W.B. “Dub” Yarborough and his wife, Kay, started with 3,520 acres in the early 1960s. Today, that tract is gone. In its place stands a 29,071-acre empire in the Big Bend region, sold on April 14, 2026, for a reported $46.5 million. The buyer remains anonymous, a detail that adds a layer of mystery to the deal. But the numbers tell the story of a half-century of expansion in West Texas.
The property sits 17 miles south of Alpine along Highway 118. It’s not just dirt. Chad Dugger of Hall and Hall, the broker who handled the listing, pointed to the north-to-south contrast as the ranch’s defining feature. Rolling grassland and oak-lined draws give way to rocky mesas and canyons further south. Calamity Creek and seasonal springs carve through the landscape. This isn’t a static asset; it’s a working cow-calf operation with 21 pastures and 10 sets of working pens.
Infrastructure matters here. The ranch features a custom-built main residence with over 4,000 square feet, radiant-heated floors, and four ensuite bedrooms. Beyond the main house, there’s a manager’s home, bunkhouse, and roping area. Water access is critical in this arid region. The property boasts more than two dozen wells and troughs, many powered by solar, wind, or electricity. Dugger credited ranch manager Cody Wood and his crew with maintaining the roads in pristine condition, allowing for comfortable full-day tours of the expansive terrain.
The sale price reflects a shifting market. Dugger noted to The Land Report that Texas land values surged post-pandemic. Sellers can no longer price properties substantially above market levels and expect the same response. The listing went live on December 9, 2025, at an asking price of $46,513,600. It went under contract within weeks. The final closing price of $46.5 million, as reported by DTN Progressive Farmer, has not been independently confirmed by all sources, but the magnitude of the transaction is clear. This deal closes the chapter on six decades of Yarborough ownership, leaving the future of this iconic Big Bend ranch in the hands of an unknown buyer.