The Land

Preserving the Shrubsteppe at Ravenwing Ranch

Ravenwing Ranch is a rare property containing a scope and scale unlike any in the Northwest. Preserving its unique, high desert beauty is the foundation of all that we do.

— dEVELOPER ROB HUBBARD

 
 

Big sagebrush and rock buckwheat, with the cliff-lined Columbia in the distance

Meadowlarks are vocal companions at the Ranch, frequently nesting in big sagebrush

The Ranch is a corridor and winter range for mule deer and elk, who forage on highly nutritious big sagebrush

 

High desert living at the northern edge of the shrubsteppe.

Located just outside of Wenatchee, WA, Ravenwing is located at the northern edge of historical shrubsteppe territory. This arid, high desert landscape, composed of sagebrush and other woody shrubs on a rolling, grassy steppe, once covered a large portion of the American West.

Within the 640-acre Ravenwing property, high quality shrubsteppe landscape features persist. These features are concentrated in The Bluffs and The Meadows, the two primary residential phases at the Ranch located east of Colockum Road, adjacent to the Columbia River.

Here, richly-scented, velvety sagebrush anchors the landscape, along with bluebunch wheatgrass and indian rice grass, and flowering plants such as rock buckwheat and phlox. Big sagebrush is valuable, highly nutritious forage for mule deer and elk, especially in late winter and spring. Songbirds, such as the beautifully vocal meadowlark, also use big sagebrush for nesting sites at the Ranch.

 
 

Thoughtfully-placed walking trails in The Bluffs

Primary footbridge across Dry Gulch

Ravenwing’s Design Guidelines ensure owner builds are well-integrated into the landscape and minimize ecosystem disturbances

 

At Ravenwing, we believe life gets bigger when we keep our footprint smaller.

In between vegetation clusters, in areas not disturbed by development or routine foot traffic, a special type of ground covering is found at Ravenwing. Called cryptobiotic crust, this delicate layer of algae, lichen and mosses is the foundation of high-quality shrubsteppe ecosystems, continually working to build soil, feed plants, retain moisture and limit wind erosion. We are working to protect the crust, and the network of plants and animals it supports, by limiting landscape disturbances throughout the Ranch. We are accomplishing this in two primary ways.

First, Ravenwing has robust Design Guidelines that help ensure model homes and owner builds:

  • maximize views and privacy for all owners

  • utilize architecture and materials that integrate with the natural landscape

  • maintain small footprints for structures and the surrounding improvement envelope

  • retain the character of the site’s topography and existing vegetation, and rebuild disturbed areas quickly and appropriately

Secondly, we are helping preserve landscape integrity by creating a trail system to walk the land. A network of walking trails and footbridges have been developed to direct foot traffic to predictable, intentional routes around Dry Gulch and down to the Columbia, and minimize off-trail exploration that damages the crust. (Meet Matt Rose, Ravenwing’s master trailbuilder!)

 

The warmth and richness of basalt in every direction.

 

Open space is one of our most important assets.

With over 365 acres devoted to open space for owners and guests (that’s more than half of our total acreage!) Ravenwing is committed to maintaining wild spaces. From hawks and ravens in the sky, to lupine, balsamroot and sagebrush on the ground, we want local plants and animals to thrive, and to be thoughtful stewards of this shrubsteppe ecosystem.

We also believe open space is critical for people. By creating integrated opportunities to interact with the natural world, we are helping to support foundational health and wellness and encouraging owners and visitors to see themselves as part of this rich, interconnected landscape.

Ravenwing open space with blooming balsamroot and the Columbia in the distance

Colockum Road bisects the Ravenwing property, with open space and The Benchlands to the left (west) and The Meadows, The Bluffs and the Columbia to the right (east)

 

Want to learn more about the shrubsteppe?

We recommend Singing Grass, Burning Sage as both a truly enjoyable read, and a great tabletop book for sparking conversation. In addition, informative shrubsteppe primers are available from WDFW and Wenatchee Naturalist.

Ultimately, here is no better way to experience this high desert landscape than walking it. Access to Ravenwing Ranch is by appointment only, and we invite you to schedule a private tour with us today.

 

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Where Light and Shadow Lead

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Trailbuilding as Art and Science