guests at tanque verde ranch can adventure through miles of horseback riding trails that go deep into the rincon mountains and Sonoran desert.
Seated in the sweeping mountain ranges and boundless desert of Tucson, Arizona, Tanque Verde Ranch combines the spirit of the Old West with today’s modern amenities.
“We’re right at the base of the Rincon Mountains, and the sunsets here are like no other,” says Terry Hanley, the general manager of Tanque Verde Ranch.
Spectacular scenic views can be witnessed in one of the various lodging options, which are tastefully decorated in a traditional southwestern theme with adobe walls and Santa Fe-style architecture.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Hanley recalled how Tanque Verde Ranch started as a cattle ranch in the ’20s and was eventually turned into a horse ranch. With more than 150 horses provided by the ranch, guests can take horseback riding lessons or adventure through miles of horseback riding trails.
Every Sunday and Thursday morning, guests can go on an unforgettable trail ride passed towering cacti and rolling hills to the Old Homestead where freshly prepared breakfast is served.
“We are famous for our blueberry pancakes,” Hanley says.
This ultimate dude ranch experience provides a wide range of activities such as fishing, swimming, mountain biking and hiking. The ranch also has outdoor cookouts, country music entertainment and coordinated activities such as chili cook-offs.
— Brielle Bryan
Photos courtesy of Tanque Verde Ranch
Comprised of over 100 square miles of Eastern Texas Panhandle ranch land, the ranch features man-made streams and lakes, and offers what many agree is the “world’s best quail hunting.”
By Kelly Potts
Business magnate T. Boone Pickens’ 65,000-acre Mesa Vista Ranch in Texas is listed for $250 million.
Over the course of decades, Pickens, longtime owner of the ranch, invested time and money into wildlife management, programs and facilities to create a unique combination of pristine lands and world-class amenities at the Mesa Vista Ranch.
“My hopes for the Mesa Vista and my plans for its future remain as vivid as they were when I began assembling the ranch 46 years ago,” says Pickens, regarding the decision to put the property on the market. “We have minimal cattle grazing on the ranch, preferring instead to let the land revert to pristine prairie conditions, much as it has been in centuries past.”
The ranch, bordering the Canadian River, features multiple structures, including a 12,000-square-foot lake house, a 33,000-square-foot lodge, a family house, gatehouse, pub and a kennel with enough space for 50 dogs. The property also features a 6,000-foot runway and hangar, as well as a chapel with views of the mesas.
Comprised of over 100 square miles of Eastern Texas Panhandle ranch land, the ranch features man-made streams and lakes, and offers what many agree is the “world’s best quail hunting.” “The Mesa Vista has been a labor of love that has occupied the better part of my life. And I intend for a lot more good to come from the sale of the ranch,” Pickens says, noting that much of the proceeds from the sale of the ranch will be donated to The T. Boone Pickens Foundation to fund various charities.
The property is offered jointly and exclusively by Hall and Hall and Chas. S. Middleton and Son. Pickens says, “I see this sale as a new beginning — for the Mesa Vista’s new owners and for the recipients of my charitable giving.”
Photo courtesy of Mesa Vista Ranch