Give us a call 970-872-3322
Give us a call 970-872-3322
Ask Gary Hubbell
The serious investor and recreation provider should take note, Tel and Ashlie Gates are offering River’s Bend Outfitting business and their ranch for sale. Located on 70 acres southeast of Meeker, Colorado on the banks of the world-famous White River, the ranch is the home base of a thriving and beautifully run outfitting business. River’s Bend is known for offering outstanding hunting experiences for wilderness elk, mule deer, Shiras moose, bighorn sheep, and bear, as well as fly-fishing expeditions on the famous South Fork of the White River. The business has 15 wilderness camps and is booked for 200 hunters a year for three years in advance.
Situated at the end of a well-maintained gravel county road, about a mile from a paved road and 8 miles southeast of Meeker in northwest Colorado, the ranch has 70 acres, almost all of it irrigated, and bordered on the east by the White River. Built in 1904, the main house has been added onto a couple of times so that it now comprises over 3,600 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. It has a large south-facing living room with vaulted ceilings and enough wall space for many trophy game mounts. Adjacent to the main house is a wrangler’s bunkhouse, a fairly simple home with 2 bedrooms, a bath, and kitchen. Additionally, there is a small wrangler’s cabin that can bunk 4 people with no bathroom or kitchen.
The River’s Bend Ranch is set up to efficiently gather, saddle, and transport over 100 horses. While the pasture is set in the riverbottom and provides lush grazing for the horses, the barns are located on a bench above the pasture. The wranglers push the horses into a set of well-built pipe corrals, where they can select the horses for the day’s work. Saddles and tack are stored in three different metal storage containers, which is important because they can be sealed tight against mice and packrats. Roof trusses are bridged between the storage containers to make an excellent shelter to saddle horses out of the elements, whereupon the horses are loaded into waiting horse trailers to head to the trailhead. It is an incredibly efficient system that can handle the large volume of business accomplished by this endeavor.
This business is well set up and ready to operate the first day a new owner takes over. It has all the tack and equipment necessary to take out up to 200 hunters a year, with a complete set of riding saddles, packsaddles, halters, bridles, saddle blankets, panniers, tents, camp gear, and even four diesel trucks and large horse trailers. The business is offered with 70 head of livestock—52 horses and 18 mules—that are well conditioned, well trained, and know the job. Most of these animals were raised on the ranch by Tel and Ashlie Gates. Many are stout draft cross horses that can carry large people into the mountains and back.
River’s Bend Outfitting operates in the famous Flattops Wilderness Area in northwest Colorado, which is home to the largest elk herd in North America. The business owns US Forest Service Special Use Permits in Colorado GMU 24 to hunt on almost 300,000 acres of stunning wilderness that is known for spectacular elk and mule deer hunting. River’s Bend has permits for 15 different camps that are accessed from four different trailheads and can accommodate up to 200 hunters a year for fully guided and drop camp hunts. The business is fully booked for 2023 and 2024 and has only a few openings for 2025. A new owner can go to work immediately with a slate of pre-booked business. 85% of the bookings are repeat customers. Obviously the business has excellent cash flow and is a profitable enterprise. Financials can be shared with qualified buyers who provide a signed non-disclosure agreement. Future expansion is possible with more summer bookings and fly-fishing trips on the world-famous South Fork of the White River, which flows directly through the permit area.
River’s Bend Outfitting is the 25th outfitting business offered for sale by Gary Hubbell, ALC, and Loren Williams of United Country Colorado Brokers, based in Hotchkiss and Carbondale, Colorado. Gary is a former wilderness outfitter and hunting guide, and Loren Williams is active as the owner of Mesa Outfitters, which operates on the slopes of the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction. This business is offered under the umbrella of UC Hunting Properties, an entity of United Country Real Estate that is known for brokering quality hunting properties across North America. Gary Hubbell, ALC, and Loren Williams specialize in brokering ranches, farms, hunting properties, and recreational real estate in Colorado, Utah, and across the West.
