Wilderness Ranch is a residential subdivision that offers rural living in a mountainous setting that ranges from high desert to subalpine forest. Our community enjoys four distinct seasons, our own system of trails, wildlife galore, and close proximity to state and National Forest land. Oh, and if you absolutely must leave, it's an easy drive to Boise, Idaho.

 

Wilderness Ranch is about twelve miles northeast of Boise as the eagles fly and about 24 miles along Highway 21 toward Idaho City. Wilderness Ranch is located in Boise County; our county seat is Idaho City. Click here to view a map showing the location of Wilderness Ranch.

 

Click here to download and print a PDF map of Wilderness Ranch.

 

Our business mailing address is:

46 Wilderness Ranch Road

Boise, ID 83716

 

The address for submitting monthly dues and water payments is:

There are 271 lots at Wilderness Ranch totaling almost 1,200 acres. An additional 800 acres of common area is owned and maintained by the Wilderness Ranch Owners Association.

 

According the Boise County Assessor, home values range from $125,000 to over $600,000. 

 

The Basin School District in Idaho City offers primary, middle, and secondary education. School buses meet children near the bridge at the entrance to Wilderness Ranch. Click here to visit the Basin School District's website.

 

Visit the Assessments & Fees page to view the annual dues assessment for the current fiscal year, which begins October 1st. Services include the availability of up to 800 gallons of water per day for each lot owned (click here to see the current rates), road maintenance and winter snow plowing and sanding of roads, and other community services.

 

Dues are payable on the first of each month. Nothing happens if you pay before 25th of the month. If you pay after the 25th, you will be charged a late fee and interest at the rate of 13% per year. After three months of not paying dues, a lien may be placed on your property, and your water may be shut off. If you still don't pay, you might find yourself in small claims court in Idaho City. Click here for the full details about WROA's Accounts Receivable and Collection Procedures.  

 

It's essential to be familiar with the CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions), which are part of your deed. You should have received and signed for these upon purchasing your property. If you would like to view a copy of the CC&Rs, click here.

 

Contact Bill Snively at (208) 991-8417.

 

The WROA Board of Directors meets in regular session on the third Thursday of each month (unless notice of a date/time change is posted in advance) at the WR Meeting Room at 7 Wilderness Ranch Road. These meetings begin at 6:00 PM and are open to all owners of WR property.  If you have a problem or complaint that you feel the Association should address, please send a written explanation to the Board of Directors or attend a board meeting to express your concern. If you have general informational questions, please call one of the directors or a committee chair; their phone numbers are in each issue of the Wilderness Watch, or visit the WR Contacts page to send an e-mail message to the Board or any of the committees.

 

WROA has a number of committees that are vital to the administration and management of the Ranch. Those committees meet at regular intervals, which are posted on the events calendar and in each issue of the Wilderness Watch. Some committees have conduct their business online in lieu of monthly meetings. Meetings may be canceled due to inclement weather and for other reasons, and meeting venues sometimes change, so if you are planning to attend a committee meeting, it's a good idea to contact a committee member to make sure the meeting is going to take place.  Volunteers are always needed and welcome. If you would like to join a committee, contact any committee member.  Members are listed on the various committee pages, or you can send an e-mail by visiting the WR Contacts page.

 

The Association holds an annual meeting each year in summer, at which time owners elect new directors to the Board for the coming two years and conduct other business as necessary. Watch for your official notification in the mail.

 

The Wilderness Watch, the Association's newsletter, is posted on this website on (or around) the 10th of each month. If you subscribe to InstantWatch, you will receive an e-mail each month as soon as the Wilderness Watch is posted. A few hard copies are made available in the Mail Center each month. The Wilderness Watch contains information about events and issues at the Ranch. We encourage owners and residents to read each publication; it's a good way to stay informed. If you wish to submit an article, photograph, ad, or SpeakOut letter to the newsletter, send it to the Communications Committee. Please send in your submission by the first of each month.

 

Generally, yes. The roads at Wilderness Ranch are dirt and often traverse steep terrain. Four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is better suited to these roads at any time of the year. Most residents who have lived here through a winter have 4WD or all-wheel drive vehicles. In the winter, you will also need to have a set of chains and know how to use them, especially if you do not have 4WD. Please remember that conditions vary in each part of the Ranch, and conditions change with the temperature throughout the day. You are the best judge of the equipment you need to drive safely and your skill level to do so.

