Reading for Riders

Welcome to the Bitterroot online magazine. From discounts and recent press to ranch videos and recipes and from tales about the first days of the ranch to helpful riding tips you will find all sorts of information in these pages. We hope this is a great resource as you decide were to go on a horse riding vacation or as you reminisce about your past experiences at the ranch. If you would like to share a story, images or a video from your visit we would love to hear from you. Happy trails!

Dude ranches got their start in the West in the 1880s not long after the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Many wealthy foreigners made hunting trips and sight seeing excursions to the American West which was home to abundant wild game and provided magnificent unspoiled scenery. A famous early dude was Theodore Roosevelt. After…

How the seasons change around the ranch Summer guests at our dude ranch have little understanding of the other seasons in this part of the world. Summer is the most important time, but I think it is interesting to know the rest of the story. It makes what one sees in the summer and the…

Ranching probably plays a more important role in Wyoming life than it does in any other state. Wyoming never had rich strikes of gold and silver like neighboring Colorado and Montana which brought thousands of miners and their followers so there was little to hold any of the stream of settlers passing through with dreams…

One of the most compelling images in American history is that of the mounted warrior in full regalia with eagle feather headdress holding spear and shield. It is evocative of consummate equestrian skill, indomitable courage and a life in open spaces free of civilized constraints. It is easy to forget that this colorful equestrian culture…

The Dubois Rodeo is a fun, family-friendly event held every Friday night from mid-June to mid-August. The rodeo is about a 40 minute drive from the ranch, but guests who go think the drive is well worth it. Rodeo visitors will see all the major events: barrel racing, team roping, break away roping, saddle-bronc riding,…

The Shoshone National forest surrounds Dubois and borders our ranch. Much of the economic activity in the Upper Wind River Valley depends on this forest which extends to Yellowstone Park. Our ranch borders the Shoshone National Forest on the north and many of our day rides enter it. It reaches from us to Yellowstone Park…

We are fortunate to have a spectacular view of the Wind River Mountains across the valley from us. On most days we can see 100 miles of this spiny range which also forms the Continental Divide. Guests at the Bitterrot Ranch have the wide vista of the perpetually snowcapped Wind River Mountains in view across…

Following the Wind River The Wind River rises just on the east side of the Continental Divide between Jackson and Dubois to begin its winding journey for thousands of miles to empty eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. It first rushes out of the mountains fed by a myriad of little streams racing to join…

Our ranch is located in the foothills of the Absaroka Mountains and looks across the Wind River Valley toward the snowcapped peaks of the Wind River Mountains. The 60 square mile grazing lease for our cattle during the summer is located at the southern end of the vast expanse of the Absarokas. Many of our…

Wyoming has one of the largest Indian reservations in the US called the Wind River Reservation which covers an area half the size of New Jersey. It covers a large part of the Wind River Valley and the surrounding mountains with good farm land and excellent hunting and fishing. It has significant oil and natural…

Wyoming is home to one of the great natural treasures on our planet; Yellowstone Park. It was the first national park preserved by any country and remains the most famous. Despite its remote location, it has about 3 million visitors a year. Signs of volcanic action are everywhere and the fiery tumult of the earth?s…

The breathtaking vista of the Snake River Valley with the steep chain of the snow clad Teton Mountains rising to such a great height so sharply behind is unquestionably one of the world’s most unforgettable and uplifting sights. There are countless trails for hikers and many challenging ascents for mountain climbers to say nothing of…