Montana Mansion With its Own Ski Trails Lists for $24 Million – SnowBrains

Have you ever dreamed of having a ski resort entirely to yourself for a day? Well, the Lolo Ranch located 20 minutes south of Missoula in Montana might be able to bring that dream to life. This 1981 acre property in the foothills of the Bitterroot Mountain range and which borders the Lolo National Forest hit the market on June 12, 2025 for a whopping $24 million. The ranch itself is a 5 bed, 5 bath, 5,052 square foot house built in 2006, but the real appeal is in its beautiful land and endless outdoor recreation opportunities.

The previous owner, Tom Maclay, originally envisioned the estate to be a luxury ski resort. His 2,900-acre ranch, along with 3,000 to 11,000 acres of adjacent public land was to be a 4-season resort complete with a residential village. Maclay, however, was a little too ambitious and began the trail cutting prior to receiving permission from the U.S. Forest Service. This mistake along with poor coordination with the Forest Service stalled the permits and his dream resort never came to fruition. What was once Maclay’s loss could now become someone else’s dream home.

The trails cut years ago remain that way today, with 20 professionally built ski runs in the property. Despite the formation of the ski trails, a roadblock in the creation of this ski resort was snowfall. At 6,000 feet in elevation it still does snow, however, the snow does not last long enough to support a winter resort. But where a corporation might fail, a family can thrive. While a commercial resort wasn’t feasible, there is no doubt that a single family residence would be able to enjoy skiing their own private hill for a few months during the winter. In the offseason, the trails can double as mountain biking or hiking trails which access this vast mountain range.

Even if action sports aren’t your hobby, the access to nature surrounding the property is worth the price alone. Bordering the property are the Lolo National Forest and Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Both of these lands provide beautiful landscapes along with scenic swimming and highly renowned trout fishing in alpine lakes and rivers that are just walking distance from the estate. Within the property, live the largest herd of elk in the Bitterroot Mountain range who graze the land year round. Alongside them live moose, bears, various birds, and countless other species both big and small.

Due to the Lolo Ranch once being constructed for a luxury resort, there is infrastructure capable of sustaining a variety of projects. Roads have been built around the property and even up some of the surrounding mountains for easy vehicle access. There is underground power with a capacity that was once meant to supply the resort, along with buildings built for livestock that include irrigation. Finally, the property has extensive water rights from many waterways, including access to McClain creek which runs through the land. With all of this infrastructure and a lack of a conservation easement, the next owners have the option whether to build on or simply enjoy their land.

The misfortune of the previous owner could be the blessing of the next. Hopefully, whoever takes over can fully utilize the amenities and enjoy this land to its immense potential.

Interested buyers can find more information on the property’s listing.