Paradise Guest Ranch- Buffalo, WY

As much as I love cities, I love wide open spaces. Ridiculously wide open spaces, with nothing for miles, save grazing cattle, tall grasses, and distant mountains. The type of space found only in the West. The type of place described in Cole Porter’s seminal song “Don’t Fence Me In.” Which is exactly what you will find at the Paradise Guest Ranch. For those who dream of wide open spaces, endless skies and cowboy adventures, it is indeed paradise.

Tucked away down a long dusty road, about a half hour outside of the sleepy town of Buffalo, is the Paradise Guest Ranch. It is certainly not the easiest place to get to, or even find, but that is the point. It is a place to escape the modern world; a place to slow down, and appreciate your surroundings. And oddly make new friends from around the world. Despite being a fairly small ranch, we spent our week with a large number of international travelers, including guests from Germany, England, and Sweden. It really is that special.

Dating to the 1890s, the ranch’s first owner, Norman Meldrum, used the mountain meadow as a summer pasture for his cattle. He eventually built a small cabin on the land, which is still standing at the ranch today. In the early 1900s, Meldrum’s son, a local doctor, starting inviting friends to come visit him at the ranch. It proved so wildly popular that they built a few more cabins and opened their doors to paying guests as well; everyone agreed that the meadow property was absolute paradise, which became the name of the ranch. Owen Wister wrote parts of “The Virginian” while a guest at the ranch; Aldo Leopold even referenced it in his 1949 book “A Sand County Almanac,” stating “after my first visit to Paradise Ranch I remarked to myself, what else could you call it.”

The property is every bit as beautiful today as it was back in Aldo’s time. A wonderful stream meanders through the property, while dense stands of trees give way to rocky overlooks. The Big Horn Mountains loom majestically in the distance. So beautiful indeed, the ranch has quite a loyal following of hikers, equestrians, and fly fishers; there really is something for everyone, provided you enjoy outdoor activities. If you don’t, stay home and save a substantial amount of money. I am sure there is something you have been planing to watch on Netflix.

Unless you have children, plan to visit during one of the ranch’s adult weeks. Most activities at the ranch are communal, so if you attend at any other time, you will be spending your vacation with other people’s children. Which is a horrifying prospect to me. Whenever you visit, the options are pretty much the same; each day you can choose to ride, chose to fish, chose to hike, or if you prefer, chose to do nothing. All guests stay in individual cabins; although age and size vary greatly, they are all pretty nice. Our one bedroom cabin was adorable, but was much older than some of the larger units. Ours also did not have a washer and dryer, but I don’t do laundry on vacation, so it wasn’t as issue. What we did have was an amazing mountain view from our front porch.

Before you arrive at the ranch, you submit a profile detailing your riding ability. This is important, as they use this information to match you with a horse for your vacation. Given you will go on many rides, it is important you are compatible with your steed. The ranch has a large stable, and if for some reason their first selection doesn’t work, they are more than happy to switch up horses. My first horse could sense I was nervous, and was an absolute jerk. I swapped her out, and did much better with the second.

The week starts with an orientation ride, to get you acquainted with both your horse and the land. It is a wonderful meandering trip, lasting a few hours, that gives you an excellent overview of the property. After that, it is all up to you. If you are a skilled equestrian, you will spend the day galloping through the fields, full steam ahead. Not quiet there? Start off with a walk and work your way up to a trot. You will never forget your first time at a canter; terrifying yet exhilarating. The rides are also impossibly scenic; even during the hottest summer months you find yourself surrounded by snow capped mountains.

You can also live out your urban cowboy dreams, as they also offer roping and barrel racing. There is however no bull riding, mechanical or otherwise. Regardless, it is great fun to sit around the arena, and compete against other guests. I personally skipped this activity, but I loved watching the others.

After dinner, many guests head over to the saloon, where they frequently have a band or guitar player. Several nights they offer a campfire, complete with sing-alongs. It is all so wonderfully retro. However, perhaps the greatest thrill awaits as the night comes to a close. The mountain sky. A sky many city dwellers are unlikely to recognize. A dark, inky sky, where you can see shooting stars, and identify constellations. For me, paradise indeed.

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