“Eat, stay, play, and sustain”
3 Day Horseback Adventures on a True Western Wyoming Cattle Ranch in Thermopolis
SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch, 3809 Grass Creek Road, Thermopolis, Hot Springs, Wyoming, United States
Authentic Western Ranch Holiday USA
Join SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch in beautiful western Wyoming on a real, working cattle ranch. No riding experience is necessary. Daily rides, home cooked meals, and historical cabins await your adventure.
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 0 to 260 lbs
- Horse Height Range: 14 to 15.4 hands
- Tack Type: Western tack
- Horse Breed: Quarter horses
Meet the instructors
Douglas & Eve
Read more
Read more
Highlights
- 3 days of activities (longer and shorter stays by request)
- Daily horseback riding lessons
- Petting zoo, pony rides, and pasture walks, campfires
- A special ride out for a catered country picnic
- Off-site adventures and excursions (whitewater rafting, hot springs, rodeo, dinner show, shooting)
- 2 nights accommodation
- Airport transfers
- Daily handmade and homegrown meals from scratch
Skill level
- Beginner
2 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 16 participants
Airport transfer available:
Casper–Natrona County International Airport (US$ 479 per person)
Casper–Natrona County International Airport (US$ 479 per person)
Airport transfer available:
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field) (US$ 633 per person)
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field) (US$ 633 per person)
Airport transfer available:
Billings Logan International Airport (US$ 466 per person)
Billings Logan International Airport (US$ 466 per person)
Airport transfer included:
Yellowstone Regional Airport
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
15:00
Check-out Time:
11:00
Facilities
- Hot spring
- Bar
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Lounge
- Picnic area
- Smoke-free property
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Meeting room
Dating to 1890's, our ranch has some tremendous history. The earliest structures are the homestead cabin, originally located adjacent to Grass Creek. In the very early twenty-first century, it was moved once, then again to its current location where it has undergone a complete restoration to its historical specifications by some Norwegian friends in 2005. The next oldest structures on the ranch are “Granny’s” and the “Main House” log cabins. “Granny’s” dates back to the early 1940s, while the “Main House” dates to the early 1920s.
The original “Main House” had no indoor plumbing and electrical was added after the original construction date. These homes are made from solid timbers of lodgepole pine harvested right on Grass Creek. SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch has four beautiful cabins dedicated to visitors. The small cabins (120 square feet, plus a porch) have either one or two double beds. The homestead cabin, first built in 1897, is a fully restored, single room, log home. This cabin was built by the original settlers to Grass Creek and for many years operated as the headquarters to the Grass Creek Ranch that spanned many miles.
After falling into disrepair, the 1897 cabin was remodeled and restored to its current state and now comfortably accommodates guests.
The cookhouse lodge (where all meals are served) is open 24 hours for snacking, camaraderie, and fun. Kitchen hours are limited to scheduled meal times. Cabin guests will receive a key at check-in. A safe is in the main office, should you desire to store valuables during your stay.
Program
Sample daily itinerary
Begin the morning with fresh, custom-roasted coffee or a nice tea. Join the rancher for an egg gathering. Eat a fresh breakfast with handmade scones. Take an hour-long horse ride or lesson. Enjoy lunch with grass-fed burgers, scratch-made buns, and tallow fries. Depart for one of your requested adventures, such as the mineral hot springs (transportation provided), eat an afternoon picnic, and swim the day away, soaking in the natural waters. Return to the ranch for a late evening dinner and enjoy the outside campfire.
Ranch activities and adventures
Most of the ranch activities and adventures will be scheduled in either the mid-morning or late afternoon, between meals. If an adventure is scheduled over a meal time, SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch will cater or otherwise provide for that meal. Here on the ranch, their family and staff invite you to learn and explore - get your hands dirty or sit back and watch the action, either way, they want you involved to the degree you desire. They ask that you only engage staff members and family, not their internship crew. (our inters are learning to change the world of agriculture and are working hard to learn about regenerative agriculture for the summer, but, it may be hard for you to distinguish them from the other staff members, so just ask and they have been taught where to send you for help, should you need it.)
When innovation meets integrity for the purpose of producing food abundantly the result is a mind-blowing experience. You will get excited about plants sprouting, cows grazing, and newborn calves bounding through the perennial grasses their ancestors grazed. Seeing chickens lay eggs, watching a piglet root out some grubs.
Enjoying the bounty, the earth can spring forth are all hallmarks of a living ecosystem, teeming with abundance. Their regenerative rancher will be your guide - no question is off limits; no amount of curiosity is too much. With years of experience, the team can handle those who are farm curious up to and including those who classify themselves as homestead fanatics. Do you simply want to know how good food is properly raised? Or perhaps you are nearing retirement with the dream of living off the land in the wide-open spaces but have no guide or experience.