 

The Ranch water system consists of a state-of-the-art water treatment plant that treats water drawn from Robie Creek and ground water from underground galleries. The facility is located along Robie Creek Road just south of Wilderness Ranch. Treated water is pumped to eight tanks or reservoirs located throughout the subdivision. From these tanks, water is fed by gravity to lots. See the Water System page on this site for more information.  Here are further details.

 

Most of the Common Area is wilderness and forest with a minimal number of trails for hiking and horseback riding. The Common Area also includes the right-of-way for twenty-five miles of roads and the facilities for our water treatment and distribution system and several other Association structures. See the Common Area Committee page on this site for more information.

 

No. Hunting is not permitted at Wilderness Ranch. Grab your binoculars or your camera and enjoy.

 

At the Ranch, we live in what's called the wildland/urban interface. That means we've built our little houses in the big woods. Throughout the West, in areas like ours, there is a risk of wildfire, particularly during the dry months of late summer. There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of losing your home in a wildfire. WROA is a Firewise Community and, as such, you have resources available to help you learn how to protect your home from wildfire through the use of fire resistive building materials and reduction/removal of hazardous vegetation and other fuels. See the Fire Prevention page on this site for more information.

 

Always request a burn permit before burning outside by calling Fire Chief Colton McCarthy at (208) 342-1851. Select a cleared area. Have a shovel and charged hose nearby. Always attend the fire until it is completely out. If you plan to leave, make certain no trails of smoke are visible and stir the fire as you apply water to ensure its completely extinguished. We suggest you call the Boise County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number (208) 392-4411 before starting any significant burn. Let your neighbors know too!

 

Call 911 for all emergencies involving accidents, health/medical problems, fire, or weather. In non-emergency situations, call the Boise County Sheriff's office at (208) 392-4111.

 

Will I be notified if there is a fire or weather emergency?
Boise County has implemented the AlertSense system, which automatically contacts those who have signed up for the service to provide information about fire or weather events that threaten county residents. Click here to sign up for Boise County Alerts via AlertSense.

 

Fire and rescue services are provided by the Wilderness Ranch Fire Protection District (WRFPD), and emergency medical services are provided by Mores Creek Ambulance, which is part of the East Boise County Emergency Medical Services system. To our good fortune, both entities house their equipment, training, and on-call facilities right here on the Ranch. See the Fire Department & EMS page on this site for more information.

There are currently three options for internet service:

1. Wilderness Wireless
   Fixed wireless option with various tiers of service (speed, bandwidth, etc.) available. This option is available to most WR residents. 
   Contact: https://wildwisp.com, (208)-685-2723)
2. CenturyLink DSL
   Standard DSL hardline service; only available to a subset of homes in WR, as it is hardline and depends on the distance from the central junction box near 7 Wilderness Ranch Road. To check whether your location has DSL service, call CenturyLink and give them the address. They can also quote plans (speed, bandwidth, etc). 
   Contact: http://www.centurylink.com/new-customer/service/internet/, (866)-963-6665.
3. Satellite service through your satellite provider, for example Hughesnet (https://internet.hughesnet.com) is one such provider. 

Dial-up through a landline is also an option, and there are many providers for that, but this is a slow option. Landline phone service is only available through CenturyLink. 

 

For trash collection, contact Boise County Sanitation at (208) 488-5908.

For the convenience of our residents and to encourage the removal of hazardous fuels within a home's ignition zone, there is a woody vegetation disposal area near the intersection of Wilderness Way and Meadow Lane. Please do not dispose of garbage, construction debris, or appliances at this site. Our firefighters burn the pile, and they could get hurt if something other than woody debris is ignited.

Zephyr Ridge was once Wilderness Ranch subdivision #6. In 1996, Association members agreed to a land swap with the Ranch's developer in which Sub 6 went to the developer and WROA gained additional Common Area. Residents of Zephyr Ridge are not Association members, but they pay dues to cover their share of road maintenance costs.