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NEWS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2022
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Pictured Above: The Mead Ranch occupies the southern reaches of the Spring Gulch corridor just beyond the town of Jackson and is host to grazing cattle, resident and migrating wildlife, as well as to iconic viewsheds.
WYOMING RANCH PROPERTIES TAKE MANY FORMS Iconic western properties blend a rich lifestyle with land stewardship. by Staff Writers
The iconic sign atop Teton Pass has long heralded Jackson Hole as “the last of the old west.” While the majority of those residing in the region have gravitated away from the valley’s farming and ranching roots in the ninety-orso years since the signs were erected, ranching remains a tradition and a way of life for stalwart families across the mountain west. The modern landscape is defined, in part, by lands these families have tended, and in many cases have helped to preserve. Whether through applied conservation easements or practical stewardship, the western ranching ideals of Jackson Hole and the surrounding region preserve viewsheds, epitomize open spaces, and serve as habitat and migration corridors for wildlife. The Mead Ranch, bounded by East and West Gros Ventre Buttes, occupies the southern end of the Spring Gulch corridor just outside of the town of Jackson. The central valley location was among the first homesteaded within Jackson Hole, and is currently utilized in support of the family’s sustainable cattle ranching operation. The ranch maintains Spring Creek priority water rights that date back to 1898. Several springs and seeps within the property provide additional water for elk, moose, and mule deer that frequent the ranch. Waterfowl including ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes feed and loaf among the creek frontage, which extends for more than a mile within the property. The ranch’s 257 acres feature a conservation easement that preserves the historical farming and ranching use of the property’s southern end. Approximately sixty-four acres to the north
remains unencumbered and provides for a variety of use opportunities. The eastern boundary of the ranch abuts undeveloped a Wyoming state lands parcel on East Gros Ventre Butte. To the northeast, projecting acreage across Spring Gulch Road encompasses a gently-sloped bench screened by aspen groves and overlooking the entirety of Spring Gulch to the Tetons beyond. On the western slope of the Tetons, the Travis Teton Ranch comprises 318 acres adjacent to public land in Alta, Wyoming. The ranch is currently utilized, in part, for a combination of alfalfa and barley production and benefits from active agricultural status combined with Wyoming’s friendly tax environment. Kiln Creek flows through the property, as do smaller and seasonal waterways. Mixed stands
of aspen and evergreens strip throughout the property’s gently rolling contours to naturally divide the ranch’s cultivated lands. Open meadows and forested areas connect to the Targhee National Forest along the parcel’s eastern edge. An approximately 120-acre Bureau of Land Management parcel adjoins the ranch to its northeast for complete eastern access to public lands. Of course, not all western ranches are defined solely by their production. The Rocky Mountain west has a rich tradition of guest ranches, and in the Jackson Hole region, the residential ranch frequently connotes large acreage without the traditional agricultural or utilitarian purposes. Big Rock Ranch, located just a mile south of See FARM & RANCH on page 13
Pictured Above: The Travis Teton Ranch, on the western slope of the Tetons in Alta, comprises 318 acres of agriculturally-zoned land directly bordering a BLM parcel to the northeast, and the Targhee National Forest to its east.