White Grass Dude Ranch, Grand Teton National Park

The first dude ranch in the West is thought to be the Eaton Ranch, founded originally in what is now North Dakota in the early 1880s. The Eatons moved their ranch to Wolf, Wyoming, near Sheridan, in 1904, where it still operates today; and, thus began Wyoming’s long history of entertaining guests in Western style. Other dude ranches soon followed, mostly near Sheridan and Cody, which had mountain scenery, access to public lands for horseback riding, and proximity to America’s first national park, Yellowstone.

Rock chimney and Grand Tetons at BarBC, July 31, 2017

Jackson Hole was settled relatively late, because of its harsh climate and inaccessibility, and early homesteaders soon learned that making a living at ranching or farming was a marginal proposition. However, they noticed that the spectacular scenery, good fishing and hunting, and pleasant summer weather was attracting friends and visitors to their homes and ranches, and some began charging for lodging, meals, and guide services. The first facility built as a dude ranch was the JY, opened in 1908 by Struthers Burt and Louis Joy. Burt and another partner then started the Bar BC in 1912, and other ranches soon followed. Guests were mainly well-to-do friends of the owners who lived in the Eastern US and sought a rustic escape from the formality of their normal life. In the heyday of dude ranching, the 1920s and 30s, families traveled West by train, and usually stayed for several months.

Historic BarBC Dude Ranch, as viewed from Snake River, August 8, 2017

After World War II the nature of tourism changed with the increase in automobiles, better roads, commercial air service, and a growing middle class with the means to travel. The West was still an attractive vacation site, and dude ranches a popular destination with their rustic yet comfortable lodging and horseback riding in scenic country. Stays were shorter, though, and guests came from a wider walk of life.

Cabin with sod roof on tour of BarBC Dude Ranch, Grand Tetons National Park.

The Triangle X Ranch was started by John S. Turner in 1926, and was sold to the Snake River Land Company in 1930, with the family leasing the property back. The ranch was incorporated into Grand Teton National Park in 1950 when Laurence Rockefeller donated his Snake River holdings to the existing park. The Turner family still manages the Triangle X today, and it is the only operating dude ranch in a national park. Several historic Jackson Hole dude ranches are also now park property, and the White Grass Ranch has been restored as a training center for historic preservation. A number of buildings of the Bar BC are also still standing, and there are hopes that they can be preserved as well.