Super-Expensive Texas Hill Country Ranch Hits Market

An 886-acre ranch in the heart of Texas wine country is up for grabs to any deep-pocketed investor looking for a slice of the cowboy lifestyle.

3 Creeks Ranch, located in Gillespie County near Luckenbach and Fredericksburg, is on the market for $42.5 million, almost $483,000 per acre, making it one of the most expensive ranches in the region, MySa reported. Gary and Michelle Dolch, founders of Austin Luxury Group, are representing the property. The sellers weren’t identified.

The price sets it apart from other significant properties in the area. A nearby 849-acre property along the Pedernales River in Johnson City, for instance, is listed for $29.9 million — $35,200 per acre and nearly $20 million less than 3 Creeks Ranch. Similarly, Skull Creek Ranch and Bosque Mountain Ranch, listed for $16 million and $19.9 million, pale in comparison to the Gillespie County property.

The three creeks that run through the property — Hunter, South Grape and Hopfs — offer over a mile of live water, totaling 4,260, 4,360, and 5,100 square feet. The property also features five dams, making it ideal for fishing.

The main residence, built in 1850 and restored in 2007, features three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, a bar and a spacious living room. Additional luxury amenities include an underground wine cellar, full-sized tennis and basketball courts, a screened porch with a built-in grill and a wood-burning pizza oven.

The property includes three other dwellings. Among them is an 850-square-foot guest cottage and the historic Petsch House, a two-bedroom German homestead dating back to 1858. The estate is rounded out by a 100-year-old horse barn and a limestone carport.

Wildlife is abundant on the ranch, with native species such as whitetail deer, axis, and turkey, alongside exotic animals like red stag and black buck antelope, which roam a 120-acre wildlife preserve. Anglers will also find plenty to enjoy with largemouth bass and catfish in the property’s ponds and creeks.

3 Creeks Ranch is “exactly what you would think of if you wanted to hold paradise in your hands for just a moment in time,” Gary Dolch said, adding that the property is a “generational once-in-a-lifetime purchase.”

— Andrew Terrell