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Lowdown

  • Established

    Late 1800s. Guest ranch since 1907
  • Owner

    Clay and Leah Miller
  • Tel

    307-684-7876
  • Open

    May-Sep
  • Nightly Rates (per adult)*

    $351 - $465
  • Nightly Rates (per child)*

    $137 - $451
  • Minimum Stay

    1 week
  • Maximum Guests

    70
  • Works with travel agents?

    Yes
  • Great For

    Romance, Action & adventure, Peace & quiet, Pampering, Solitude, Diverse scenery, Large family reunions
  • Memberships

    Dude Rancher's Association, Wyoming Dude Ranchers Association, Spur Alliance
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

For 100 years now, folks have been coming to our Wyoming guest ranch for 100 different reasons...

For some, it’s the horseback riding across sage meadows, fishing for native cutthroat trout, or hiking among wildflowers and meadowlarks. For others, it’s the family time, the fun, and campfire stories beneath a snowstorm of stars. Maybe it’s realizing just how much all that’s worth, that keeps folks coming back to our guest ranch year after year.

And maybe it’s time you found your own reasons to come experience Paradise Guest Ranch.

Children at the Ranch

Great for children aged 0 and over

"Dress Me Once More in a Sombrero that Flaps;

Spurs, Flannel Shirt, Slicker and Chaps.

Out Where the Sagebrush is Dusty and Gray;

Make me a Cowboy Again for a Day."

Paradise Ranch has a way of reconnecting kids with animals and the outdoors. Our award winning kids program exposes children to the natural world but it also offers parents a chance to enjoy their own pursuits or spend time with their children having the knowledge and peace of mind that the whole family is being well taken care of. Arts and crafts, pony rides, talent show, kid's fishing derby, kid's rodeo and even overnight pack trips are just some of our kid's activities offered through the program. Our program is all about FUN, our honest to goodness brand, and flexibility. It is designed so parents can pick and choose time spent as a family and time spent in individual pursuits. The program takes all ages from infants through teens. Our Kid's Program counselors are ready to take your children through a week of activities that they will remember for a lifetime.

Arts & Crafts

play-doh, coloring, sketching, For the Children's Rodeo the participants are provided paint and some creative assistance to decorate their horses.

Activities

hiking, picnics, outdoor play area, cookouts, campouts, Weekly Kid's Fishing Derby, Capture The Flag, Animal Track Identifying

Games

scavenger/treasure hunts, board games, horseshoes, volleyball, ping pong, pool table

Baby Sitting

From age 0 to 17. Hourly cost $10.

Baby Sitting Provided By

Crew

Environmental & Social Practices

Environment

Recycling - The ranch recycles all plastic, cardboard and glass.

Independent Water System - Our water is collected from the Big Horn Mountains by a sophisitcated filtration system

Ranch History

Paradise Guest Ranch History

In the late 1890s, Mr. Norman Meldrum drove a herd of cattle from Colorado up to Buffalo, Wyoming, where he had acquired some land. The cattle were wintered near the present Soldier's Home and summered in the upper meadow range of the Big Horns, which was to become Paradise Ranch. Meldrum liked the mountain meadow so well that he proved up on the land and acquired title. He built the original log cabin, which still stands today.

Norman Meldrum’s son, Dr. Gordon Meldrum, returned from the war in the Philippines and decided to settle in Buffalo and establish a practice. Gordon Meldrum was enchanted with the cabin in the mountains and encouraged friends to visit him there. It was these visitors who eventually called the meadow "paradise." The name stuck and eventually became the name of the ranch. Shortly after Dr. Meldrum married Mabel Lee in 1903, they added a few more cabins to accommodate their friends. Soon, they began hosting paying guests and the infant dude ranch was on its way.

Paradise Ranch has hosted many folks from around the globe, including Owen Wister, who wrote a portion of "The Virginian" while a guest; and Aldo Leopold, a writer and guest, wrote this about Paradise Ranch in A Sand County Almanac: "Finally, there was Paradise Ranch, an obvious platitude when read from a map, but something quite different when you arrived there at the end of a hard ride. It lay tucked away on the far side of a high peak,as any proper Paradise should. Through it's verdant meadows meandered a singing trout stream. A horse left for a month on this meadow, waxed so fat that rain-water gathered in a pool on his back. After my first visit to Paradise Ranch I remarked to myself, what else could you call it."

The official date for the beginning is about 1907.

Lowdown

  • Enjoy

    Gourmet, Ranch-style
  • Meals served

    family style, buffet style, everyone eats together, scheduled meals
  • Alcohol

    available for purchase
  • Enjoy dining in

    patio, dining room (casual attire), lounge
  • You'll definitely love

    fresh daily bread, fresh daily desserts
  • Dietary restrictions catered for

    lactose intolerant, vegans, vegetarians, Gluten free, other

Our spacious dining hall rests in the center of the ranch. Here you will enjoy three hearty meals a day.

