Skull Creek Ranch, More Bucolic Than Sinister, Lists in Texas Hill Country for $16 Million

 

At the heart of the property is a 9,744-square-foot lakefront estate, complete with oversized windows to take in the surrounding landscape

By Liz Lucking

 

A more than 800-acre property in Texas known as Skull Creek Ranch has hit the market for $16 million.

With that moniker, the sprawling ranch might sound a little rough and ready, but in reality it delivers a blend of natural beauty, luxury living and plenty of recreational opportunities in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, some 65 miles from San Antonio and 130 miles from Austin.

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At the heart of the property is a 9,744-square-foot lakefront estate, complete with oversized windows to take in the surrounding landscape, which encompasses rolling hills, limestone outcroppings, wooded canyons and diverse vegetation, according to the listing with Louie Swope and Mitch West of West and Swope Ranches, who brought the place to the market earlier this month. 

The Mediterranean-style main house features numerous living spaces with fireplaces, a gourmet kitchen, an entertainment room, and six bedrooms, including a primary suite with a home office, walk-in closet and a balcony.

There’s also a pool, a hot tub and areas for al fresco dining. 

Meanwhile, the ranch itself is fully operational, entirely fenced—providing security and privacy for both residents and wildlife alike—and embodies “all the elements that you dream of when painting a picture of the ideal iconic Hill Country ranch,” Swope said. 

There’s “a pristine live water creek winding through rolling hills, leading to a breathtaking lake crowned by a stunning architectural estate that commands panoramic views of the valley and water below,” he said. “Properties like this are very seldom to come by these days.”

Multiple dams along the creek create stocked ponds for livestock and wildlife watering, as well as recreational fishing. Further fishing can be enjoyed in the 10-acre lake alongside the house, which is stocked with bass, bluegill and catfish; and a pond, which is stocked annually with rainbow trout.

The ranch is ideal for hiking and horseback riding, too, the listing said. 

Elsewhere on the property, there’s a three-bedroom ranch foreman’s house with an office, a barn and storage area and a roughly 9-acre deer breeding operation, with the animals released onto the ranch annually.  

Skull Creek Ranch is teeming with wildlife, from blackbuck antelope and barbary sheep to several types of deer and a variety of birds, including the occasional sighting of bald and golden eagles. 

The ranch is owned by a limited liability company, records show. It’s not clear how much the property last traded for, Texas is a non-disclosure state, so the sale price is not publicly available.