Mountain Top Ranch is a fully deeded south central New Mexico working cattle ranch. It is situated in the heartland of desert mule deer rangelands within the wooded foothills between the Sacramento Mountains and the Guadalupe Mountains. Location of the property is nearby Pinon, Chaves County, New Mexico which is approximately 110 miles north of El Paso Texas and southeast of the recreational mountain village of Cloudcroft. Access to this scenic little ranch is east off the Pinon/Duncan Highway 24 via Russell Gap Road 4 miles off pavement. Russell Gap Road enters the ranch north boundary traversing the House Pasture for approx one mile and exiting out the east boundary. Headquarters is accessed south off Russell Gap Road one half mile via Mountain Top Road.
Mountain Top Ranch is comprised of approximately 5,303 deeded acres. It is a contiguous unit and 100% deeded private property. Historical utilization of the property has been as a cattle ranch with seasonal hunting of mule deer. The infrastructure of the ranch is designed to support this cast of activity.
Improvements at the headquarters include a single family residence, barn and corrals. The residence approximately 2,700 square feet is a 3 bedroom two bath brick dwelling with an attached two car garage and fireplace with wood stove insert. Nearby is the barn and pipe cattle corrals. Water to the headquarters and adjacent pastures is provided by the House Well. The well approximately 1,100 ft. depth is equipped with an electric powered pump jack. It supplies a storage tank and water pipeline.
The ranch is divided into six pastures and a trap. All are net wire fenced with cedar and steel T post. Livestock water is supplied from the House Well and East Rim Pasture Well. These wells have an extensive water distribution system of pipelines, steel rim water storage tanks and water troughs which is extended to all pastures. Throughout the ranch are several earthen water tanks which collect rain water run off.
Topography of the ranch is mountainous with elevations ranging from 5,510 ft. to 6,264 ft. The Headquarters is at 6,000 ft. Terrain changes throughout the ranch with the northern and central areas more open and steeper and rugged within the two southern Rim pastures and northeast JS pasture. Soils are predominately shallow with limestone outcroppings and rocky slopes. However, the bottoms are typically deep soils suitable for earth water tank construction. Vegetation of this woodland area is comprised of juniper, pinon, oak and grama grasslands. Annual precipitation is 14 inches under normal conditions.
Location of the ranch and vegetation create an ideal habitat for desert mule deer and quail which range throughout the ranch in number sufficient for hunting.
Mountain Top Ranch is an affordable deeded ranch with multiple land use capability. These land uses include recreation, hunting, open space with great view sheds, and the historical western heritage of the New Mexico cattle ranching lifestyle. As a speculative investment the opportunity for limited hobby ranch development is a realist possibility.
