Jefferson River Real Estate
Properties for Sale on the Jefferson
Ranches, Recreational Properties, and Vacant Land for Sale
Seeking conservation buyers to protect the Jefferson from inappropriate development!
Please consider placing a conservation easement on any property you buy along the Jefferson River.
See also the: Builder's Guide: Commonsense Do's and Don'ts for Building along the Jefferson River.
See Also: Gallery of Flood Pictures
Current Listings
(Last updated May 26, 2025)
Properties for sale are listed in descending order down the river.
Cardwell Bridge: 0.71 acres / $399,000
Looking for a small building lot on the Jefferson River waterfront? This little parcel sits adjacent to Highway 359 and diagonally across from the Cardwell Bridge Fishing Access Site. Nearly one-third of the property is within the river, and the remaining two-thirds is intermittently within the floodplain, inundated once about every twenty years or so. The property has a private well, septic, and power to the site. A previously installed mobile home was removed after flooding. Please keep in mind that all houses built overlooking the river impact the view and experience for paddlers. The highest and best use of this property would be as a small campsite for paddlers along the river. Please consider purchasing and gifting the parcel to the Jefferson River Canoe Trail.
Learn more about this property: Great Plains Land Company.
47 Stoner Lane, Jefferson Island (Cardwell): 8.72 acres / $499,000
This is a rare opportunity in the Cardwell area-8.7 acres in the Jefferson Island community, just 70 feet from the Jefferson River. Set in a quiet and private location, this property features a natural marsh that draws in abundant wildlife including deer, moose, turkeys, a wide variety of waterfowl, and truthfully, an abudance of mosquitos.
While the property itself doesn't directly connect with the Jefferson River, public access is available just 1.3 miles away at the Cardwell Bridge Fishing Access Site. There is also potential legal access to the river across the adjacent private parcels through marshy lands that may or may not fall within the ordinary high water mark of the river.
The parcel includes approved building sites, a floodplain development permit, and septic permit, wit utility and access easements already in place and transferable. Keep in mind, however, that the property is situated on the outside bend of the river and could potentially be eroded away over time.
We hope to see a conservation buyer purchase this property to protect it with a conservation easement or donate it to the Jefferson River Canoe Trail for a park or potential trailhead for a future rail trail through the Jefferson River Canyon. Madison County.
Learn more about this property: McLeod Real Estate Group
Jefferson River Ranch Estate: 118 acres / $8,395,000
At 118 acres, this is a relatively small ranch, which features an elegant 4,100 square foot, 4 bedroom home plus a nearby guest house with two bedrooms and two baths to provide more space for family or visitors. Horse lovers will find everything they need-a well-equipped barn with four stalls, a tack room, individual runs, an outdoor arena, and a round pen. The ranch includes over a mile of live water, including direct Jefferson River frontage with trout fishing and abundant wildlife.
We hope to see a conservation buyer purchase this property to protect it from further development with a conservation easement. Broadwater County.
Learn more about this property: Fay Ranches
Jefferson Springs Ranch: Now being sold as two separate parcels:
Parcel 1) Jefferson River Preserve: 250 acres / $5.5 million
Parcel 2) Jefferson Sporting Ranch: 400 Acres / $8.5 million
Formerly offered as one parcel, the Jefferson Springs Ranch has been split into two separate listings. Jefferson River Preserve includes the 3,056 square foot main home plus 45 acres of pivot irrigation, 18 acres of wheel line irrigation, 13 acres of food plots, and 115 acres of river bottom land, including 0.6 miles of riverfront on the Jefferson River. The cottonwood juniper woodlands and meadows provide exceptional habitat for a diverse array of wildlife, including pheasants, ducks, geese, turkeys, sandhill cranes, eagles, whitetail deer, moose, and the occasional elk.
Jefferson Sporting Ranch doesn't have a house on it, but the 400-acre parcel includes 210 acres of river bottom land with prime wildlife habitat plus 85 acres of pivot irrigation, and 8 acres of wheel line irrigation. An additional 12 acres of irrigated food plot is tailored for waterfowl, turkey, deer, and pheasant habitat. There is one stocked trout pond and additional spring-fed ponds/sloughs throughout the property Two suggested building sites with an approved septic to build a five-bedroom home at each.
We hope to see a conservation buyer purchase both properties together and protect them both with a conservation easement. Note that Outdoor Wilderness Living School LLC (OWLS) has taught wilderness survival programs for public schools on the property for twenty years through three different landowners and hopes to continue utilizing the site with the new owner. Gallatin County.
Learn more about the Jefferson River Preserve: Fay Ranches
Learn more about the Jefferson River Sporting Ranch: Fay Ranches
Jefferson River Homestead Ranch: 2,850 acres / $29.5 million
Featuring over a mile of Jefferson River frontage, this ranch is available for the first time. With 2,850 acres the ranch has been home to this family for six generations since first settling in the mid 1800's. Its cattle brand, first registered in 1855, etches a rich sense of both history and continuity across this landscape. Lewis and Clark traversed this property in 1805, a historical significance that invites visitors to pause, reflect, absorb the serene surroundings, and contemplate ways to conserve the land and legacy. The ranch provides attractive habitat for a diverse population of wildlife, including moose, elk, deer, antelope, and a variety of birds.
The ranch is located at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers that converge to form the Missouri River. Headwaters State Park is located on the opposite side of the river.
The ranch includes dryland farm ground plus pivot irrigation hay meadows with senior water rights dating back to the 1860s. Grazing land for cattle supports 200 pairs each season. Broadwater County.
We hope to see a conservation buyer purchase this property to protect it with a conservation easement.
Learn more about this property: Fay Ranches
Success Story
Waterloo: Parson's Bridge 30.53 Acres / $270,000
This was a high priority parcel for the Jefferson River Canoe Trail, and we successfully acquired it as a public campsite and walk-in fishing access site. The property is located immediately downstream from Parson's Bridge near Waterloo at the diversion dam that channels water into the Jefferson Canal. Floaters often need to unload boats to portage around the diversion dam through this property. If one has to unload the boat anyway, then why not camp and get a fresh start in the morning?
This parcel was already semi-public, since there is an informal parking lot and steep boat ramp beside the main road, plus the walkway over the ditch and headgate to portage around the dam. It seemed logical to secure public ownership of this property to avoid future public-private conflicts, and to ensure that the site is properly conserved. The property includes one-third mile of Jefferson River frontage, not bad for a relatively small parcel! The campsite is now known as Lost Tomahawk, named by local school kids after an incident recorded in the Lewis and Clark Journals.
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