Val Kilmer’s Pecos River ranch in New Mexico was listed for $33 million but eventually sold for $18.5 million after a significant price reduction. The property, located northeast of Santa Fe and spanning 5,328 acres, includes extensive river frontage, natural springs, wildlife, and trails through high-desert landscape. Kilmer acquired the land in the 1990s and developed it into a secluded retreat before attempting to sell parts of it starting from 2006. The ranch’s history dates back to oilman Buddy Fogelson and actress Greer Garson, who purchased the original property in 1941 as part of the Forked Lightning Ranch.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Val Kilmer’s sprawling 5,328-acre ranch in New Mexico, located about 22 miles northeast of Santa Fe in San Miguel County, went through a dramatic price reduction before selling for $18.5 million after being listed at $33 million. The property includes scenic river frontage along the Pecos River and features natural springs, wildlife, and extensive hiking trails. Kilmer acquired the land in the 1990s and developed it into a secluded retreat with guest cottages, staff quarters, stables, barns, and corrals. Real-estate publications like The Land Report tracked its journey from a private Hollywood escape to a hospitality retreat before finally selling after years of listing.
Written for “Kilmer Ranch Sale” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Val Kilmer’s sprawling Pecos River ranch in New Mexico went from a private Hollywood escape to a high-end hospitality retreat before eventually changing hands in 2011.
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ranch → go → 2011
Contemporary reports from CBS News and the Associated Press, along with real-estate publications including The Land Report, documented the property’s years-long journey from a $33 million listing to its eventual sale after a steep reduction in the asking price.
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reports → include → price
Located about 22 miles northeast of Santa Fe in San Miguel County, the ranch stretched across 5,328 acres and followed a particularly scenic section of the Pecos River.
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ranch → locate → River
The property was known for its river frontage, natural springs, wildlife and extensive trails through New Mexico’s high-desert landscape.
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property → know → landscape
A later account from Realtor.com described the ranch as largely wild, with canyons and pine forests surrounding its residential buildings.
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canyons → describe → buildings
Kilmer had acquired the land in the 1990s and spent years developing it into a secluded base away from Hollywood.
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Kilmer → acquire → Hollywood
Earlier coverage by the Los Angeles Times described the ranch as containing guest cottages, staff quarters, stables, barns and corrals, while Kilmer kept horses and other animals on the property.
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Kilmer → describe → property
He had also previously attempted to sell portions of the ranch, including an approximately 1,800-acre section listed for $18 million in 2006.
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He → attempt → 2006
By 2009, Kilmer had changed strategy and put the entire ranch on the market.
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Kilmer → change → market
The Land Report reported an asking price of $33 million, with the property offering several homes and outbuildings as well as more than five miles of Pecos River frontage.
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property → report → frontage
The listing represented a significant escalation from his earlier attempts to sell smaller portions of the ranch.
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listing → represent → ranch
The property’s price subsequently dropped sharply.
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price → drop → ?
By late 2010, reports said the ranch had been reduced to $18.5 million, down from $23 million earlier that year.
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ranch → say → million
The AP also reported that the ranch included more than 10 natural springs, hiking and riding trails, guest quarters and a large main residence.
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ranch → report → springs
Kilmer had sought permission to operate guesthouses as overnight accommodations, eventually receiving approval from San Miguel County after controversy surrounding remarks he had previously made about the region.
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he → seek → region
The Los Angeles Times reported that the proposed lodging involved three guesthouses, while contemporary coverage described the property as operating as a bed-and-breakfast with rental cabins.
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coverage → report → cabins
Its history also extended well beyond Kilmer.
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history → extend → Kilmer
The land formed part of the larger Forked Lightning Ranch associated with oilman Buddy Fogelson and actress Greer Garson.
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land → form → Fogelson
According to the National Park Service, Fogelson purchased the original 5,500-acre ranch in 1941, and he and Garson later used it as a residence and gathering place for prominent figures from Hollywood and beyond.
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he → accord → Hollywood
After Fogelson’s death, the property was divided among his heirs, with portions eventually passing to Kilmer and actress Jane Fonda.
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portions → divide → Kilmer
After several years on the market, most of Kilmer’s Pecos River property was finally sold in 2011.
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most → sell → 2011
CBS News reported that the buyer was Texas oil and gas executive Benjamin A. Strickling III and his wife, Roxann.
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buyer → report → ?
The deed transfer was recorded on September 30, 2011, according to contemporary property reports.
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transfer → record → reports
The $18.5 million figure represented a dramatic reduction from Kilmer’s original $33 million asking price, amounting to roughly 44% below the initial listing.
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figure → represent → listing
The sale marked the end of Kilmer’s long chapter on the Pecos River, where he had built not just a home but a sprawling private retreat around the landscape.
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he → mark → landscape
The property later remained associated with conservation and outdoor recreation, while the larger historic Forked Lightning Ranch continues to be preserved in part through Pecos National Historical Park.
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Ranch → associate → Park
The Aporia
