Elk Creek Ranch 2026 (Sunlight Basin, WY)
Outdoors · Cody, WY · Ages 13–18
Schedule
- Jun 16 – Jul 12, 2026 · 12:00 AM–11:59 PM · Ranch Program — 1st Session (Jun 16-Jul 12)
- Jun 16 – Aug 9, 2026 · 12:00 AM–11:59 PM · Ranch Program — Full Summer (Jun 16-Aug 9)
- Jun 14 – Jul 12, 2026 · 12:00 AM–11:59 PM · Leadership Program — 1st Session (Jun 14-Jul 12)
- Jun 14 – Aug 9, 2026 · 12:00 AM–11:59 PM · Leadership Program — Full Summer (Jun 14-Aug 9)
About
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.