Just like dinnertime at the old ranch house, meals are a great time to catch up on upcoming activities and announcements at the ranch. Choose from a unique array of wines and pair your selection with dinner on Gourmet Night. Our chef is happy to cater to special diets.

Lowdown

  • Address

    282 Hunter Creek Road
    Buffalo
    Wyoming
    82834
    USA
  • Remote Location

    Yes
  • Elevation

    7600 ft
  • Private Land

    250-1000 acres
  • Public Land

    more than 50k acres

Nearest Town - Buffalo, Wyoming

Buffalo, Wyoming has a population of 4600 (approx), and is situated 16 miles / 30 mins from the Ranch.

Facilities in Buffalo, Wyoming include: grocery store, pharmacy, church, school, post office, medical clinic, hospital, bank, atm, gas station, museum.

For shopping Buffalo, Wyoming offers: small hometown necessity shops, boutique shops, western wear.

Ranch shuttle

$100 RT

Nearest Airports

Sheridan County Airport, Sheridan Wyoming

Distance

50 miles / 1 hour

Airlines

United, Great Lakes

Ranch shuttle

$150 RT


Gillette Campbell County Airport, Gillette Wyoming

Distance

85 miles / 1 hour 30 mins

Airlines

Delta, United, Great Lakes

Ranch shuttle

$200 RT


Casper Natrona County Airport, Casper Wyoming

Distance

136 miles / 2 hours 15 mins

Airlines

Delta, United

Ranch shuttle

$250 RT


Private Air Travel

Nearest location(s)

Buffalo, Wyoming

Travel by

Airplane

Distance

16 miles

Ranch shuttle

$100 RT

Lowdown

  • Type of Riding

    Western Riding
  • Riding opportunities for

    Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced
  • Most riders are

    Intermediate
  • Rides are grouped by

    Age, Ability, Pace of Ride, Rides tailored to guest requests, Families ride together
  • Max riders per ride

    7
  • Wranglers per ride

    1
  • Pace of ride

    Walk, Trot, Lope
  • Guest Horses

    150
  • Horse Types

    Quarterhorse, Appaloosas, Draft Cross, Paints, Arabians, Geldings
  • Hours in the saddle

    Morning - 2 hours
    Afternoon - 2 hours

The Setting

Private Land (250-1000 acres)

Paradise sits on a deeded piece of land homesteaded in 1905.

Public Land (more than 50k acres)

Paradise is surrounded by over 1 million acres of the Bighorn National Forest.


Our Riding

Weight limit for riding

225-250 lbs

Riding considerations

no riding experience needed, We consider height and athletic ability as well as a guest's weight

Hours in the saddle

All day rides are offered on Wednesdays and Fridays. There is a children's rodeo each Saturday.


Why our riding stands out

  • Varied terrain from wide open mountain meadows to mountain trails.
  • We customize rides based on guest requests.
  • All levels of riders are accomodated.

Sample Riding Itinerary

If you would like to see what a week at Paradise is like please view the blog post "A Week in Paradise" at http://www.paradiseranch.com/blog/week-paradise. 

Riding Lessons

Details

lessons are additional, basic riding lessons, advanced horsemanship lessons

Given by

wrangler

Location

in the arena

Pack Trips

We offer a teens (ages 13-17) overnight pack trip on Thursdays.Teens have the once in a lifetime opportunity to ride out to a remote camp accompanied by a wrangler, teens counselor and packer, enjoy dinner and breakfast cooked over the fire, and spend a night under the stars in a canvas wall tent.

Arena Work

Type

outdoor arena

Activities

penning, sorting, roping from the ground, barrels, pole bending, gymkhana, rodeo

Lowdown

  • Nightly Rates (per adult)*

    $351 - $465
  • Nightly Rates (per child)*

    $137 - $451
  • Nightly Rates (nanny)

    $190 - $232
  • Minimum Stay

    1 week
  • Preferred Arrival Day

    Sun
  • Preferred Departure Day

    Sun
  • Style of accommodation

    Ranch rustic
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

Paradise Ranch can cater for up to 70 guests. See below for details and indicative rates.

Cabin | From 1 - 4 Bedrooms

Rates (Per Person)*

$2,460 - $3,260
* Rates will vary based on Season and Accommodation selection. Please contact the ranch directly for Date Request, Availability and exact Rate quote/proposal

Minimum Stay

1 week

Description

Our Ranch provides cabins with 1 - 4 bedrooms. Rates vary depending on the week selected and age. Please see the complete listing of our rates at http://www.paradiseranch.com/rates/rates.

