The Davis Lodge at Loafer Creek Falls | Fay Ranches

THE DAVIS LODGE AT LOAFER CREEK FALLS

Clifton, Idaho

$3,999,000

711± Acres

INTRODUCTION

Just below the Clifton Basin Trailhead in southeastern Idaho is a 711± acre cattle and horse grazing recreational ranch that borders the Caribou National Forest on three sides. Located in Idaho’s Big Game Unit 73, this Bannock Zone unit consistently produces record book mule deer and offers multiple controlled any-weapon elk hunts along with late muzzleloader seasons for antlered and antlerless elk. For a hunter who knows what to look for in southeast Idaho, this ranch stands out.

Access comes in from Clifton Creek Road, a county-maintained road open from spring through fall. The sellers have kept the two private routes into the cabin bladed and maintained each year, making the approach easy and drivable. Cliffed-out rock faces rise above, dense deciduous cover fills the draws below, and Loafer Creek carves its way down through the whole place.

The creek is the property’s signature feature. Born from springs near 7,000 feet, it levels through the upper reach before cutting a steep, rocky cascade down past the cabin at 5,600± feet and continuing out the draw. In good snow years, a seasonal waterfall spills from south-facing rock ledges of the peak above. Water drives the habitat, and the habitat drives the wildlife. Mule deer hold in dense cover, elk move through on migration, and multiple surrounding spring-fed drainages keep water on the ground through summer.

The Davis Lodge is a fully refinished, off-grid four-bedroom, two-bath cabin with a wide-open common space on the main level and a big fireplace. It sleeps twelve. A 75-head summer grazing operation runs across seven pastures from welded pipe corrals just off the county road. Twenty-three miles down the road, Downata Hot Springs is an easy day out with the kids, and Clifton’s Papa Jay’s has been smoking hickory beef jerky on the same Main Street corner since 1996.

The Davis Lodge at Loafer Creek Falls | Clifton, Idaho

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QUICK FACTS

• 711± deeded acres in Franklin County, Idaho

• Borders Caribou National Forest on three sides

• Idaho Landowner Appreciation Program eligibility for big game hunting opportunities

• Fully refinished 4-bedroom, 2-bath off-grid cabin sleeping twelve

• Two creeks flow through the ranch. Loafer Creek with a steep rocky cascade past the cabin, and Clifton Creek running through the southeast end of the ranch

• Idaho Big Game Unit 73, a Bannock Zone unit that consistently produces record-book mule deer

• Bannock Zone elk tag is valid across six hunt units (2.4± million acres)

• 75-head summer grazing operation across seven pastures with welded pipe corrals

• High-water rights on Loafer Creek and a 1,500-gallon holding tank at the cabin

• 36± miles to Logan-Cache Airport (jetcapable, 9,020’ runway) and 123± miles to Salt Lake

The cabin is a fully refinished, off-grid fourbedroom, two-bath cabin with a wide-open common space, a large kitchen, and a bathroom on the main level, and sleeping rooms for 12 across the bedrooms upstairs. Power comes from a generator, refrigeration runs on propane, and a 1,500-gallon spring-fed holding tank supplies domestic water. Welded pipe corrals and a stock working area sit conveniently near the county road for easy truck and trailer access during gathering and shipping. Perimeter and cross fences have been meticulously maintained across all seven pastures. Two private access roads lead from Clifton Creek Road into the cabin, both bladed and maintained annually by the sellers.

RECREATION

Use the property as a basecamp for hiking, horseback riding, dirt biking, and UTV exploration of the Caribou National Forest. The Clifton Basin Trailhead sits just above the cabin and climbs north toward Buck Peak at 7,457± feet. Winter access shifts to snowmobile and cross-country ski, which suits the property’s privacy. Enjoy multiple geothermal attractions in the region.

HUNTING | WILDLIFE

Idaho’s Big Game Unit 73 consistently produces quality mule deer. Controlled trophy hunts draw experienced hunters to this corner of southeast Idaho year after year. The Bannock Zone elk tag is valid across six hunt units totaling roughly 2.4 million acres, with multiple controlled any-weapon seasons and late muzzleloader hunts for both antlered and antlerless elk. Mule deer hold tight in the ranch’s dense deciduous cover and cliffed terrain, and elk move through on seasonal migration. As a landowner here, eligibility for the Idaho Fish and Game Landowner Appreciation Program (LAP) opens additional tag opportunities for family and friends.

