Moose Head Ranch is unique. Unlike other guest ranches Moose Head Ranch is privately owned, family operated and completely surrounded by Grand Teton National Park, providing our guests with a panoramic vista of the Teton Range.
Imagine riding with your family and seeing elk, bison, mule deer and antelope up close. Picture meadows of alpine flowers such as lupine and fireweed as you gaze down at the legendary Snake River.
At the end of each ride relax on your cabin porch or the Lodge deck with the ever-changing vista of the majestic Tetons in the distance, with no blaring horns or city noises, just the sound of the babbling brook and the laughter of your children as they play with new-found friends.
Point out the Milky Way and track the numerous shooting stars seen crossing the evening sky.
Bond with your children without the interfering sports schedules, meetings and social activities that crowd your family life back home. When was the last time you played cards or checkers with your kids?
All of that and more is here for you at the ranch.
Good time to go
Our season begins end of May and ends mid-August
Children at the Ranch
Great for children aged 6 and over
At Moose Head we believe in family vacations and for us, this means you ride and eat with your children. Therefore, Moose Head does not have a 'children’s ride', everyone rides together. Families and couples ride in small groups always accompanied by a wrangler.
Challenge your kids to a game of horseshoes or croquet. Play a friendly game of volleyball. After dinner, go for a drive to look for elusive moose that come out at dusk.
Minimum age children can ride
6 and over
Activities
outdoor play area
Games
board games, horseshoes, soccer, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, croquet, kickball, softball
Baby Sitting Provided By
We reccomend a service in Jackson.
Ranch History
Moose Head Ranch today hardly resembles the ranch originally homesteaded by Eva Topping in 1925.
The road down the hill from the office was the original highway from Yellowstone National Park to Jackson.
Back then, the ranch consisted of buildings and cabins in the area near and above the corral and barn.
A gas station sat where the office is now; the laundry room overlooked the corral and the original lodge still exists, much as it did then, between the large spruce trees across from the office.
Inside, along with the usual ranch rooms, there was even a post office, as Moose Head was the town of Elk, Wyoming.
Eva Topping was the true pioneer woman: postmistress, school teacher as well as ranch owner and manager.
As she grew older, Eva shouldered other burdens as well, most specifically the declining health of her husband, Fred. Eva put Moose Head on the market in the late summer of 1967.
The Mettler family was indeed fortunate that John Mettler saw the ranch the day it came on the market.
After a year of living with the ranch in its original state, John and Eleo began to design and build the lodge and family cabins. Cabins were staked out with views from picture windows in mind.
A branch of Spread Creek that runs through the ranch was used to fill trout ponds that John created. Most of the lodge was constructed during the winter of 1968-1969, often in temperatures of 40 below zero.
The lodge was completed in time for the arrival of the first Mettler guests in June of 1969.