By Allyson Ackerman, News Editor, Chron.com May 10, 2025
The Silver S Ranch, a sprawling 26,000-acre property near the Mexico border in Langtry, has officially hit the market with a listing price of $44 million, according to Republic Ranches, the firm representing the sale.
The property has been privately owned for decades, and its listing is generating buzz in both real estate and conservation circles due to its sheer size and ecological value. It is nearly twice the size of Manhattan (14,600 acres), and nearly as large as San Francisco, which is roughly 30,000 acres.
Located along a dramatic stretch of the Pecos River in Val Verde County, the ranch offers a striking combination of rugged terrain, historic sites, and modern comforts. The property boasts over nine miles of riverfront, 18 water wells, five residences totaling 15 bedrooms, and 24 miles of roads carved through the desert landscape.
“This is a truly wild piece of Texas,” said Ross Studer, the listing agent at Republic Ranches. “You can canoe on the Pecos, hike into ancient caves with rock art, or watch the sunset from a built-in fire pit overlooking the cliff,” Studer told Chron.
One of the ranch’s standout features is Harkell Cave, which includes natural artwork and views once appreciated by Indigenous peoples and early settlers. The cave is home to ancient Native American pictographs, including a remarkable mural that dates back approximately 3,000 years. Studied by the Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center, this mural is located on the upper bench of an offshoot canyon near the Pecos River. Stretching roughly 43 meters, the site contains 36 distinct “grinding features” along with traces of ancient paint embedded in the bedrock. “The cave has been cleaned and equipped with a fire pit, chairs and a hefty supply of firewood, providing the perfect spot to relax or enjoy the spectacular canyon and river views,” Studer said.
The ranch also includes hunting opportunities, high bluffs and wide-open skies—making it a prime destination for buyers seeking solitude, investment potential or a private retreat. Studer said the sellers are hoping to find someone who wants to “preserve and conserve” the rustic beauty of the ranch.
The Silver S Ranch listing arrives at a time when large-scale Texas properties are drawing renewed interest from wealthy individuals seeking privacy and land with water access in a drought-prone state. Its debut also coincides with the State of Texas’s recent purchase of a portion of the massive Brewster Ranch—part of a 420,000-acre stretch in West Texas near Big Bend. However, it’s not totally clear what the state intends to do with all of the land. Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham’s October statement gestures at border security and unspecified “foreign adversaries” who she says could have purchased the acreage instead, as well as at “ensuring this mineral-rich property will be generating revenue for the school children of Texas.”
Buyers of the Silver S Ranch will also gain access to a piece of history—Langtry is famously associated with Judge Roy Bean, the self-proclaimed “Law West of the Pecos,” and the ranch lies within reach of the iconic Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center. Bean famously ran his court out of a saloon in Langtry and was known for his raunchy sense of humor, performing weddings with the charming line “And may God have mercy on your souls.”
https://www.chron.com/homes/article/west-texas-ranch-cave-art-20315484.php