STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Wood River Land Trust’s attempt to purchase the Hailey Hot Springs Ranch just got a big boost.

Ketchum resident Ron Greenspan has offered to double all donations earmarked for the Wood River Land Trust’s purchase of the land in Croy Canyon up to $25,000 when 100 Men Who Care meet on Tuesday.

The project is one of three that have been nominated as recipients of 100 Men Who Care donations on Tuesday, April 8. This is the first time in the history of the philanthropic organization that someone has directly offered to match donations.

“The chance to purpose the property so it can be saved for recreationalists and wildlife is a  once-in a-generation opportunity,” said Greenspan.

100 Men will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Ketchum’s Community Library. Those who would like to contribute but cannot attend the meeting may send checks to 100 Men Who Care Wood River Valley, 106 Red Cloud Way, Hailey, ID 83333.

The Wood River Land Trust recently held a gathering at the home of Ron and Susan Greenspan to acquaint valley residents with the project.

The Land Trust’s executive director Amy Trujilio said Hailey Hot Springs Ranch, also known as the Democrat Ranch, has been a top priority of the Land Trust since it was founded.

“It has it all—habitat, recreation history,” said Trujilo. “We’ve been trying for a number of years to get it. Now we have the opportunity. We have$10.8 million now, and it’s exciting how many people are excited about this—they know this property and they love it.”

Gayle Stevenson, a member of the Land Trust board for a decade, said she is so excited to finally have the opportunity to save the property.

“As I drive around the valley I’m reminded of the first Land Trust projects, including the one in Elkhorn--small endeavors that paved the way for others over the years. This is less than a mile from downtown Hailey. It’s a phenomenal open space so close to town.”

To date the Wood River Land Trust has raised $10.8 of the $16 million it needs by Dec. 31, 2025, to assume stewardship of the property. Fifteen million dollars is for land acquisition; $1 million for long-term stewardship of the property.

The property includes a couple popular hiking and biking trails that could be lost to the public if someone else buys the property and builds a residential development there. It contains habitat for pronghorn, elk and other animals that frequent the area, and would create nearly 3,000 acres of contiguous public open space stretching from Colorado to Democrat Gulch with connection to many more acres of public lands beyond.

Its hillsides feature a riotous bloom of purple lupine and yellow arrowleaf balsamroot in early summer, which attract scads of wildflower enthusiasts.

Mark Davidson said the property’s purchase would allow the Blaine County Recreation District to build a bike path that would get bicyclists off Croy Creek Road. His organization would also love to make the hot springs on the property accessible to the public.  

The property would be a place where the University of Idaho researchers could study weeds, habitat restoration and other things, and a place where the ERC and other valley programs could bring youth for afterschool activities.

Historian John W. Lundin said the property could also have interpretive signs detailing the history of the hotel that once stood on the property.

“It’s one of the most historically significant places in the valley—the site of the Hailey Hot Springs Resorts, which opened in the early 1880s as Idaho’s first summer resort,” he said.

Lundin said that miners were lured to the valley by the prospects of silver and ore and, by 1879, every canyon in the valley was filled. The Democrat mine, which stood at the top of Democrat Gulch Road was small and did not produce much. The real money was in Bullion Gulch further out Croy Canyon. It was so prosperous that it boasted saloons and hotels  and there was even a plan at one point for a railroad to go out Croy Canyon to access it.

Once the railroad arrived in Hailey, the Hailey Hot Springs Resort was built, its hotel said to be the fanciest hotel west of Denver. It had a large natatorium fed by hot springs water, bowling alley, separate plunges for men and women and lakes for swimming, boating and the cultivation of trout.

Partygoers danced until 4 in the morning. And the mineral waters were said to have curative properties akin to the celebrated hot sulfur springs of Europe.

Alas, the hotel burned in 1899 and it was never rebuilt.

Learn more about the project at https://www.woodriverlandtrust.org/land-conservation/hailey-hot-springs-ranch