Dan and Farris Wilks have listed 60,285 acres of deeded Idaho timberland in the Salmon River and Boise Mountain Ranges for $2,500 per acre. The $150 million South Central Idaho listing is being marketed by Wilks Ranch Brokers. The 94-plus-square-mile tract includes 65 miles of rivers and streams including the North Fork of the Payette River. The Rocky Mountain listing shares 160 miles of fence line with public lands held by the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Idaho Department of Lands in Adams, Boise, Idaho, and Valley Counties.

Idaho Timberland

Privately owned forests account for just 14 percent of Idaho’s timber holdings. Hence, the standout opportunity. Managed as commercial timberland, the acreage offers convenient access to several key growth markets. In Boise County, Idaho’s state capital sits southwest of several tracts. Additional tracts sit northwest and and southwest of the popular year-round resort community of McCall in and around Valley County. Considerable recreational opportunities exist, thanks to the extensive water access, numerous live springs, and abundant wildlife such as elk, mule deer, bear, and grouse.

Land Report 100

The Wilkses, who ranked No. 13 on the 2023 Land Report 100, began acquiring significant tracts in the West following the $3.5 billion sale of Frac Tech, their built-from-scratch fracking company in 2011. They subsequently became the largest landowners in Idaho and Montana and joined the Land Report 100. The brothers currently own 675,000 acres in seven states.

Their tenure in the Gem State, which predates the sale of Frac Tech by several years, isn’t without controversy. The brothers have faced questions from local citizens and government entities about water rights as well as limiting access to hunting and fishing. Other members of the community have praised the family for preserving pristine ecosystems.

If and when this $150 million property sells, the Wilkses won’t bid farewell to Idaho. They own roughly 100,000 acres in the region. They also own and operate additional ranches statewide.