THE LAND
SHAped by time and ice.
LONG BEFORE FARMS, FAIRWAYS AND EPIC GREEN SITES, THIS LAND WAS BEING SHAPED BY SOME OF MOTHER NATURE’S BEST DESIGN EFFORTS.
Cataclysm
Thousands of years ago, the collapse of the Missoula Ice Cap unleashed a series of massive floods that tore across the Pacific Northwest. These events—now known as the Missoula Floods—sculpted the Snake River corridor, carving bluffs, channels and basalt formations that still define the landscape today.
The land at River Ranch bears the unmistakable marks of this edgy and dramatic evolution. The extreme elevation changes, steep ridges and sweeping views feel ancient and incredible.
RESPECT
Centuries later, the Snake River became a corridor of exploration and survival.
In the early 1800s, Lewis and Clark, alongside Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau, traveled these waters during their expedition west. The river served as both guide and lifeline—connecting cultures, landscapes and futures.
Long before that, these bluffs and riverbanks were wintering grounds for Native Americans who used the water as a source of sustenance, movement and meaning.
That history is a reminder that this land has always been a place to gather and be grateful.
DESERT TO DESTINATION
In the 20th century, the land entered a new era.
The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project—derived from the same dam systems that powered the Manhattan Project—transformed an arid desert into one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Water and electricity—once scarce—were brought to the basin through massive infrastructure efforts and a bold vision.
DESTINED FOR MORE
In 1978, the Gordon family secured a 200-acre parcel overlooking the Snake River and Levey Park. The land was largely undeveloped but its potential was unmistakable.
Over decades of farming, the property produced an assortment of crops ranging from wine grapes and organic cherries to alfalfa, apples, walnuts, onions, melon and wheat.
Multiple generations lived along the river’s edges, worked its fields and hosted gatherings that brought people together at sunset.
Even then, there was a quiet sense that this land was destined for something more.
CANVAS TO COURSE
Now, under new ownership, the land enters its next chapter.
The same bluffs carved by ice and shaped by history are being thoughtfully reimagined.
River Ranch honors that history while the land takes on a David McLay Kidd design and countless explorers and golfers from all over the world.
