acre ranch in the Bitterroot Mountains of Western Montana, that was once so hopeful of being the base of a major new ski area that more than 20 ski runs were created, has gone up for sale for $24 million.

The privately owned Lolo Ranch which borders the Lolo National Forest also includes a 5,000-square-foot log home as well as forests, creeks, rangelands and a large herd of elk.

The ski runs were created in the mid-2000s by a previous owner, local Tom Maclay, whose family had ranched in the area for more than a century. Mr Maclay had hoped to create a major ski resort, but his own property is at too low an elevation for reliable season-long snow cover and he needed to reach agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to access higher altitude terrain above. That agreement was never reached and the plans foundered, but not before resort infrastructure including roads, power, snowmaking water rights and the ski runs were all created. There are no ski lifts at present, however.

A spokesperson for selling agents, Hall And Hall, told media the slopes could be used privately or by the community under a new owner if they wished, but that the season would be short. The trails can also be used for mountain biking year-round.

“On a good snow year, you could be there shredding for a couple months,” a Hall And Hall spokesperson told Mansion Global, adding, “For a ski resort you need the season to be longer.”