Kimberly, Oregon Ranch
The picturesque Big Basin Ranch in eastern Oregon has everything you want and more! The ranch headquarters is located approximately 11 miles south of Kimberly Oregon in the heart of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument area where visitors from around the world come to see well preserved fossils from critters which roamed the region around 45 million years ago. Consisting of 7,532 deeded acres with varied terrain which includes the John Day River frontage, tabletop sloping pastures, springs, creeks, and pine tree timbered draws makes this a solid cattle ranch with beautiful landscapes. The ranch also hosts a world class home and wildlife including mule deer, antelope, and rocky mountain elk. Along with the private land, there is also nearly 10,000 acres of private Bureau of land Management (BLM) grazing leases allowing for over 1200 animal unit months (AUM’s).
The current owners run the ranch with a small herd of cattle, grow alfalfa hay and conduct projects to add to the wildlife and habitat opportunities. This focus on sustainable stewardship has increased the productivity of the native grasslands, added additional tons of alfalfa in the hay fields, developed 40 plus spring water sources for cattle & wildlife, and significantly reduced the Juniper tree population, benefiting groundwater and helping prevent wildfire.
The ranch borders a portion of the John Day River which is a tributary to the Columbia River. This river source comes mainly from snowpack out of the Strawberry Mountains
The Big Basin Ranch is centrally located in Oregon and is approximately 105 miles from the Redmond Airport which hosts many commercial flights, 125 miles from Bend, Oregon, 225 miles to Portland, Oregon, and 235 miles to Boise, Idaho.
The world class custom built home demonstrates the owners background in high-end construction. The owners have done a great job planning this home from the location of the house on the crest of a hillside with breathtaking views, landscaping and floor plan of the house. The house has exceptional craftsmanship that went into the final product. This four-bedroom, four-bathroom house was built to last with copper roofing, stucco siding, and concrete decks/walkways covered extensively with local custom stonework, complimenting a natural setting.
The home interior consists of a gourmet kitchen with high end appliances from Subzero, Miele, Blue Star and Viking. The countertops are granite with custom cherry wood cabinets. There is also a large, walk-in wine cellar for your collection. The master suite has custom built-in dressers and bookshelves with amazing views. The master bathroom is outfitted with granite floors, walk-in shower, and soaking tub with window overlooking the valley. In the evening you can take a dip in the 30,000 gallon solar/propane heated Infinity Pool or the custom Gunite hot tub and watch the sunset and local wildlife while enjoying your favorite beverage. This home is truly a masterpiece.
Guest/Manager House
This original homestead house is conveniently located down the hill from the main house and next to the irrigated hay fields and other outbuildings. The one-bedroom, two-bath home was remodeled back in 1994 and features a nice sized living room and covered front porch. The yard has inground-sprinkler system plus fruit trees.
Shop
A newer shop built in 2002 with 3 bay machine shed. The enclosed shop area has concrete floor and two roll up doors. The insulated shop is heated by a woodstove.
Hay barn
The hay barn was built in 2006 and can store 300 (+/-) tons of baled hay. There is power and lights added for your convenience.
Internet Availability
The current owner has satellite internet (Viasat). With this service they are able to run their business and conduct Zoom meetings using a standard plan.
Irrigated Ground
Irrigated hay fields are watered using wheel-lines with 65.5 acres of certified water rights from Johnny Creek. This creek flows into the ranch’s private reservoir situated above the hay ground which enables gravity feed of the water to the sprinkler system through an 8” mainline. There is also a well with 5hp pump to supplement the reservoir water.
Flood irrigated pasture on the John Day River
Meadow pasture ground at the south end of the ranch is irrigated with flood water from the John Day River.