Josh Smith
Co-Founder & Land & Ranch Agent
Overview
Leon Bend Ranch is a rare 703 acre offering in Jonesboro, Texas, featuring an impressive 2.5 miles of Leon River frontage, abundant surface water, and a landscape that changes dramatically across the property. Fertile river bottoms lined with massive hardwoods give way to rocky hills, rugged canyons, and thick native brush, creating the feel of three distinct ranches in one. A lake containing bass, catfish, and baitfish, along with three additional stock tanks, complements the river and adds to the property's recreational appeal. With its combination of live-water, productive land, and diverse wildlife habitat, Leon Bend Ranch is ideally suited for a hunting and recreational retreat, cattle or agricultural operations, or a legacy ranch to be enjoyed for generations, as it has in the many decades before. The ranch has been stewarded by the same family for over 70+ years, leaving behind an abundant legacy of farming and ranching.
Wildlife and Land
The combination of live water, mature hardwoods, cultivated bottomland, and rugged upland terrain creates excellent habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Whitetail deer, Rio Grande turkey, feral pigs, dove, and ducks are found throughout the ranch, along with bobcat, coyote, and other native species.
The Leon River is lined with large pecan trees, American elm, cottonwoods, and bur oaks, while post oaks, cedar elms, Ashe juniper, and mesquites cover much of the remaining acreage. This mixture of hardwoods, native brush, and open ground provides excellent wildlife cover and contributes to the property's natural beauty.
The fertile river bottom is currently in cultivation and could be converted to improved pasture for grazing or hunting food plots. As the land rises away from the river, the terrain transitions into rocky, hilly uplands, with two canyons cutting through the property. Approximately 150 feet of elevation change separates the river bottom from the highest point on the ranch, creating distinct landscapes with different recreational and agricultural uses.
Water
Water is the defining feature of Leon Bend Ranch. The property boasts 2.5 miles of reliable live water along the Leon River, with mature hardwoods lining its banks and creating a beautiful natural corridor through the ranch.
Beyond the river, the property features a lake containing bass, catfish, and baitfish, as well as three stock tanks. These additional water sources support wildlife and livestock while providing opportunities for fishing and recreation.
Improvements
The ranch includes a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom ranch house, providing comfortable accommodations for weekend getaways, hunting season, or a base of operations for agricultural activities.
Location
Leon Bend Ranch is located in Jonesboro, Texas, approximately 25 minutes from Hamilton and Gatesville, 1 hour from Waco, 1 hour and 45 minutes from Austin, and 2 hours from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The property offers the privacy and seclusion of a large working ranch while remaining accessible from several major Texas cities.
Broker Comments
What makes Leon Bend Ranch special is not simply its 2.5 miles of Leon River frontage, but the variety of land and habitat that is present on the ranch. Massive hardwoods, fertile river bottoms, rocky hills, and two rugged canyons combine to create a property with unique character and habitat diversity. Add in the fishing lake, additional surface water, and abundant wildlife, and the ranch offers a combination of features that is increasingly difficult to find in Central Texas.
Properties with this much live water and such varied terrain rarely become available, making Leon Bend Ranch a compelling opportunity for anyone seeking a substantial recreational or legacy ranch.
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