Twin River Ranch is a subdivision located just west of the Salmon River and White Bird, Idaho.
The ranch consists of 219 lots and 158 property owners with unique addresses. Properties range from 20 to 249 acres for a total of almost seven thousand acres of forest, steep canyons, creeks and meadows. In April of 1995, Red Creek Ranch, Inc., a Colorado corporation (dba Twin River Ranch), began platting the properties, and Phase I and most of Phase II were completed in June of the same year. The properties that now consist of Phase III were annexed in November of 1996, and the CC&Rs were amended and filed to include all three phases in June of 2000. Lots 3 through 7 in Phase II were deeded over to the BLM and Red Creek Ranch sold its last held lot in 2008. There is an ever increasing number of homes being built.
Property owners on Twin River Ranch have an annual assessment, due by January first of each year, which covers the cost of road maintenance that includes grading and spreading gravel and weed abatement. Currently, properties that have sole access from a county road are assessed at $90.00 per year while those with access from an association-maintained road are assessed at $288.00. In addition to road maintenance, the annual dues cover a minimum of three mailings each year to all property owners, insurance, legal fees, web hosting, and rental space for the annual association meeting and picnic. Routine business is managed by a Board of Directors elected by property owners at the annual meeting, and the Board currently has seven Directors.
The little town of White Bird, Idaho has much to offer those who do not want to drive to Grangeville or Riggins. There are two motels and a few bed and breakfasts, gas pumps and a service station, a few places to eat, a post office, antique shop, gift shop, library, Laundromat, convenience store and several churches. The grammar school finally closed in 2009 so kids are now bussed to Grangeville, and White Bird negotiated with the school district to use the building for the White Bird Recreation District. White Bird also has an Odd Fellows hall that is not only the place to vote but used for community functions. For those who enjoy trapshooting, there is a club in White Bird as well as one in Grangeville.
Those who live at TRR or have attended the TRRPOA – Annual Association Meeting and Picnic know how much fun White Bird Days can be. Held annually on Father’s Day weekend, the event includes a town parade and rodeo as well as street dancing, food vendors, auctions, an art show and plenty of games and amusements for young and old.
White Bird also hosts many activities during the calendar year. Most holidays have dinners at the Odd Fellows Hall, there is a sportsman’s breakfast in the fall, and the Chamber of Commerce holds several events during the year. Annually, there is a walk or hike through the White Bird battleground, but the trail is open year-round for visitors. Artists and quilters might be interested in joining the local guild, there is an exercise class held several times a week, and the library hosts a book club for discussion of selected works. A Ladies Group meets for various topics as well as volunteering to assist in local events.
The surrounding area has many events to keep people occupied if needing a diversion from their beautiful surroundings. There are several river excursions that schedule day or several-day trips by boat or raft either on the Snake or Salmon Rivers. There are also a few outfitters that arrange horseback trips in the mountains. There’s a small ski area just outside of Grangeville and other bigger resorts are from as little as 2 hours away. Lewiston, just 90 miles away, is the “big city” of the area with ample shopping and dining opportunities.
Hunters love the area for the amount of game present within a short distance to state or BLM lands. Residents have visits of deer, whitetail and mule deer, elk, moose, bear, mountain lion, bobcats, and coyotes, and several people have spotted wolves on the Ranch. Turkeys are abundant and seem to favor yards where residents have hung bird feeders. Unfortunately, the raccoons also like private gardens and ponds and can be a nuisance. Fishermen can catch trout, steelhead, salmon and bass in the Salmon River, and a short drive to the Snake River may produce a sturgeon. Nearby mountain creeks and lakes are stocked with trout and most fishing areas can be reached by car. There are several boat ramps along both rivers, and White Bird has a beautiful campground at Hammer Creek. The private roads on the ranch are terrific for horseback riding, and the surrounding state or BLM lands have many old logging trails for riding or hiking.
The weather on the ranch varies considerably depending on the elevation. Properties by the Salmon River that has an elevation of only 1400 feet enjoy mild winters with very little snow. Going “up the hill” to elevations of 4900 feet, those properties on top may be snowed in for a few days during the winter but they sure enjoy cooler summers. Summer temperatures in the town of White Bird have often reached the triple digits! Most of the ranch has an abundance of wild blackberries, plums and apples and one knows when the fruit is ready to pick when the bears are competing for it. Gardens grow well here with the abundant sunshine and warm summer weather, but those in the higher elevations fare better with row covers for protection from that unexpected late frost. Gardens need to be fenced, however, as the wild critters think you planted vegetables and flowers just for them.
There is much history to the area and many publications are available that cover the days of mining, homesteading and Indian wars. The museum at Cottonwood has a wonderful collection of artifacts and information about this area and it is well worth the trip to spend the afternoon in the museum. You might want to time your visit with their raspberry festival the first weekend of August. The White Bird library has a good collection of books about the history of the town as well as the surrounding area.
The intent of this website is to connect property owners and visitors to Twin River Ranch. The Board of Directors currently meets about 6 times a year. The minutes of all Board of Directors meetings will be posted after each meeting, all newsletters and the minutes of the annual meetings will be included, and there is an information page for local contacts.
Feel free to contact a Board member with any suggestions regarding the content of this website.