Billionaire’s ranch with ties to Lewis and Clark for sale in Montana

A historic cattle ranch that once served as the camp for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark has listed for sale at $18 million.

Co-owned by billionaire and former Cargill Inc. Chief Executive Whitney MacMillan, the property known as PN Ranch occupies more than 40,000 acres north of Winifred, Mont., where the Judith and Missouri rivers intersect.

The ranch, integrated within parts of Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, the Missouri National Wild and Scenic River and the Dog Creek Wilderness area, includes 17,012 deeded acres, including 561 acres of irrigated bottomlands and 4,200 acres of pasture capable of supporting an average of 1,500 animals a year.

More than 60 species of wildlife, including mule deer, elk, antelope, upland birds and a large population of big horn sheep, reside within the rugged country. Sturgeon, walleye and American pad are among the sport fish in this reach of the Missouri River.

Lewis and Clark made camp in 1805 at the junction of the Judith and Missouri rivers. The site became a prevalent hub for fur traders and paddle-boat traffic and was later used to establish the first military outpost in the Montana Territory in the late 1800s.

The warehouse from the Judith Landing Mercantile Post, a log schoolhouse and a rambling frame house built in 1880 are among the historic structures that still remain on the property.

The ranch also has a main headquarters and lodging for staff and management. Cattle and equipment are also included in the asking price.

MacMillan, whose net worth is in the neighborhood of $5.3 billion, according to Forbes, co-owns the property with Matt Pierson of Highland Livestock. Pierson’s family originally came to own the ranch in the 1990s, with MacMillan joining as a partner several years later.

Tim Murphy and Dave Johnson of Hall and Hall are the listing agents.

Twitter: @NJLeitereg