Rooms

1

Bathrooms

Private bathroom, Shared bathroom

Amenities

fridge, microwave, crib, seating area, air conditioning, wood fireplace, washer / dryer

Entertainment

hot tub


Booking Policy

Please call 307.684.7876 of email FUN@paradiseranch.com

Included in your stay

meals, activities, Riding

Extras

Tax

4.2% Lodging & Sales tax

Gratuity

15% Service Charge

Massage

$80/hour

Yoga

$30/person/hour

Guided Fly Fishing

$80-500/person

Lowdown

  • You can borrow

    Cowboy boots, Riding helmets, Saddle bags, Rain coats
  • Communications

    Wireless Internet/Wifi, telephone.
  • Business Services

    computer and fax hookups, printers, common computer, Presentation Large Screen Projector, Flip Charts, PA System..

Onsite

Shopping

Ranch General store with Paradise and Wyoming logo items, a large selections of hats, jackets, gloves, jewelry and other essential and fun ranch items.

Outdoor Activities

mountain biking, Yoga, Golf - 18 hole course, campouts, wagon rides, bird watching

Water based Activities

outdoor pool, hot tub, Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing and instruction.

Spa

relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, rock treatments


Fishing & Wildlife

Fishing Program

"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." At Paradise Ranch, this is our philosophy on fly fishing. We take great pride in teaching our guests the art of fly fishing and igniting a lifelong interest in this wonderful sport.

We have recently expanded our fly fishing program and have a myriad of fishing possibilities to offer our guests. Our guides are well trained which means you count on good fishing advice and a guide attuned to your enjoyment, comfort and satisfaction.

During your week at the ranch we offer casting clinics, knot and fly tying classes and teach you how to strike, play and properly catch and release fish on our private trout ponds. After your start-up lessons, you are free to pursue group guided trips, private guided trips or take off on your own to our productive and varied surrounding waters.

French Creek Angler's Fly Shop: That's right, Paradise has a full service fly shop right on property for your convenience. The fly shop is the place to sign up for fishing trips, attend a casting clinic, get gear for your next outing or find out what "there hittin' on" from our group of experienced fishing guides!

Fishing on offer

spin, fly, river, stocked pond, lake, stream, equipment available, guided inclusive, guided non-inclusive, instruction available

Wildlife

Deer both whitetail and mulies, pronghorn, elk, moose, coyote, wolves, black bear, golden mantle marmots, pine martin, mink, beaver, mountain lion, hawks, eagles, songbirds.


Additional Services

Weddings

We can cater for groups of 75-100.

We have a beautiful log wedding chapel with magnificent views that seats up to 100.


Local Attractions

Yellowstone

Full of natural wonders like Old Faithful, breathtaking views, and beautiful wildlife; Yellowstone National Park is a perfect addition to any Wyoming experience.
Just a short 3-hour trip, many of our guests combine their Paradise Ranch stay with a Yellowstone vacation.

Distance

180 miles / 3 hours

Rental car

Required


The Buffalo Golf Club


Just a little ways from Paradise Ranch is the Buffalo Golf Club, one of the best courses in Wyoming. The course offers a great challenge to everyone. One of the features is the par-three fourth hole with nearly a 90-foot drop to the green. 


Wind River Canyon White Water

About a two and a half hour trip from the ranch, many of our guests schedule this before or after their Ranch stay.

This Native American owned & operated service provides white water rafting excursions and guided trophy fishing in central Wyoming. Wind River Canyon runs through the Wind River Indian Reservation and the Shoshone National Forest.

Rental car

Required

Highs

  • The location of this ranch truly is 'Paradise'; the ranch is stunningly gorgeous
  • There is a large choice of well-organized rides for every ability and level. There are arena activities, as well as beautiful trail riding around the ranch boasting endless views
  • Leah and Clay are incredible hosts; they offer a welcoming, friendly atmosphere. The staff also goes above and beyond to ensure a great time for the entire family; including sleepouts for the children
  • There is a nice pool and hot tub to relax as well as a saloon for adults to gather – sometimes with live music!

Visitor Reviews

Dont just take our word for it, see what visitors like you say...

An Awesome Piece of Paradise

What an exciting and relaxing vacation with our family! Paradise Ranch is situated in the magnificent Bighorn Mountains, with dazzling scenery ranging from snow-capped mountains to mesas filled with wildflowers to steep valley gorges formed by unbelievable rock formations. Our daily activities of horseback riding, hiking, and fishing allowed us to experience these natural wonders under pristine skies and wonderfully fresh air. Of course, none of this was possible without the amazing staff! Everyone was so gracious, so knowledgeable and talented, we were continually impressed by their positive attitudes and caring interactions with everyone in our family, who ranged in age from 8 to 72. Our comfortably rustic cabins were cleaned each day by an attentive staff that met our every need. "Rounded up" by the dining hall bell, we enjoyed delicious gourmet meals three times a day, followed by evenings filled with western song and dance, and shows of talent from the staff and guests that were truly remarkable. This was a truly fabulous vacation filled with lifelong memories of family fun and friendship within the majestic Paradise Ranch.

5 stars

You can find more reviews for Paradise Ranch on TripAdvisor