Wyoming is one of our largest states and yet it has the smallest population. Thus it has kept its wild, unspoiled beauty, fresh air and wide open spaces far more than most parts of the country. As described in John McPhee’s wonderful book, RISING FROM THE PLAINS, Wyoming is the place where the Great Plains rise up to meet the Rockies and the Continental Divide. The incredible geological formations of Yellowstone Park and the Grand Tetons are in the northwest part of the state. Herds of wild horses used to thrive here and many thousands are protected and still roam freely on federal land.
Millions of tourists speed through the state each year on the few large highways headed to Yellowstone and other points of interest. They experience little of the real life of the state which is mostly hidden far from the busy highways and only have contact with gas station attendants and restaurant waitresses. There are some pseudo ranches close by the highways which cater to passing motorists who are novice riders. They stay mostly at a walk with lines of nose to tail riders and see only the outward trappings of ranch life; big hats, jangling spurs, sing-along’s and barbecues.
To experience the picturesque life of a Wyoming ranch one must dig deeper and get well off the highways. Many genuine working ranches raising horses and cattle still exist in the back country. A few of them welcome guests who want to experience the picturesque life of a Wyoming ranch and do some horseback riding calibrated to their level of ability on well trained, athletic horses in spectacular country.
At Equitours we recognize Wyoming’s potential as one of the world’s premier places to ride and have run our own Bitterroot Ranch for horseback riding for 35 years now.
Take a virtual ride around the Bitterroot Ranch with our video tour and hear what our guests have to say about their stay.
Click below for details on the various options:
Wyoming - BITTERROOT CATTLE ROUNDUP - The Bitterroot Ranch's cows are driven into the mountains on July 1st and must be rounded up and taken off the forest by the end of September. They fatten well on the succulent grass which grows quickly as the snow melts. We frequently move them from pasture to pasture on the high alpine meadows interspersed with forest and guests have the opportunity to help with this interesting and often difficult work. The last week of September we round up the cows and bring them down from the forest to winter on our lower ranch. It is quite an undertaking to find them all over 50 square miles of rugged mountains and forest. We and our guests spend many hours in the saddle hunting for them in this vast area.
Wyoming - BITTERROOT RANCH - The ranch raises purebred Arabian horses and Black Angus and Scottish Highland cattle. Guests have a chance to take trail rides and work cattle which graze for three months of the year in the adjacent national forest. It is also a fine place to assess and hone riding skills and to prepare for a riding tour abroad. The Bitterroot is the last ranch in a remote mountain valley traversed by a rushing stream. It is located at the place where the plains meet the mountains so that one can ride on all types of terrain.
Wyoming - DUDE RANCH VACATION WITH
OUTSTANDING HORSEBACK RIDING -
Wyoming - WASHAKIE WILDERNESS PACK TRIPS - The Bitterroot Ranch makes a wonderful base for wilderness pack trips as it is adjacent to the 6 million acre Greater Yellowstone ecosystem (the largest wild area left in the lower 48 states). After leaving the ranch you can be deep in the wilderness within a few hours leaving all signs of civilization behind. The scenery is spectacular and there are almost always snow capped mountains in sight. Topping over a high mountain pass one can often see a herd of elk grazing in a meadow below or spot a big horned sheep perched incredibly on the side of a cliff. In the valleys one sometimes sees moose or grizzly bear.
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Horseback Riding at the Ranch in Wyoming
Wyoming cattledrive.
Horse packing in Wyoming
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