Landowners in northern Wyoming added to their holdings with the purchase of working farm and ranchlands having good recreation components.

North-central Wyoming

One of the recent ranch sales attracted some national attention because the seller was Wilford Brimley, the long-time face of Quaker Oats who starred in the television series The Waltons and who appeared in such films as Cocoon and The China Syndrome.

Brimley, 81, sold his small ranch between Greybull and Shell to a local ranching and farming family wanting to add to their existing holdings, says Hall and Hall ranch broker Randy Shelton.

STAR STUDDED: Wilford Brimley recently sold his small Wyoming ranch to a local ranch and farm family trying to expand operations.

“Wilford built an excellent operation,” Shelton says. “He decided to sell because I think he wanted to make things a little simpler in life, wanted to spend more time in a warmer climate and wanted to be closer to family. He’s a tremendous guy to work with.”

The ranch consists of 317 deeded acres and a Bureau of Land Management grazing lease for 159 animal unit months. The transaction came with excellent water rights (160 acres are irrigated), two homes, a shop, blacksmith cabin and loafing shed with horse runs, along with a rodeo arena with bucking chutes and roping boxes.

About one-half mile of Shell Creek meanders through the place, which is an added appeal, Shelton notes.

The asking price was $1.15 million, down from the original price of $1.25 million.

“It was a good sale, bringing close to the asking price,” Shelton says.

Annual property taxes are about $4,100.

North-central Wyoming

Two business partners bought the 520-acre Bonanza Ranch between the small agricultural communities of Manderson and Hyattville in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin.

The listing price was $895,000, or $1,721 per acre (the selling price was not disclosed).

John Mills, associate broker with Canyon Real Estate in nearby Cody, says the two business partners, one from the local area and the other from out-of-state, purchased the Bonanza as an agricultural property with a strong recreation component.

“They own another area farm as well as some other business enterprises, and this was a good opportunity to add to their holdings,” Mills says.

Amenities include two center pivots along with gated pipe used to irrigate about 300 acres, typically in alfalfa and corn.

The Nowood River flows through a portion of the property, which offers good hunting for big-game and birds. “The ranch market remains pretty strong up here, and a lot of value is put in recreation,” Mills says.

The sellers, a couple who are retiring, are “gearing down a little bit,” he adds.