They are here to help. Their passion is regenerative production - seeing land heal and restored to its natural, symbiotic state of equilibrium between man, animal, and plant biology. They have built the SonRise model successfully, and now want to share it with you. Private classes and lectures are offered free to all-inclusive guests for no additional cost. They want you to get the most out of your visit. To schedule a class, speak to the rancher about the day’s activities.
Activities are available every day on the ranch during your stay.
- Daily horse rides
- Horseback riding lessons
- Horse therapy and pony rides
- Pasture walks and animal tours
- Hiking
- Petting zoo visits
- Evening campfires and stargazing
Meet some of our Horses
Sue
Sue is a real gem. She is nearly 22 years old and has "been there and done that" - very calm, very understanding, and sweet eyes (look into them when you get here, you will see what they mean). She has a sway back, so they are careful who gets on her. She can gather cows, shut gates, cross water, go up and down hills with no problem, and stays calm in stressful situations. The perfect "dude" horse, she loves to trail out and enjoy long walks. She has a very smooth gait (walking rhythm) and is loved by all.
Tommy
Another perfect "dude" horse - Tommy is super slow and mellow. They like to think of him as a lazy surfer, hanging out on the west coast waiting for that perfect wave. He loves his job but has no real "get up and go" so he is perfect for their dude string. He is strong and fit with a smooth ride.
Earl
Earl is a jolly fellow with an interesting story. He is a bit of a giant - at almost 17 hands. He originally came to them with sore front feet and legs, because he had lost some of the collagen paddings between his joints - like arthritis for horses. But, they took him on and immediately had their farrier Chris Newswanger with CN Farrier Services, LLC from Meeteetse, and their Vet, Dr. Kevin Dicky, from the Owl Creek Veterinarian Clinic take a close look and confer with each other.
What they concluded was that Earl could use medical treatment and some fancy, specially crafted shoes for his front legs. Armed with some knowledge and a bit of money to risk on him (the medical injections cost a few bucks), they started on a treatment program. They have seen exceptional results. It always amazes me when something like this comes together in the horse world. Expertly skilled practitioners working their trade. Earl is now a daily rider, with no pain and feeling a lot better.
Moe Bandy
They call him "Mo with Go" and boy howdy, does he have a lot of spunk. He is not going to run off with you, but he does have a lot of joy and energy. He has spent his life training little kids to ride, so he knows what he is doing. If you are riding Moe, you will be near the center of the string, so that he does not get out in the front and lead the whole group to Kansas. A neat feel and good energy, just like the country music singer.
Riata
With perhaps the coolest horse name ever, Riata is their go-to, all-buttons horse. She is equipped with every lever and widget a horse can have. She can move cows, cut, spin, twirl, and loop (just kidding, she cannot loop) - but she does it all. And quite the personality too she is like an excited teenager, always willing to help out. A real spunky thing and small too, she is about 14-3 hands, so next to Earl, she looks like a pony.
Included excursions
Ranch adventures occur off-site and must be selected before your arrival. Although many are available, their most popular are listed below and may be included with your stay (not all adventures are included in every stay - the organizer will write a custom itinerary for you). Any and all admission fees, transportation arrangements, food and drink costs, and any applicable taxes are included in the total cost of your stay on the ranch.
- Butch Cassidy's whiskey trail
- Horse ride out to a country picnic in the hills
- Canoe river trip and catered lunch
- Dinner, live music show, and Western Rodeo
- Hot springs dine and dip
- Horseback cowboy roundup and cattle gathering
Instructors
Douglas Lindamood
"Chief Piglet Chaser and Cattle Wrangler" Douglas Lindamood served as a United States Marine for twenty years. Having spent his early teenage years managing a Cattle Ranch in rural Oregon, he joined the Service soon after graduating High School. He received his Bachelor of Art in Mathematics from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the mid-1990s. Douglas was designated a United States Naval Aviator and selected to pilot the AH-1W "Cobra" Attack Helicopter.
Eve Lindamood
Eve Lindamood provides the “horse sense” of the at SonRise. She is a devoted whole food (Paleo) eater, creative cook and exceptional Mother of three. Eve grew up in Oregon on a beautiful Ranch in the Applegate Valley. A regular Blog contributor and imaginative designer, she adds daily to the quality content expressed at our Guest Ranch. Eve has been the author behind the customer hospitality and horse program at SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch since its inauguration. She is a source of inspiration and enthusiasm at the Ranch and is eager to make you stay both enjoyable and memorable.
Location
The holiday will take place in Grass Creek near Thermopolis, Wyoming, United States.
Food
You will be served all meals, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and snacks and dessert included in your all-inclusive package price. SonRise Grass Creek Guest Ranch grows most of their own food here at SonRise Ranch. Beginning with just a few milk cows, a couple of chickens, and some pigs, they discovered two things; first, food can and does heal. Secondly, the earth is bountiful and abundant - soil is life and can sustain, grow, and heal the lands and the people.
