Where teenagers become ranchers

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Where teenagers become ranchers ~

Elk Creek Ranch sits at the end of a dirt road in Wyoming's Sunlight Valley, between the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains. There's no cell service. No screens. No shortcuts. Each summer, a small group of teenagers — no more than 25 each session — live and work on a real ranch, the way ranchers have in this valley for over a century.

Every camper is paired with their own horse on the first day. They learn to saddle, ride, and care for that horse themselves. They pack into the backcountry for days at a time. They build fences, split wood, and gather around a campfire at the end of a long day. Over the years, they've raised cabins, extended the dining hall, and built barns that still stand. At the end of each session, they receive a small paycheck for their work — for many, the first they've ever earned.

The Ridgway family has run Elk Creek Ranch since 1957. Three generations have welcomed teenagers from across the country and around the world to this same valley, this same work, this same tradition of growing up by doing hard things in a beautiful place.

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Experience the Essence of Elk Creek Ranch

Horseback Riding

Every rancher is matched with their own horse for the entire session — not a trail ride horse assigned for the afternoon, but their horse, the one they groom and ride each day. Beginners and experienced riders alike learn western horsemanship the real way: through daily practice on mountain trails, in open meadows, and on multi-day pack trips deep into the Absarokas.

Backpacking

Ranchers spend several days in the backcountry on foot, carrying everything they need on their backs. They navigate trails through some of the most remote wilderness in the lower 48, set up camp beside alpine lakes, cook their own meals, and learn to read weather, terrain, and their own limits. It's the kind of challenge that sounds hard when you describe it and feels like the best thing you've ever done when it's over.

Work crew

The ranch runs on the work of its ranchers. Each day includes real projects — fence repair, horse training, trail clearing, carpentry — alongside the daily chores of feeding, grooming, and maintaining tack. The work changes every summer based on what the ranch needs. Recent years have seen new corrals, rebuilt sections of trail, and young horses started under saddle. At the end of the session, each rancher receives a small refund of tuition for their contribution.

Summer camp testimonial for Elk Creek Ranch

“We as parents try to find environments where our children will learn by doing and where the balance of challenge and support will help them develop confidence. This is so hard to provide at home where the 'living is easy.' You get it right at Elk Creek and we are so grateful to have found you. We want to send our warm thanks for contributing so much to Lucie's life, well-being, and happiness.”

— Linden and Scott Wise (parents)

“Dear Emily, Sometimes I wonder if my years at ECR are something I imagined. If not totally, then at least the most fantastic parts. Could it be that I got to work with such terrific people at such real and enjoyable work? Is it possible that I was allowed to do exactly what I wanted to do and was respected for it? Could that chance come to someone so young and naive and so.... Like me? Sometimes I can't believe it. What you and your family have given me is unrecordable, let alone repayable. Thank you.”

— Dave Shubert (former rancher and wrangler and current parent)

Summer 2026

We run two four-week sessions each summer, each limited to 25 teenagers ages 13–17. The small size is intentional — it's what makes this a community, not a crowd.