Calvin, OK 74531 - Hughes County

We’ve been selling land since 2008 and over that time, we’ve seen lots of beautiful land and great homes. On rare occasions, we run into something that has historical significance. In the case of the Golden Teepee Ranch, we found an architecturally significant structure on an awesome tract of top-quality hunting land with, of all things, river frontage and a large beach. That’s a combination you don’t see every day.

The Golden Teepee Ranch is located east of Calvin, OK on the south bank of the South Canadian River. This 202- acre tract extends from Highway 1 on the south boundary all the way to the river on the north end. In between these two points, the land transitions from rolling hills down an almost vertical bluff into the river bottom below. The rolling hills are a mixture of brushy openings and mature hardwoods accessed by a main trail with smaller trails leading down into different hunting areas. As you get closer to the river, the timber becomes more impressive, with the trees along the bluff transition area being much larger and taller than along the hillsides. This area benefits from the many seeps and springs that drain the sandy hillside into the river bottom below. Access to this consistent natural source of water ensures that the hardwoods in these areas remain vibrant even during the seasonal dry spells that we have. In addition, it also means that acorn production is not adversely impacted by droughts at this interface between hill and valley. A 20-acre field covers the floodplain between the bluff and the river. This field is routinely planted by a local lease farmer in corn or other grain crops. Its north border features over 2100 feet of river frontage that not only gives you access to the fun of fishing, floating and swimming the river but also to riding ATVs and camping on the beach created by the sand bar formed at the confluence of Salt Creek and the river.

This listing is in the heart of the best deer hunting in Hughes County, which also means it is some of the best in Oklahoma. We will run trail cameras to start getting pictures of the bucks and we plan on putting them on the huge trails where the deer climb out of the river into the corn field. We can see tons of tracks there and it shouldn’t be difficult to get the photos needed to document the number and quality of deer on the property. Another recreational use of the property would be waterfowl hunting, either on the river as is or by creating a wetland in the corn field or along the edge of the bluff. The combination of the river, grain crops, and shallow water would create some fantastic waterfowl hunting opportunities. High-capacity water wells have been drilled all along this stretch of the river and we see no reason to doubt that one could be drilled here also for the purpose of maintaining water levels in a slough.

The cool factor on this ranch is the 800 square foot, hexagonal Golden Teepee designed and built in 1964 by award-winning Modernist Architect Herb Greene. This two-bedroom, one bath cabin has recently been reskinned with copper colored sheet iron on the exterior. The interior appears to be in its original condition and includes a hexagonal living area with a small kitchen and bar integrated into one of the sides. The bedrooms bathrooms are cleverly hidden behind small walls that blend into the living area. If you didn’t look closely, they would be easy to miss. The other walls have either a large window or sliding glass door. The door next to the kitchen leads out onto a nice concrete patio that overlooks a deep canyon with a small spring at its base. The upstream end of the canyon has a steep cliff that creates a waterfall fed by runoff after rainstorms plus cliff overhangs and small caves. There is also a small storage building located next to the Golden Teepee. In short, it’s a one-of-a-kind structure located on a ranch with all the natural features that everyone wants. If you have questions or would like to schedule a showing, please call Sean Childress at 580 320 5791 .