Working Ranch Vacation

Can anyone rec. a working ranch -not a dude ranch looking for the real deal in Wyoming or Colorado.
Thanks for your help.

Nothing like reviving a 8+ year old thread but I was asked by a friend about the following ranch (apparently thinking about going) and thought I’d see what WB’ers have to say - Has anybody been or experienced this place? Wine/food/accommodations, etc…

Brush Creek Ranch/Magee Homestead -

nothing like reviving an 8 year old thread with no responses, and hoping to get one 8 years later. it’s deja vu all over again.

Might want to PM Terry Harris.

I can highly recommend a ranch in Idaho (Double D Ranch - no, not those double Ds) in the middle of the Frank Church Wilderness. Very remote - not the place to go if you want access to your cellphone or TV, but otherwise great. Riding, hunting, and they’d probably let you help mend fences if you want.
Scary drive getting out there (be sure to pack in what you need).

In fairness, i think this is Zach’s first time back in 8 years (welcome back, Zach!)

Not sure of the distinction between a working ranch that hosts vacationers and a dude ranch. Brush Creek Ranch looks like a dude ranch.

-Al

Just saw this thread. I know very little about the Brush Creek Ranch other than:

  • it’s on the “back” side of our Snowy Mountain Range, in the Medicine Bow National Forest, just east and across the North Platte River from the town of Saratoga. There’s good Rainbow and Brown trout fly fishing in the North Platte, so I would assume the ranch would have guides lined up for those hoping to cast a fly or three. I drive through that area typically a few times a year, on Hwy 130. The highway closes late fall and reopens around Memorial Day, with closure due to snowpack;

  • I think Ivanka and Jared K were just there, a month or so ago, but don’t hold that against the place;

  • That picture of the couple sitting by the mountain lake, just below the granite peaks . . . well, that’s National Forest, at the top of the Snowy’s. I fish two lakes (Lake Marie and Mirror Lake) just below and to the west of that lake pictured (so you only need a car, fly rod, reel, and some flies to spend all the time in the world there, catching Rainbow and Cutthroat trout);

  • in “Gallery4”, that’s a big Brown trout;

  • again, if you like fly fishing, there are a number of really nice trout streams dumping into the North Platte River, from the Snowy Mountains and, as I mentioned, the river itself is really good. The creeks can be more of a physical challenge to fish, but the river’s not particularly easy (best to have a guide and float boat);

  • the ranch land probably looks much like in those pictures of lots of rock and short sage brush, pretty arid. I suspect in some areas where there is water (some creeks) there is thicker and taller vegetation, but I bet most of the ranch looks like rock and short brush;

  • I would hope the food on site is good, as I can’t think of much anywhere near there.

Did you go already? [cheers.gif]

By the way, I know the couple that owns this working ranch in central Wyoming: Willow Creek Ranch at the Hole in the Wall http://willowcreekranch.com

Barry and Kristen Crago. Both attorneys, but I expect they both work the ranch more than they do practicing law (Kristen was a law clerk for our federal district court and Barry was part-time Johnson County Attorney, last I talked with either, but one or both may have left the law). I really like both of them. Really salt of the earth people. I think the ranch was passed down to them, but am not certain of that history. I believe both have ranching (rather than law) in their lineage. Barry has invited me to come to the place, but I’ve never made it (one day, hopefully). In a “wet” year up there (the “Big Horn Basin” - they are towards the southern end of the basin) it really greens up nice and those red rock/green grass contrasts are beautiful. I do believe the actual “Hole in the Wall” of fame sits on their property.

Just looking through the photos for Willow Creek Ranch. This is Barry:





The dude is the real deal. Always has been. I need to get up there. Thanks for reminding me! [cheers.gif]

My take-away from this thread is that I need to hang out with Terry more :slight_smile:

Friend just went here and really enjoyed it. http://www.kdiamondk.com Brought his kids and they were exhausted, but enjoyed the heck out of it.