Two Rare Jackson Hole Properties With Moose For Neighbors Head To Auction

A baby moose and its momma were lying in the yard when Meredith Landino, with Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, arrived for the first time at a pair of unusual properties she is bringing to market in Jackson Hole in an unusual way.

The two 40-acre properties located side by side at 990 and 1100 W. Pine Siskin Road in Spring Gulch’s Stonecrop neighborhood, both already have structures on them. But they are being marketed as essentially vacant land, to reimagine as you will.

That sort of approach, where substantial improvements are essentially being ignored, wouldn’t work in too many markets outside of pricy Jackson Hole, which includes Teton County, the wealthiest county in the nation by far. 

It works here because the view is rare and much-sought after.

But it also works because there’s a huge premium in Jackson Hole for vacant land, which is now almost non-existent. It's to the point where even a 0.17-acre side lot, sandwiched between other buildings with absolutely nothing on it, listed for $1.675 million in 2024.

By comparison, a comparable lot in Cheyenne would have ranged from $71,000 to $100,000 according to an estimate at the time from #1 Properties Real Estate Agent Dominic Valdez.

The Pine Siskin Road lots, however, are not tiny postage stamps sandwiched between other buildings at all.

They are 40 or so acres each, with few enough neighbors that moose come by for a quiet nap near the driveway.

Not Terrible

The structures, even though they’re not being marketed in this case, aren’t terrible at all. 

The “caretakers” home, for example, is a “cute and move-in ready,” 884-square-foot home.

That’s tiny for a 40-acre lot in Jackson, but the interior has been finished with beautiful hardwood floors and ceilings. The floor-to-ceiling picture windows also frame the Grand Tetons just like any artist would have done, if they had been the one designing the home. 

The deck, meanwhile, overlooks what was once the historic, Mead Ranch, one of Jackson Hole’s most iconic properties. 

These views are protected in the sense that many properties in the Spring Gulch area have conservation easements. While those are typically aimed at preserving wildlife or agriculture, a side benefit is keeping the viewshed more or less the same in perpetuity.

“Our development area is very restricted, which is the beauty of it,” Landino said. “What you see is what you get. You’re not going to see a big development next to you. It’s just not going to happen.”

The structure on the other 40-plus acre parcel is an unfinished restoration project.

It could either be finished or reimagined as something brand-new, depending on what suits the owner’s vision for a property that can frame a rare and much-sought-after view of Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range.

“There are only 10 vacant land listings right now in all of Teton County that are over 35 acres, and here we have two that are side by side,” Landino said. “Both the lots face west, so they get this beautiful afternoon light, with sunsets over the Teton Range, yet you’re 10 minutes, you’re 3.7 miles from the Town Square.”

A Rare Slice Of Old Jackson

The fact that baby moose and mama find these properties suitable for napping says a lot about the kind of neighborhood these “vacant” lots are in.

“Stonecrop is one of the valley’s true low-density enclaves,” Live Water Properties Associate Broker Latham Jenkins told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s defined by large tracts, privacy, and views, rather than a tight subdivision feel.”

Spring Gulch, meanwhile, is part of what Jenkins called “old” Jackson Hole.

“It was early homestead and ranch country, and you still see that land pattern today with larger holdings and working ranch properties,” he said.

Its location, in a very central part of the valley, roughly halfway between town, the airport and the north valley, makes properties in this area especially convenient for life in Jackson Hole. It’s part of what makes them so highly sought after.

Stonecrop is also tied to Wyoming history. The land was once associated with former Wyoming Gov. Cliff Hansen.

“Parts of the area were once used as a stone quarry,” he said. “That history is part of why the parcels there tend to be so large.”

Land in this area doesn’t go up for sale often, Jenkins added.

“But what makes these parcels notable is their scale,” he said. “Forty-acre tracts in that part of the valley are relatively rare.”

Auction Is Strategic

Auctions are also relatively rare in pricy Jackson Hole. Many sellers in this market are willing to wait a long time to ensure they’re getting the price they want.

But an auction can make sense, too, particularly if the buyer is on a timeline. Auctions for properties like these aren’t without bells and whistles for marketing, either.

These properties are being marketed worldwide, Landino confirmed.

The sales strategy in this case even comes with a little champagne preview from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ringholz Gallery in Jackson. In addition to the free champagne, the party will include light snacks to go with. 

Landino, as well as representatives of Concierge Auction, will be on hand to answer questions about either property or the auction process.

There will also be heavier fare as well —maps and other “due diligence” documents for prospective buyers to preview. 

Appointments may be made to come see the property in person, prior to the auction. In fact, dozens of people have already made such appointments, Landino added. 

“There’s been an incredible amount of interest and people previewing the property,” she said.

The auction has already begun taking registered bidders, Landino added, and is teeing up for a March 17 opening. It will close March 31, which may be watched live.