Klondike Ranch- Wyoming Working Ranch Vacations
If you like trail riding, you will love riding for a purpose.- Klondike Ranch
Klondike Ranch runs 650 cow-calf pairs in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming and is close to many historical sites of the frontier era. Guests can reserve their minimum one-week stay between June 1st and October 1st, but many choose to stay longer. Klondike prides itself on a down home feeling and will accommodate no more than 10 people at a time. The ranch is a member of the longtime Dude Ranchers' Association and Wyoming Dude Rancher's Association.
The ranch is nestled in the midst of the most unspoiled and beautiful country in America. Four times the size of Luxembourg, Johnson County, Wyoming, is home to just eight thousand people. This is the American West, as it once was - rugged, friendly and unchanging. ––Klondike Ranch
“Our visitors are part of the family. They work with us, eat with us, and play with us,” says owner Richard Tass.
Klondike is a historic cattle ranch that was established in 1886. Today Klondike Ranch is run by Richard and Patty Tass and has been in the Tass family since 1920. In 1918, Richard’s grandfather took advantage of the Homestead Act and made the journey from Minnesota to homestead in the unfenced, open rangeland not too far from where Klondike sits today. The Tasses chose this particular piece of land because it was well irrigated and could therefore produce hay to support their horses and cows. It will continue to be a family-run operation, as the Tass children and grandchildren live on the ranch now.
Guests come to Klondike to ride and can get as much saddle time as they want. Over half their guests are horse owners who come here to ride out in the open country.
Guests can expect to spend the first two days of their stay getting acclimated to ranch life, as they get fitted for a saddle, are matched with a horse for the week, and begin riding out in the scenic Wyoming country. By Wednesday, Tass and his crew will head to the mountains and camp overnight. They check on the cows and fences, and will move them to different pastures as needed.
Travelers come to Klondike to ride and can get as much saddle time as they desire. Tass acknowledges that over half their guests are horse owners who come for new riding experiences in the open country. Because Klondike Ranch is a small operation, guests can map out their own agenda. If they aren’t herding cattle, they can take longer trail rides to explore the legendary Crazy Woman Canyon, or camp overnight at Bighorn National Forest and check out those riding trails.
A number of the pivotal events in the settling of the West took place within a few miles of Klondike Ranch, including the Johnson County War, fought between small settling ranches and large established ranchers.
Guests are also welcome to take time away from the saddle and are encouraged to check out the local museums and battle sites that illustrate the western history of the United States.
Learn more about Klondike Ranch and search for authentic working ranches in Equitrekking’s Vacation Guide, an online guide featuring great dude ranches, guest ranches, working ranches and cattle drives. Check out more great ranches at Top20Ranches.com.
About the Author: Jocelyn Pierce is an avid equestrian and lover of travel and photography. Her passion for adventure has led her on numerous excursions throughout North America and Europe. When she’s not riding and competing her homebred mare, she enjoys hiking, camping, and snapping photographs.
