Nestled between the rugged Eagle Mountains and the picturesque Rio Grande Valley, McMillan Ranch, a sprawling 7,520-acre property, has recently been listed for sale at a price tag of $2,246,400. This historic ranch, which has been in the same family since the 1940s, offers not only breathtaking natural beauty but also a rich history of Native American raids and buffalo soldier battles.
Located just 1.5 hours from El Paso International Airport and 1 hour from Van Horn Airport, McMillan Ranch provides easy access to this remote and stunning corner of Texas. The ranch is situated in Hudspeth County, the second-least populated county in the state, offering a rare opportunity to experience true silence and spectacular sunsets under a sky filled with billions of stars.
The property is surrounded by large neighbors, including an experimental ranch owned by Sul Ross University, all of which boast low fences and excellent game management programs. This makes McMillan Ranch an ideal destination for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
The terrain of McMillan Ranch is as diverse as it is rugged, with elevations ranging from 4,039 feet at Red Light Draw to 4,859 feet at Devils Ridge. The landscape features canyons, peaks, valleys, rolling flats, and arroyos, providing excellent topography for wildlife habitat and recreation. With the Quitman Mountains to the west, Sierra Blanca Mountain to the north, and the Diablos Mountains to the northeast, the ranch offers unique high-elevation habitats and stunning vistas that stretch for miles.
One of the fascinating historical aspects of McMillan Ranch is its connection to Chief Victorio and his Mescalero-Warm Spring Mimbres Apache warriors. In the late 19th century, this area was their raiding ground, and Buffalo Soldiers fought valiantly to protect the Overland Trail that traverses the ranch. In 1879, Lt. Carpenter mapped out the main Indian Trails used by Victorio, which passed directly through McMillan Ranch.
From a natural habitat perspective, McMillan Ranch is a sky island, with intermountain ridge lines and valleys serving as corridors for wildlife migration. Numerous bird species associated with both the Rocky Mountains and Mexican Highlands are known to inhabit this unique montane habitat. The region’s climate and soils support a diverse range of vegetation, from desert scrublands to grasslands and juniper and oak uplands.
Wildlife enthusiasts will find plenty to marvel at on McMillan Ranch. It’s known as prime mule deer country, with the Van Horn region renowned for its large antler-size genetics. The property also supports abundant populations of Blue Quail, Gambel’s Quail, doves, Aoudad, and other game species. If you’re lucky, you might even hear the bugling of elk in October. The diverse landscape is also home to a wide array of other wildlife, including foxes, javelinas, coyotes, golden eagles, mountain lions, bobcats, songbirds, hummingbirds, and various reptiles and invertebrates.
The ranch boasts a well-landscaped central home with three bedrooms and two baths, featuring an updated solar electrical system. There’s also a camp house nearby with electricity, a barn, and a shop, making it a comfortable and practical retreat for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, a gravel cross runway near the headquarters could potentially be developed into a ranch airport.
Water resources on McMillan Ranch are abundant, with three water wells strategically located across the property. One well with electricity pumps water to the headquarters and storage, while another to the north is wired for a generator but could easily be connected to the grid. The third well to the south feeds a large storage tank for wildlife and livestock. The property also boasts several large surface tanks, some of which could be expanded into larger lakes.
For those interested in ranching, McMillan Ranch holds a hunting and grazing lease with the General Land Office (GLO), renewed every five years, at a rate of $1,840 per acre.
If you’re seeking a slice of Texas history and a paradise for hunting and outdoor recreation, McMillan Ranch in Hudspeth County is a unique and enticing opportunity. For more information, you can contact James King at (432) 386-2821 or visit the property’s listing on King Land and Water’s website.
Image Credit: King Land and Water
