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Darwin rider on the ridge
Darwin trail ride thorugh creek
Darwin horses in field
Darwin woman fly fishing horizontal
Darwin food

Darwin Ranch

Jackson, Wyoming

Contact Darwin Ranch

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  • Hidden

Nearest Regional Airport

Jackson Hole Airport, 110 miles

Nearest International Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport, 285 miles

Elevation

8200

Open

June - October

Guest Capacity

16

The Darwin Ranch is like nothing else in the west.

Drawing inspiration from safari lodges of East Africa, we offer unparalleled experiences and unforgettable hospitality at our secluded high-altitude oasis. At the most remote guest ranch in the lower 48 states, 25 miles down a dirt road, you will find a herd of horses dotting a spectacular green river valley amid a collection of 100-year-old cabins. We are surrounded by 2.5 million acres of Bridger Teton National Forest and in a secluded and amazing area.

We offer the best: the best access to the epic remoteness of the Bridger-Teton Forest and the Gros Ventre Wilderness and an approach that offers you the freedom to make this experience your own; the best food that the west can present: fresh, local, organic, homemade, and delicious; and the best service that quietly assures your experience is unforgettable.

We are off the grid and are working towards a zero-waste future. We are committed to preserving, protecting, and sharing the land. For the Darwin, this includes commitments to maintaining the lightest possible footprint; to holistic pasture management; to facilitating exploration and personal challenge; to communicating the wonders of our location and broader ecosystem; to preparing meals with responsibly raised and sustainably sourced ingredients; to providing a relaxed, responsive, and friendly guest experience; to meticulously preparing for adversity—asking that guests understand their role in individual and collective safety; to developing a unique, Mustang-based equestrian program; and to engaging in conversation about the privileges, responsibilities, and complexities of recreating in a wilderness area.

At Darwin, you can spend the day riding and hiking across mountain ridgelines without a soul for miles in any direction. You can wet a line or settle into an afternoon with a book. You can savor extraordinary meals prepared by our farm-to-table kitchen that sources directly from our family farm. You can gather for cocktails on the porch of the main lodge overlooking the twists and turns of the Gros Ventre River. You can watch the sunset while soaking in our wood-fired hot tub. And you can drift off to sleep in our stunning hand-built cabins whose modern style blends gracefully into the bones of 100-year-old structures.

Darwin trail ride

Activities

  • Archery/Shooting Sports
  • Bird Watching
  • Dancing
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Mountain Biking/E-Biking
  • Natural Water Swimming
  • Pack Trip
  • River Rafting

Riding

  • Beginner Rides
  • Horsemanship Lessons
  • Advanced/Fast rides
  • Private Lessons

Special Events

We recognize that good food comes from a web of relationships, and we want to showcase the full range of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s culinary offerings. As our guests explore our isolated oasis, we create dishes that wander the natural flavors of the landscape and offer a lasting sensory experience.
Inside our kitchen, there is passion and liveliness. Leg of lamb from Ishawooa Mesa Ranch is spit-roasted in front of our fire. Heirloom legumes from neighboring farms become Mejadra lentils. Our homemade yogurt becomes panna cotta. Vegetable harvests from Ishawooa Mesa Ranch and Shoshone River Farm become leafy green salads with homegrown nasturtium flowers.
Our menus are healthy, made from scratch, vegetable-forward, varied, and casual—and they reflect the bounty of the summer season. Our cooks are experienced, imaginative, and inspired by chefs and traditions from around the world.
We are committed to placing sustainability at the forefront of our operation, and we take this ethic into the ways we source our food. We harvest what we can from the landscape we live in—guests can enjoy an elderflower cocktail perched on a cliffs edge a stone’s throw away from the elderberry bush. The majority of our meat and vegetables come from our sister ranch, Ishawooa Mesa Ranch, located in the dramatic landscape outside of Cody, Wyoming, where we raise beef and pork following sustainable, integrated agricultural practices. Food that isn’t directly coming from Ishawooa (by bush plane) is sourced from farms and businesses in Park, Teton, and Sublette Counties.

Darwin food on table

Food Options

  • Gourmet

Enjoy the wild on your own terms from the comfort of our welcoming and intimate accommodation. Settle into our hand-built log cabins whose modern style blends gracefully into the bones of 100-year-old structures. Enjoy the timeless comforts of our cozy beds with crisp sheets & down pillows, wood-burning stoves for chilly nights, private baths, and ranch-generated electricity.

log cabin lodging at Darwin Ranch

  • Lodge Rooms
  • Cabins
  • Horse Safety Program
  • Hot tub

Details

Check-in/Check-out:

Check-in: 4:00 pm

Check-out: 10:00 am

Length of Stay:

7 nights (June - September)

Because the Darwin is a small ranch, our cancellation policy is rather strict. The initial 50% deposit is not refundable. The remaining balance is due April 1st, and it is likewise non-refundable. We encourage you to consider buying trip insurance to cover an unforeseen change of plans. There are several options at insuremytrip.com. Unfortunately, credit cannot be given for late arrivals, early departures or reserved but unused spaces, except for extra persons. Protect yourself from any stress by purchasing travel insurance here!

Map

Darwin Ranch

Jackson, Wyoming

Nearest Regional Airport

Jackson Hole Airport, 110 miles