The Davis Lodge at Loafer Creek Falls | Clifton, Idaho

FISHING

The Bear River (ID/UT) and the Cub River (ID) offer nearby trout water, and the Logan River (UT) delivers blue-ribbon fly fishing across the Utah line. Oneida Narrows Reservoir, near the Utah-Idaho border, is an underrated fishing spot known for abundant smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch. Twin Lakes Reservoir sits 3± miles from the property with rainbow trout, bass, and bluegill, a boat ramp, and a campground. Bear Lake is 72± miles away for cutthroat and lake trout.

AREA HISTORY

Clifton was settled in the spring of 1869 by Thomas Charles Davis Howell and his sons, Latter-Day Saint pioneers who left Franklin, Idaho, in search of permanent homes. Drawn by the meadowland and mountain streams suited for livestock, the early settlers included the Howell, Pratt, and Davis families. The town was originally called Rushville for the rushes that grew in the meadows, then renamed Clifton for the dramatic cliffs on the mountain overlooking the settlement, the same rock faces that rise above this property today. In 1882, the Clifton Irrigation Company was formed to manage the two streams flowing into the valley: Clifton Creek and Loafer Creek. More than 157 years later, both still run through the property. The town recorded 217 residents in the 1930 census and 413 in the 2020 census, meaning Clifton hasn’t even doubled in size over nearly a century, a testament to the place’s quiet agricultural character.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES

The region runs thick with geothermal. Downata Hot Springs and Bear River Hot Springs both sit roughly 19 miles from the property, and Lava Hot Springs is 40± miles east for a full-resort soak. Bear Lake, the Caribbean of the Rockies, is 72± miles southeast on the Idaho-Utah line. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are both within a three-hour drive.

17 The Davis Lodge at Loafer Creek Falls | Clifton, Idaho

LOCATION

Clifton sits on the west side of Cache Valley in Franklin County, southeastern Idaho, roughly fifteen miles north of Preston and just north of the Idaho-Utah line. The town is a small agricultural community of a few hundred residents, surrounded by productive pastureland, foothills, and the Caribou National Forest. Preston, fifteen miles south, offers full services including groceries, fuel, medical care, and hardware. The ranch sits within easy reach of Cache Valley while keeping its own pocket of quiet country.

GETTING THERE

From Logan, Utah, take US-91 north approximately 30 miles to Preston, Idaho. From Preston, continue north on US-91 for 8 miles to Dayton, then turn west onto ID-36 and drive 3 miles to Clifton. Turn onto Clifton Creek Road (also signed as Clifton Basin Road) and follow it west into the foothills. The property and cabin access lie north of the county road.

AIRPORT SERVICES

Logan-Cache Airport (KLGU), 36± miles south, is the closest jetcapable facility. The airport includes a 9,020’ x 100’ asphalt runway that accommodates business jets. For commercial service, Pocatello Regional Airport is 72± miles north, and Salt Lake City International Airport is 123± miles south, a twohour drive on I-15.

WATER RIGHTS

Loafer Creek runs through the property, dropping from rocky headwaters at 7,000± feet past the cabin and out the draw, with a seasonal waterfall spilling from the rock ledges above in good snow years. Clifton Creek crosses the southern end of the acreage, adding to the water the ranch provides for wildlife. The property carries high-water rights on Loafer Creek, and a 1,500-gallon spring-fed holding tank supplies the cabin.

MINERAL RIGHTS

All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the seller will convey to the buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.

CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP

Each of us at Fay Ranches loves the land and wants to see it remain a productive agricultural ground and a quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethics and land-use practices have significantly enhanced our work landscape.

Seven hundred eleven deeded acres of stock grazing and recreational ground sit at the foot of the Caribou National Forest in southeast Idaho, bordered by public land and carved by the steep rocky cascade of Loafer Creek. A fully refinished four-bedroom offgrid cabin sleeps twelve. The brushy draws, water-abundant bottoms, and dense deciduous and pine mountain faces consistently hold mule deer, and a 75-head summer grazing operation runs seven pastures with welded pipe corrals near the county road. Here, you will find privacy, productivity, and genuine southeast Idaho hunting country in one ranch.

$3,999,000

Please contact Renee Baker at (541) 589-3458 | rbaker@fayranches. com or Mike Gatlin at (307) 752-5104 | mgatlin@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches, Inc. must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.

Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.

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