Rockpile Ranch , Fort Davis, TX 79734(Jeff Davis County)

Comprising 55,704.49 acres, the Rockpile Ranch is named for the massive geologic formations located at the entrance to the Ranch. This ranch was once a major portion of the historic 380,000-acre X Ranch in Jeff Davis County. The historic Rockpile and Sawtooth Mountain, have drawn people to this area for a millennia and have been identified as two of the most famous geologic features of the Davis Mountains. Throughout the Ranch lie remnants of Pre-Columbian habitation including numerous bedrock mortars and surface metates, used for grinding grains in these cultures. The ranch has elevations ranging from 4,500 to 6,907 feet. The ranch with years of excellent stewardship, as well as the mere size, combines to make this one of the most unique ranches in Texas.

Habitat

This uniquely situated Ranch lies on the edge of two great North American migratory avian flyways. The exceptional canyon microclimes of the Rockpile Ranch combined with its mature pinyon pine, alligator juniper, large native oak woodlands and with a rich grassland landscape create an exceptional habitat for wildlife. This provides an oasis for not only a diverse resident bird population but also for a rainbow of migratory bird species during the spring and fall seasons.

This Scenic Loop ranch is dominated by mile-high grasslands of Cane Bluestem, Blue Gramma, and Sideoats Gramma with diverse native trees of Emory Oaks, Gray Oaks, Alligator Juniper, Pinyon Pine, Desert Willow, Soapberry, Madrone, Cherry and Mexican Walnut. Numerous large mountains, bluffs, and hills create excellent topography and the views of the mountains are nothing short of breathtaking. Excellent grasses and Chihuahuan Desert plants provide habitat for native wildlife and livestock. This is a cross section of the various habitat types found in the higher elevation of West Texas from rock outcrops to montane woodlands, to oak savannahs, to rolling yucca grasslands. This one ranch represents the diversity of wildlife habitat found in higher elevations of West Texas. Riparian areas are unequaled in the Davis Mountains with huge pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands to wet Madrone-Willow-Cherry canyon bottoms, an oasis for wildlife and people as well.

The diverse forage of gramma and bluestem pastures and grazing lands has been carefully managed over the past ten years using a structured forage assessment and grazing management system providing exceptional rangeland health and species diversity for both wildlife and the cattle operation.

This historic ranching operation represents some of the best cow/calf range in the West Texas cowboy country. Cattle handling is facilitated by numerous working and widely dispersed branding pens combined with a well-positioned water distribution system, which includes both year around spring box detention, three solar-driven wells and adequate conventional windmill supply points. The well-designed all-weather interior road system is in excellent condition providing, easy and fast access to all portions of the Rockpile Ranch, including several loading pens and the scale house at the Buffalo pens which adjoin the Long X Ranch to the East.

Wildlife

Chihuahuan Desert plants as well as dense grasslands provide excellent habitat for an extensive wildlife population. Texas mule deer, pronghorn, white tail deer, blue-scaled quail, wild turkey, hogs, grey fox, bobcats, javelina, and mountain lions make the Ranch a sportsmans and naturalists paradise. A remarkable feature of the Rockpile is a resident elk herd which in recent years has numbered as many as 80 animals. During the fall rut, the elk tend to congregate and bugle near the pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands adjacent to the Ranch headquarters.

Improvements

The Rockpile Ranch cattle operation is divided into the Rincon Camp and the Rockpile Camp with each working to optimize production of both cattle and wildlife on the Ranch. The more centrally located Rincon Camp is comprised of a residence, combined bunk house, and cook house as well as a rail depot building. Many years ago it served as the rail depot at the terminus of the cattle shipping rail spur at the X Ranch near Kent, Texas. Historians claim that the large red structure was hauled by mules through Adobe Draw from Kent to its current location at the Rincon Camp some 30 miles from the original railhead.

The Rockpile Camp is comprised of two very old rock dwellings still used today as the camp managers residence, as well as the easily upgradable Rockpile Ranch headquarters structure. Both are nestled up against the Rockpile providing a dramatic backdrop to this very unique residence area of the Ranch. In addition, the Rockpile Camp still uses the hand hewn log tack room and feed storage structure that local lore contends was built soon after the American Civil War. This red painted structure is one of the more iconic features of this unique area of the Ranch and the region.

Water

The Rockpile has a well-positioned water distribution system, which includes both year around spring box detention, three solar-driven wells and adequate conventional windmill supply points. The well-designed all-weather interior road system is in excellent condition providing, easy and fast access to all portions of the Rockpile Ranch.

Price

This is only the third time in its 115-year titled history that this Ranch has been offered for sale. All Seller owned mineral classified and fee minerals will be included. The 55,704.49 acres are being offered for $985 per acre for a total price of $54,868,922.65 cash.