Montana is known for its wide-open spaces, rugged mountains, and large cattle ranches. With over 27 million acres of rangeland, Montana has some of the largest ranches in the United States. Determining exactly who owns the biggest ranch in the state requires looking at the different candidates based on total acreage owned and managed.
Top Contenders for Largest Ranch in Montana
There are several very large ranches in Montana that could potentially hold the title of biggest in the state. Here are some of the top contenders:
- Broken O Ranch – Owned by the Mortenson family, the Broken O Ranch spans approximately 275,000 acres (430 square miles) in Garfield County in eastern Montana. It runs a herd of approximately 6,000 mother cows.
- Bell Cross Ranch – Located in Powder River County in southeastern Montana, the Bell Cross Ranch encompasses around 275,000 acres. Previously owned by media mogul Ted Turner, it was sold to John Malone in 2021.
- Bohleen Ranch – Stretching over 260,000 acres in Garfield County, the Bohleen Ranch has been owned by the Bohleen family since the late 1800s. It runs a herd of Red Angus cattle.
- MSU-Northern Ranch – Operated by Montana State University-Northern in Havre, the MSU-Northern Ranch spans over 258,000 acres in Hill and Chouteau Counties in north-central Montana.
- Padlock Ranch – Located along the Yellowstone River north of Miles City, the Padlock Ranch covers about 250,000 acres. Originally founded in 1866, it remains family-owned today.
Largest Montana Ranch by Total Acreage
Based solely on total acreage owned and managed, the Bell Cross Ranch appears to be the largest ranch in Montana at approximately 275,000 acres.
The table below summarizes the total acreage for each of the top contenders for largest ranch in Montana:
| Ranch | Total Acreage |
|---|---|
| Bell Cross Ranch | ~275,000 acres |
| Broken O Ranch | ~275,000 acres |
| Bohleen Ranch | 260,000 acres |
| MSU-Northern Ranch | 258,000 acres |
| Padlock Ranch | ~250,000 acres |
The Bell Cross and Broken O Ranch are essentially tied for first place when it comes to total acreage. However, Broken O Ranch spans a slightly smaller area at 430 square miles compared to 440 square miles for the Bell Cross Ranch. So with its larger footprint, Bell Cross Ranch edges out Broken O Ranch for the title of biggest ranch in Montana.
History of Bell Cross Ranch
The history of the Bell Cross Ranch dates back to 1876, when it was founded by a cattleman named Nelson Story. Story had driven a herd of longhorn cattle from Texas up to Montana, where he established his ranch in the Powder River country.
Over the decades, ownership of the ranch changed hands several times. Notable owners included the Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch Company and newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst who operated it as a working cattle ranch from the 1930s to 1950s.
In 1959, the Bell Ranch was purchased by media tycoon and land baron Ted Turner. Turner expanded the ranch to its current 275,000 acres. He owned it for over 25 years before deciding to sell in 1996.
The Bell Ranch was bought by John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, in 2021 for a reported $200 million. Malone had already accumulated over 2 million acres of ranch land across the U.S. The Bell Cross Ranch expanded his holdings and gave him the largest single ranch property in Montana.
Land and Operations
The Bell Cross Ranch stretches across a vast and diverse landscape in southeastern Montana. The terrain ranges from wide open prairie along the Powder River to rough breaks country dotted with juniper trees.
Around 100,000 acres of the Bell Cross Ranch is made up of deeded land fully owned by the ranch. The other 175,000 acres consists of leased land from the Bureau of Land Management, State of Montana, and private owners. This allows the ranch to graze cattle across a huge, continuous area.
The Bell Cross Ranch runs primarily cow-calf pairs along with some yearlings for summer grazing. The cows are mostly Black and Red Angus breeds. With abundant grasslands and only about 12 inches of annual rainfall, the climate and terrain make it ideal cattle country.
In addition to cattle grazing, the Bell Cross Ranch offers limited big game hunting opportunities. The landscape provides habitat for elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, antelope, and sage grouse. The ranch manages hunting access through a combination of owner tags and public permits.
Ecological Significance
At 275,000 acres, the Bell Cross Ranch plays an important ecological role in Montana by preserving a vast stretch of open prairie habitat. The landscape provides a home to diverse wildlife and plant species.
While cattle ranching represents the main economic activity, the ranch also utilizes holistic grazing practices aimed at balancing productivity and natural resource conservation. This includes rotating cattle, allowing parcels of land to rest and recover, controlling invasive plant species, and safeguarding riparian areas along waterways.
The Powder River that flows through the Bell Cross Ranch is still home to the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, a sensitive fish species that has been reduced in other parts of its original range. Careful stewardship of the landscape helps protect water quality and fish populations in the river.
By managing such a massive area as an intact, working landscape rather than subdividing it into smaller pieces, the Bell Cross Ranch provides space for wildlife to roam and an important migration corridor for pronghorn antelope and mule deer.
Ranching Legacy and Montana’s Open Spaces
Cattle ranching has been a pillar of Montana’s economic and cultural identity since Nelson Story first trailed Texas longhorns to the territory in the 1870s. Iconic ranches like the Bell Cross Ranch represent the enduring legacy of ranching in Big Sky Country.
While subdivision and development have broken up many large ranches in the West, Montana’s ranches still steward some of the most expansive intact private lands in the nation. Ranchers serve as caretakers for the natural resources of their land and providers of habitat for wildlife.
The Bell Cross Ranch and other massive cattle operations in Montana make it possible for wide-open spaces to remain wide open. Their shear size and continued operation as working ranches maintains the rural, frontier spirit of the state’s heritage.
For these reasons, the Bell Cross Ranch is not just the biggest ranch in Montana but also emblematic of the ranching families who have for generations managed large landscapes that shape the Last Best Place.
Conclusion
With approximately 275,000 acres of land under its management in southeast Montana, the Bell Cross Ranch is the holder of the title for largest ranch in the state. Its vast stretch of prairie provides important habitat, preserves the ranching legacy, and maintains Montana’s cherished open spaces.
While a few other massive ranch properties like the Broken O Ranch come close in terms of acreage, the Bell Cross edges them out to rank as Montana’s biggest cattle ranch. The landscape it stewards reflects the spirit and heritage of Big Sky Country.