Rodeo Grounds Ranch

Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) epitomizes Wild West beauty. The stunning Sawtooth Mountains resemble the Swiss Alps; rustic log cabins dotted over grasslands reveal ranchers hard at work; 300 high mountain lakes reflect the beauty of the mountains; and abundant natural resources flourish throughout the area.

SNRA offers 756,000 acres of scenic mountain country, 700 miles of trails, and 40 peaks over 10,000 feet.

Amid this wilderness wonderland lies the privately owned Rodeo Grounds Ranch, one of the largest unprotected properties within SNRA. The 157-acre area, which is 5 miles north of Stanley, Idaho, hosted the historic Fourth of July Custer County Rodeo in the 1930s.

Protecting private land is sometimes just as crucial as protecting public lands because development on private land can have a direct effect on surrounding public lands. Trust for Public Land took action when the ranch became a target for future development.

TPL partnered with other organizations to protect wildlife and recreation in the Rodeo Grounds Ranch through a conservation easement, which prevents development permanently, safeguards scenic and recreational land, and enhances fire protection throughout the area. More than 182,000 acres burned just outside SNRA in 2012, so improving fire protection is a priority for the community.

Wildlife in the area include endangered species such as the Canada lynx; sockeye, chinook, and steelhead salmon; and bull trout. Sensitive species include the wolverine, gray wolf, bighorn sheep, and bald eagle.

Residents and visitors enjoy year-round recreation, including snowmobiling, camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, boating, canoeing, rafting, and biking.

The conservation easement allows the ranch to carry on under private ownership, with its natural values and recreational access permanently protected. Rodeo Grounds Ranch is one of eight completed conservation projects by TPL in the SNRA, from a 1-acre property in Stanley to a conservation easement on the 1,800-acre Piva Ranch.

“[We aim] to ensure that this beautiful area remains intact and open. A place where world-class outdoor recreation, traditional land use, and irreplaceable wildlife habitat coexist for the benefit of all,” says TPL’s Northern Rockies director, Deb Love. “This conservation easement is an investment that will pay off in many ways, preventing inappropriate development, safeguarding the land’s natural values, and guaranteeing recreational access for anglers to Valley Creek.”