Mountain Rose Ranch

Beyond its equestrian foundation, Mountain Rose Ranch offers a broader appeal that is increasingly difficult to find in a property of this scale and location. The main ranch house, additional bunk house, RV/LQ hookups, and adjacent recreational setting create a strong platform for expanded guest use, retreats, limited event hosting, and nightly rental potential. Combined with the added flexibility and unique beauty of the acreage south of the canal, the property offers a compelling blend of business opportunity, lifestyle appeal, and long-term versatility.

LOCATION
Mountain Rose Ranch is one mile west of Kearney, Nebraska, placing it in one of central Nebraska’s most established regional hubs. Kearney is widely recognized for its strategic position along Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 30. Its location, coupled with access to Kearney Regional Airport with daily commercial service to Denver and Chicago, provides important convenience for out-of-area owners, guests, clinicians, and event participants. Kearney is a vibrant college town and a natural center for commerce, health care, events, and recreation, with a population of approximately 35,000 and Nebraska’s fifth-largest city. Often described as the Heart of Nebraska, Kearney offers the convenience of a growing and vibrant community while still retaining a highly approachable and livable character.

One of the ranch’s most attractive locational advantages is its direct proximity to Cottonmill Park, which lies immediately east of the property and materially expands the lifestyle and recreational appeal of the ranch. Cottonmill Park is one of Kearney’s best-known outdoor destinations, featuring a 43-acre lake, nature trails, including horseback riding trails, boating, fishing, disc golf, picnic areas, and broader community recreation amenities. This adjacency gives Mountain Rose Ranch a distinctive blend of private equestrian utility and immediate access to one of the area’s most desirable outdoor settings.

Mountain Rose Ranch’s close proximity to Kearney as well as easy accessibility to the surrounding Tri-City area supports local boarding demand, instructional programming, equestrian events, and accessibility for horse owners and enthusiasts throughout the surrounding region.

ACREAGE AND DESCRIPTION
Mountain Rose Ranch encompasses approximately 33 acres and is naturally divided by the Kearney Canal. The northern parcel encompasses 13 acres. The southern parcel encompasses 20 acres. 

The primary ranch headquarters including the homes and equestrian improvements are clustered on the northern 13 acres parcel and includes the ranch house, bunk house, equestrian improvements, indoor arena, stable facilities, hay barn, outdoor arena, roundpen, and workshop and supporting infrastructure. The headquarters and arena complex are positioned on predominantly flat ground, while rolling pasture rises along the western portion of the property and provides an area with riding and walking trails.

The 20 acres south of the canal is largely unimproved and offers a pastoral feel with rolling hills complemented by mature cottonwoods, cedars, and other established trees that create a park-like setting creating a natural playground.  There is also a large seasonal pond which both adds beauty and serves as an irrigation resource. This ground provides meaningful flexibility for additional riding space, grazing pasture, hay production, and recreational use, while also having long term appreciation from development value.  The southern parcel has a separate address (2402 Cottonmill Ave.) and includes the utility infrastructure of power and water to build a custom home. The southern parcel creates tremendous privacy and insulation for the 13 acre northern improved  parcel.

Taken together, Mountain Rose Ranch offers a combination of improved horse property and adjacent scenic pastoral land that is nearly impossible to replicate near Kearney. The result is a property that supports immediate operational use while preserving room for a custom home, recreational and lifestyle enjoyment, and long-term value.

IMPROVEMENTS
Residential Improvements - Ranch House
The main residence is a one-story home with a finished basement built in 1986, remodeled in 2022. Featuring 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, the home offers bright interior spaces, comfortable living and dining areas, a large basement, oversized 2 car garage, plus 2 additional compact garage spaces in the nearby workshop, and a tranquil deck and patio overlooking the surrounding ranch setting.

Owners can expect to enjoy a western-style ranch atmosphere while still being just minutes from Kearney’s shopping, restaurants, medical services, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Hospitality Improvements - Bunk House
The separate bunk house is a 1,568-square-foot residence built in 1996, featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, with recent updates throughout that would serve for additional family housing, income producing short or long term rental or can serve as on-site staff accommodations. The current configuration can accommodate up to 10 guests and is well suited for short-term stays, ranch visits, and horse-travel-related lodging.

Additionally, there are 5 RV/LQ hookups that are well suited for overnight horse accommodations and further strengthen the property’s ability to serve traveling riders, clinic participants, event attendees, and guests seeking a ranch-style stay near Kearney. 

