Right now the best ski resort in the United States doesn’t have any lifts, lodges, or après bars.
However, the Wasatch Peaks Ranch, which lies just outside of Ogden, Utah, is on the market and open to purchase for $46 million dollars. Bottom line… it’s time to get the Kickstarter campaign going.
Who else wants access?
That said, maybe they’ll give a discount for paying in cash…
The ranch itself contains 11 miles of prime Wasatch ridgeline that access bowls, cirques, chutes, and faces. Not to mention, the ranch boasts a 4,600 vertical drop, which would beat out Jackson Hole’s 4,140 foot drop that is accessed by their famous Aerial Tramway. Also, the ranch shares approximately 25 miles of boundary access with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, which could more than double the size of accessible ski terrain to the ranch. Without the backcountry access, the skiable terrain comes in at approximately 5,500 acres, which beats Vail by over 200 acres.
Too good to be true?
The ranch also receives over 400 inches a year.
Here are the key features as laid out by the Denver-based ranch land brokerage firm, The Mirr Ranch Group.
- 12,740 acres / 20 square miles of pristine alpine terrain within Utah’s famed Wasatch Mountains, featuring elevations ranging from 4,820 to 9,570 feet
- Located just 35 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake International Airport, the ranch is also 15 minutes from downtown Ogden and 10 minutes from the world class Snowbasin Resort.
- The ranch, combined with the adjacent National Forest, has a continuous ridgeline of 11 miles that includes 24 peaks, 15 bowls and cirques, plus a 4,600 foot vertical rise.
- Potential uses include a private year-round club, a destination resort, or alpine retreat.
- Stunning scenery includes alpine, subalpine, montane forests, gambel oak woodlands, sagebrush, steppe, meadows/pasture and riparian areas.
- 25 miles of boundary within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest provides additional recreational opportunities including heli-skiing.
- Eleven creeks weave through the ranch for 35 miles from their alpine origin to the Weber River, 80 miles of hiking, mountain biking, ATV, and equestrian trails.
- Average annual snowfall of 400+ inches
- Unique geological features include the Deep Creek & Line Creek gorges plus an alpine glacier.
- Currently zoned for one residential dwelling per /160 acres, the ranch is also considered a candidate for a master planned development (MPD) under Morgan County’s Forestry and also Multiple Use with options to include within Resort Special District (RSD) ordinance.
- A private wildlife preserve provides big game hunting within a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) with permits for mule deer, elk and moose.
Here are the zoning details according to the Mirr Ranch Group
Approximately 11,745 acres in Morgan County and 737 acres in adjoining Davis County are zoned F-1 (Forestry Zone) which permit one residential dwelling per 160 acres. 240 acres in Morgan County are also zoned MU-160 (Multiple Use Zone) allow for one dwelling per 160 acres. Morgan County does have a Resort Special District (“RSD”) ordinance under their land use code allowing for high density resort development. An “Entitlement Summary” will be provided to qualified buyers.
Remember: Who Wants To Buy A Ski Resort For $1.25 Million
In addition to the unparalleled ski area possibilities, the ranch also offers world-class fly fishing, backpacking, and mountain biking opportunities.