TRENDS
BACK IN THE SADDLE
A private working ranch in Wyoming lures guests with the promise of adventure and transformation.
by Jennie Nunn
Even though I grew up in a small coastal town 40 minutes from downtown L. A., I’ ve always felt suited for ranch life. My mom grew up on a farm raising goats and horses, my dad took us camping, and I rode horses at summer sleepaway camp. All these years later, I think the magnetic pull of the mountains, still air and bright stars is much more than that. Maybe it’ s the weight of living in big cities for years, or perhaps it’ s the allure of the pure humility and grit of ranch living.
When I got wind of the recently opened Reid Creek Lodge( wagonhound. com), a family-owned working ranch by Wagonhound Land & Livestock Co. that dates back to the 1800s, I jumped at the chance to embrace my country side— cowboy hat, dusty jeans and all.
Tucked in the Laramie Range in the Rocky Mountains, Reid Creek Lodge is roughly an hour’ s drive from Casper, Wyo., just south of the teeny town of Douglas. Set on 300,000 acres, the ranch feels like your own private national park. Getting there is as easy as hopping on a direct fl ight from Denver. After being greeted
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF REID CREEK LODGE
From top left: The property’ s main lodge under a starry sky; Reid Creek is a working ranch, horses and all; the lodge’ s porch and rocking chairs invite guests to sit for a spell; cowboy boots are de rigueur.
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