Equestrian Improvements
A 81’ x 252’ Morton indoor horse arena with a viewing area is well suited for year-round horse activities. Note: New Morton roof in 2022.

A heated 36’ x 252’ stable is attached to the indoor arena and offers 30 stalls, including an indoor and outdoor wash bays, 6 grooming stalls, along with an office, classroom, tack room, grain room, and boarders lounge.

Additional improvements include multiple loafing sheds, a 50’ x 30’  Cleary hay barn (with new roof in 2022), and additional accessory and utility structures that add to the functionality of the operation.  

New workshop 
Mid-America Structure 16 x 48 workshop, Fully insulated with closed cell foam, Wired for 4 channel audio, subwoofer and tv, 24 BTU mini split with remote and wifi (heating and cooling), 100 amp subpanel (Wired throughout with 120v and 240v outlets. Wired for 50 amp welder. Wired for auxiliary 240v heater. Wired for 240v dust collector (on separate circuits). Workbench installed with pegboard and cabinets, Insulated door, garage doors  and windows.

Automatic and heated waterers within the stalls and well placed spigots and power sources supporting the outside pens support efficient day-to-day horse care.

Overall Utility
The improvements at Mountain Rose Ranch reflect more than a simple boarding setup.

Together, they create an integrated equestrian headquarters with the facilities to support horse training and instruction, horse shows, clinics and events, residential enjoyment, guest lodging, and thoughtfully expanded commercial or lifestyle use.

WATER RESOURCES
Supporting ranch infrastructure includes a well and septic system serving the ranch headquarters. The southern parcel has a large seasonal pond on the south acreage which can be used for irrigation.  The water from the canal can not be used but serves as a visual and aesthetic border separating the northern and southern parcels as well as further enhancing the beauty of the land.

WILDLIFE RECREATION
Mountain Rose Ranch derives its recreational appeal first and foremost from horse-centered use, but the surrounding setting significantly broadens that experience. The ranch is positioned to support riding, horsemanship education, training, clinics, and equestrian and hospitality events, while the adjacent southern acreage offers additional room with walking and riding trails, open space enjoyment, and pasture-oriented use as well as a future custom home site or campground development. 

A major lifestyle advantage of the property is its immediate relationship to Cottonmill Park, located directly east of the ranch headquarters. Cottonmill Park is a substantial public recreation area known for its 43-acre lake, no-wake boating, fishing, nature trails, disc golf course, picnic and shelter areas, playgrounds, and seasonal marina amenities. For buyers who value daily access to walking, biking, fishing, scenic outdoor enjoyment, and family-friendly recreation in addition to equestrian use trails, this adjacency is a meaningful and highly appealing feature.

Taken together, the extensive ranch amenities and its lush park-like surroundings and setting create a property that supports not only business and horse use, but also a deeper lifestyle component that would be difficult to duplicate elsewhere in the Kearney market.

INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Mountain Rose Ranch should be viewed first as an equestrian investment and specialty-use property with multiple existing and potential revenue channels. Its present strengths include boarding, training, horsemanship instruction, clinics, arena rental, events, and hospitality-related use tied to the bunk house, RV/LQ hookups, and overnight horse accommodations. For a buyer seeking a horse property with an established business identity, the ranch offers substantially more than raw infrastructure alone.

At the same time, the property benefits from a layered investment profile. The northern headquarters parcel group provides the built environment and operational nucleus, while the southern acreage contributes additional open space for riding, pasture, recreation, custom home building site or other development.

With that balance in mind, Mountain Rose Ranch stands out as a property that can serve an owner-operator today while still offering future pathways for hospitality expansion, lifestyle programming, event use, and selective land-based investment vision.

SUMMARY
Mountain Rose Ranch represents a distinctive Kearney, Nebraska offering that blends a functional equestrian headquarters with broader lifestyle and investment appeal. The ranch’s northern parcel group forms the operational heart of the property, featuring the ranch house, extensive indoor and outdoor horse facilities, supporting outbuildings, and the infrastructure needed for boarding, training, instruction, and events. The ranch house and separate bunk house and RV/LQ hookups, further elevate the ranch by adding a hospitality element that supports both income and user experience.

Equally important, the southern acreage expands the ranch beyond its immediate horse facilities, providing additional room for riding, recreation, pasture, and longer-term strategic flexibility. 

For the buyer seeking a beautiful and well-developed equestrian property with immediate functionality, authentic ranch atmosphere, and room to grow in multiple directions, Mountain Rose Ranch stands out as a rare and versatile central Nebraska opportunity.