The 45 Ranch sits deep in the heart of the Owyhee Canyonlands of southwestern Idaho, a country that Jim Richmond loved to explore from the air. Simply known as “the Owyhees,” this vast and little-peopled landscape stretches across Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. Here, sheer canyon walls give way to high sage plateaus that roll out toward the horizon, forming one of the largest intact, undeveloped expanses of public land left in the lower 48 states. Jim often flew over the property, marveling at its isolation and uniqueness. Though the ranch didn’t appear on any aviation chart, its solitude was obvious from the air, and he often wondered who owned it and hoped someday to land there.

A Remote Inholding

The ranch itself is a 240-acre wilderness inholding, surrounded in every direction by the Owyhee River Wilderness Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is the only piece of developed private land for more than 40 miles in any direction. Access is rare and adventurous: by aircraft using the private 2,700-foot grass airstrip, or by a rough three-hour drive from the tiny community of Owyhee, Nevada, over primitive BLM roads.

A Legacy of Ranching and Retreat

For more than a century, the 45 Ranch was the headquarters of a sprawling ranching operation that helped define the cowboy culture of Idaho’s far southwest corner. More recently, it has been managed as a year-round wilderness retreat, blending rustic history with modern self-sufficiency. The compound includes a comfortable three-bedroom cabin, a caretaker’s home, and several outbuildings, including a hand-hewn stone house from the homestead era. Today, the ranch runs on a reliable solar-powered electrical system with backup generators, and even satellite internet ensures a fragile link to the outside world. A row of poplar trees, planted long ago by an early owner, still stands watch over the compound and a year-round pond fed directly from the river.

The Wild Owyhee River

For nearly a mile, the South Fork of the Owyhee River runs through the ranch, its waters holding native Redband trout and smallmouth bass before joining the East Fork 12 miles downstream. Together, these forks form one of the West’s great wilderness river systems. Each spring, for only a brief season when the flows are right, this stretch of river draws hardy rafters, kayakers, and canoeists seeking solitude in its steep, secluded canyons. For the rest of the year, the waters run quiet, feeding the willows, wetlands, and wildlife that make this remote sanctuary thrive.

Wildlife and Solitude

The 45 Ranch is a haven for wildlife as much as for people. Elk, mule deer, and California bighorn sheep move through its hills, while the sound of coveys of chukar and quail echoes across the canyons. A wetland restoration project on the ranch’s original hayfields has only increased its importance as habitat, creating one of the richest concentrations of wildlife in the region. It is a place where you can often hike, fish, camp, and explore for days without seeing another human being.

Deep Cultural Roots

This landscape also carries a cultural weight. For thousands of years, Native peoples lived along the Owyhee, leaving behind pictographs, petroglyphs, and tools still hidden in side canyons and along the riverbanks. The ranching era added its own imprint—old ranching and haying equipment, fences, and corrals scattered across the land, reminders of the cowboys who once worked this lonely range. Today, when night falls, the sky above the 45 Ranch is among the darkest in the nation, offering stargazers a view of the Milky Way so sharp and unbroken it feels almost primeval.

A Gateway for Aviators

By preserving and maintaining the 45 Ranch, JRBAF has opened a rare doorway into one of the last truly wild regions of the American West. Its airstrip is not just a convenience but a lifeline—connecting modern pilots with a land that remains almost unchanged since the frontier era. For those who fly in, the ranch is more than a destination; it is a reminder of Jim Richmond’s vision, where aviation becomes the bridge to wilderness, history, and the kind of solitude that is almost impossible to find anywhere else.