John Diamond
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New Mexico & Arizona Border | 46,423 ± Acres (87.7 ± Deeded) | 682 Pairs + 18 Horses/Mules
Straddling the New Mexico–Arizona border near the ranching communities of Alma, NM, and Alpine, AZ, the Alma Mesa Ranch offers a rare opportunity to own a historic National Forest cow/calf operation with outstanding carrying capacity and extensive recent improvements.
This remarkable property spans 46,423 ± total acres, anchored by 87.7 ± deeded acres, and supports approximately 682 animal units plus 18 horses or mules—a scale rarely available in today’s West.
With elevations ranging from 5,400 to 8,200 feet, the ranch lies primarily below 7,000 feet, providing a moderate year-round climate with cool summers and mild winters—ideal for both livestock and wildlife. The allotment extends across both the Gila National Forest (New Mexico) and Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest (Arizona), offering a blend of strong native feed, ample water, and natural protection seldom matched in a Forest Service grazing operation.
Recent, thoughtful investment has transformed Alma Mesa into a turnkey operation with first-class working facilities and comfortable living quarters.
Headquarters & Housing
3-bedroom, 2-bath ranch home with a full front porch overlooking the surrounding mesas.
Ranch office with half bath for daily management.
Bunkhouse adjoining a new two-bay shop with ¾ bath.
Temple Grandin–designed processing facilities, including pipe fencing, hydraulic squeeze chute with palpation cage, scales, sorting alleys, and semi & gooseneck loadouts.
Pipe-and-wire holding pens, hay barn, saddle shed, and cube hoppers for feed efficiency.
Two domestic/livestock wells with an additional well permitted, over 10,000 gallons of water storage, and solar-powered systems with backup generator for off-grid reliability.
Water improvements are the backbone of the Alma Mesa operation. New pipelines, tanks, and water lots have been strategically added to extend grazing distribution and benefit both livestock and wildlife.
Recent work includes:
Extensive buried pipeline network connecting Stateline Camp, West Trap, New Mexico North & South pastures, Alma Mesa, and multiple traps.
New perimeter and cross fencing, including Beaver Trap, Maple Charlie Moore, and Six Shooter pastures for rotational management.
Cleaned and rebuilt stock tanks throughout the allotment.
These enhancements have dramatically increased range productivity and wildlife presence—where elk, deer, turkey, bear, and lion now thrive well beyond riparian zones.
The Alma Mesa country sits along the storied Outlaw Trail, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once worked as cowhands for the historic WS Ranch. Long before that, Mogollon Indians inhabited the area, leaving traces of pit houses and artifacts.
After the Civil War, British and Scottish investors—including Harold Wilson and Montague Stevens (author of Meet Mr. Grizzly)—established vast cattle empires here. Later, the McKeen family, whose descendants still live in the valley, carried forward this ranching tradition, building fences, water systems, and tanks that shaped the landscape into the productive country it is today.
Now revitalized with modern infrastructure and sustainable design, Alma Mesa Ranch continues that proud lineage—combining the grit of its frontier past with the operational strength and environmental stewardship demanded by today’s ranchers.
Cattle are available for sale through private treaty.
Whether operated as a productive cow/calf enterprise, managed as a hunting and recreation property, or preserved as a living piece of Western history, Alma Mesa Ranch stands as one of the most authentic and functional large-scale National Forest allotments in the Southwest.
Alma Mesa Ranch — Where history, habitat, and hard work still ride together.
