A Community Opportunity: Watch Our Campaign Video.
The total need for this effort is $16 million—$15 million for land acquisition and $1 million for long-term stewardship of the property. Since launching in late November 2024, the Land Trust has already raised over half of the goal, an incredible start demonstrating our community's commitment to this project.
Together, We Can Reach the Goal
Preserving Land for Generations to Come
We’re looking to get to $10 million in commitments by our due diligence deadline on February 11th, If we can do that, then we’ll have until December 31, 2025 to raise the rest of the funds.
AMY TRUJILLO
Executive Director
A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
The Wood River Land Trust (WRLT) announces a time-sensitive effort to permanently protect Hailey Hot Springs Ranch, previously known as Democrat Ranch, comprising over 2,300 acres in Croy Canyon, just one mile west of Hailey. This property is one of the most significant remaining intact landscapes in the Valley and holds immense value for our community, wildlife, and the environment. Our community has until December 31, 2025, to raise the funds to permanently protect this property from development forever.
Hailey Greenway Expansion
Preserving a Cherished Legacy
Hailey Hot Springs Ranch is steeped in the history of the Wood River Valley. Once the site of the famed
Hailey Hot Springs Hotel, this land has long been a special place for our community. Today, preserving
Hailey Hot Springs Ranch offers a unique opportunity to expand upon the success of the Wood River
Land Trust’s 486-acre Hailey Greenway. This effort would create nearly 3,000 acres of contiguous public
open space stretching from Colorado Gulch to Democrat Gulch, with connections to thousands of acres
of public lands beyond.
When the property went on the market this summer, community members worried about what would happen to this iconic canyon they’ve enjoyed hiking and biking in for years. Previous owners have tried to block access or propose developments there, and the future of the property has been on everyone’s minds. This property has been one of our top conservation priorities over the years, and after many different attempts to protect it, we have an opportunity now to acquire the property to benefit our entire community. Coming together to conserve this property will protect wildlife migration routes, and clean water that connects to the Big Wood River downstream, and protect recreational access that so many people enjoy.
AMY TRUJILLO
Executive Director
Why Now? The Threat is Real
The wetlands, hot springs, winter range, and sage grouse habitat at Hailey Hot Springs Ranch need
protecting. Over 360 acres of Hailey Hot Springs Ranch is zoned for residential development and
buildable. However, this is no place for sprawling development that fragments habitats, compromises
public access, expends natural resources, and exacerbates the challenges of mitigating natural risks like
wildfires. Rather, this is one of the last large, intact private parcels serving critical ecosystem functions.
Partner Perspectives: A Unified Vision
This conservation effort is inspiring partners on the local, state, and regional level, such as the Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD), The Nature Conservancy Idaho (TNC Idaho), the University of Idaho (U. of I.), and the Heart of the Rockies Initiative.
Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD)
Mark Davidson, BCRD’s Executive Director, highlighted the
community benefits: “Hailey Hot Springs Ranch has long been loved by community members who regularly hike and bike on the property and on public lands around it. This campaign focuses on acquiring the land, but once our community acquires it, the BCRD looks forward to working with the Land Trust to support additional benefits, including safe biking paths out Croy Canyon, trail connections, and hopefully restoring public access to the hot springs - all things that will enrich our community for generations.”
Heart of the Rockies Initiative
“Through our Keep It Connected program, Hailey Hot Springs Ranch has been identified as a priority initiative due to its extraordinary conservation values,” said JoAnn Grant,
Managing Director for Heart of the Rockies Initiative. “This property is vital for maintaining connectivity across large landscapes, supporting critical migration routes, sage grouse habitat, and riparian ecosystems. Its geothermal springs, irrigated pastures, and Democrat Creek further elevate its ecological significance.”
The Nature Conservancy Idaho (TNC Idaho)
“Science tells us that Hailey Hot Springs Ranch is a
climate-resilient landscape and its proximity to Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, where The Nature Conservancy and WRLT have partnered with the University of Idaho to protect 10,000 acres of key habitat, make it a smart place to invest,” explained TNC Idaho’s Land & Water Protection Program Manager, Tess O'Sullivan. “This property offers wildlife the best chance to adapt to a changing climate, and we’re enthusiastically
helping to secure federal funding to ensure its permanent protection through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant.”
University of Idaho (UI)
The University of Idaho envisions Hailey Hot Springs Ranch as a living laboratory and an extension of its operations on nearby Rinker Rock Creek Ranch. “This property offers our students and faculty an exciting opportunity,” shared Dennis Becker, UI’s Dean of the College of Natural Resources and Professor of Natural Resource Policy. “What we could learn here will inform conservation practices across the region, specifically, how we can better manage recreation and the impacts on wildlife in a growing region.”
What We’re Protecting: A Living Legacy
Preserving Hailey Hot Springs Ranch means safeguarding:
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A vital wildlife route where sage grouse, sandhill crane, elk, mule deer, and pronghorn move freely, as they have for centuries.
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Nine miles of riparian habitat and wetland ecosystems providing refuge for numerous wildlife species.
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A climate-resilient landscape identified by TNC as crucial for our region's environmental future.
Transforming Access for Our Community
The preservation of Hailey Hot Springs Ranch can also enrich the lives of people. If the acquisition is
successful, the partners envision the potential for:
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A separated bike path along Croy Canyon Road from downtown Hailey, through this property and to the hiking and biking trails in Croy Canyon; providing safer and more enjoyable access for people recreating in the canyon.
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Permanent access to existing trails and public lands – securing access that has been threatened in the past, and creating an uninterrupted 6.6-miles of continuous trails from Colorado Gulch to the saddle of Democrat Gulch.
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Exploring the potential for re-opening public access to the hot springs.
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Area students conducting research and learning alongside University of Idaho scientists, making discoveries that will guide conservation efforts across our region.
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Local youth discovering their connection to nature through partners’ after school programs and innovative outdoor education programs.
Join Us For A Tour!
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How You Can Help!
This is more than a land purchase—it's an investment in our Valley's future. Every dollar contributed helps protect this extraordinary place and preserve it for generations to come.
Join Us!
For more information and to get involved contact:
Meg Pulliam, Director of Advancement, meg@woodriverlandtrust.org, 208-788-3947 (Ext. 123)
Donate
Donate today to ensure this community gem is protected from development forever. You can give online, by check, with appreciated stock, through your Donor-Advised Fund, or via an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution. Read more.
Advocate
Spread the word to your neighbors and encourage them to get involved in this important project.
We are deeply grateful to our early supporters, who understand the urgency and transformative power of this project, To achieve the $16 million goal, it’s going to take our whole community. We’re asking everyone to consider supporting this effort to ensure that future generations will inherit a valley as beautiful and wild as the one we cherish today.
ROLAND WOLFRAM
Board Chair
Donate Now!
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