Jackson Hole’s Darwin Ranch offers an authentic Western adventure
16 Aug 2021
The guest ranch does things differently — and the result is pure magic
Summer/Fall 2021
Written By: Morgan McGlashon | Images: Courtesy Darwin Ranch
When someone mentions the Darwin Ranch, people often turn in the direction of the utterance to chime in, “You know the Darwin? That place is magical.” And it is.
Nestled in the Upper Gros Ventre River Valley along the river’s edge is an idyllic rustic lodge, 100-year-old cabins, and a woodfired hot tub and sauna that border the Gros Ventre Wilderness and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. A herd of adopted mustangs gallop through the meadow, pigs and chickens wander around the yard, and fine-spotted cutthroat trout leap from the clear waters along the confluence of Kinky Creek and the Gros Ventre River. It looks and feels like a setting out of a fairy tale — a mix of Wild West and mystical mountain wilderness retreat. A day at the Darwin Ranch begins with steaming hot coffee and freshly baked granola and homemade yogurt topped with locally harvested elderberries, or piping hot shakshuka and sourdough bread. Guests gather around community tables and discuss their plans for the day. Horseback riding through the Gros Ventre Wilderness, a hike to the top of Strawberry Butte, fly-fishing along the banks of the Gros Ventre River, or reading a book on the back deck.
The Darwin is the launch pad for any adventure one might dream up, but it’s also more than that. It is the place to return to after the day’s adventure for good food and stimulating conversation. As owner and operations ranch manager Oliver Klingenstein describes, “People come to the Darwin for an authentic Western adventure, but they return for the conversations. That’s what Darwin has always been about, since way before me.”
As the most remote guest ranch in the lower 48, the Darwin Ranch offers an authentic experience that goes beyond a typical Western summer vacation. When asked how the Darwin is different than a traditional guest ranch, Oliver says, “We are a guest ranch in our day-to-day operations, but we think like an eco-lodge and our experience is most similar to a safari lodge in its remoteness. It’s Western, but there is an intellectual portion of our experience that you can engage with if you want that is more similar to a safari lodge.”