Within just a few years of setting off to grow only enough for their tiny family, using regenerative agriculture principles, they are now feeding hundreds of others connected to them with box subscriptions, whole, half and quarter beef bulk deliveries. You will be visiting an all-natural, regenerative, non-industrial, non-chemical, and non-government subsidy-funded family farm. We rise and serve only grass-fed and grass-finished beef that never eat grain.
They employ a great team of dedicated folks with a passion for what they do. They raise humanely treated, antibiotic-free, organic fed (no SOY, no GMOs) pork, and truly free-range chicken. They have hogs on pasture and many of their animals (pork and chicken) are fed raw milk from their cows, which results in a deep, rich flavor that generations before they enjoyed.
They employ holistic planned grazing methods to feed their ruminate animals the freshest, rapidly growing green grass possible, that simultaneously builds, not depletes, the land and surrounding environment. All meals are served in the cookhouse and may be eaten in the dining hall, picnic benches, or patio. Please do not take food back to your cabin, campsite, or other buildings. Please do not feed human foods to animals. They are on a special diet, as nature intended.
Meal times
Meals are served buffet style each day at the following times in the cookhouse.
- 06:00 Coffee
- 08:00 Self-serve continental breakfast
- 12:00 Lunch
- 18:00 Dinner
Off-site catered meals are served at approximately the times indicated above. They aim to meet their schedules precisely, but please be understanding if they are off by a few minutes. A few of your adventures, such as the “dinner, show, and Rodeo”, offer a meal as part of the outing. All expenses associated with this event (or any others) are covered by the ranch. The guest pays no fees, taxes, or tips (and this includes alcoholic beverages, should you be so inclined to indulge in one).
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Organic
- Paleo diet
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
Historical sites and museums
There are several historical sites within a short distance of the ranch. As you are reading this, you are only a few hundred feed (or perhaps inside) the first settlement on Grass Creek - an 1897 Homestead Cabin. A Scottish family settled this land and completed the cabin in early 1900. The site for the cabin was originally on the grass creek (400 meters north of its present position). A root cellar, dating to late 1898 can still be found near the settlement site. Butch Cassidey and the Sundance Kid often rode in these areas, no doubt, visiting this very ranch while hiding from the law.
His gang would frequent the “hole in the wall” bar near present-day Thermopolis. The actual bar may be seen inside the museum of the Hot Springs County Historical Society in Thermopolis, 30 minutes south of the ranch. A visit to the town of Meeteetse (mee-tea-t-see) only a few miles from the ranch will hold a number of historically significant landmarks, most notably, the infamous Cowboy Bar1, at which occurred the only arrest of one LeeRoy Parker, A.K.A. Butch Cassidy.
Kirwin Ghost Town
Located just east of the town of Meeteetse and dating to the late 1800s is the abandoned, and yet still the nearly complete town of Kirwin. You will need a four-wheel drive, or a two-wheel higher clearance truck to get there, but it is well worth the visit.
Gooseberry Badlands
South and east of the ranch, past the Four-Mile and Highway 120 intersection is the Gooseberry Badlands (follow GPS directions to Worland, Wyoming). This unique landscape can only be seen in one other area of Wyoming (“Hells Half Acre” on the way to Casper, Wy). The site is amazing near sunset on a partly cloudy day. There are picnic benches for eating and viewing the scenery. No charge, open to the public.
Cody Gun Experience
Located in Cody is Cody Gun Experience. In addition to housing an astonishing collection of antique guns, you may also shoot them. Have you ever fired a hand-crank Gatling gun as seen in the old west movies? Well, now you can. Cody Gun Experience pairs nicely with the Cody Nigh Rodeo.
What's included
- Daily morning horse rides
- Regenerative agriculture tours and classes
- All on-site activities
- Off-site adventures
- 2 nights accommodation
- All meals
- Drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
- Snacks
- Fun in and around the ranch
- Transportation
- Admission costs
What's not included
- Airfare
- All inclusive stay taxes
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CPR
Casper–Natrona County International Airport
213 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 479 per person
BZN
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field)
281 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 633 per person
BIL
Billings Logan International Airport
207 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 466 per person
COD
Yellowstone Regional Airport
69 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Casper–Natrona County International Airport (CPR), or Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field) (BZN).
All transportation costs quoted to and from airports is valid for up to four (4) guests, not per person.
Airport: Casper–Natrona County International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Casper–Natrona County International Airport (US$ 479 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field)
Airport transfer available:
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Gallatin Field) (US$ 633 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Billings Logan International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Billings Logan International Airport (US$ 466 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Yellowstone Regional Airport
Airport transfer included: Yellowstone Regional Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 1 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
102696
Similar Holidays you might like
Why choose Tripaneer.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price