Nearly one million acres of Wyoming land listed for $79.5M

A ranch in Wyoming so vast it’s bigger than the state of Rhode Island, and more than four times the size of New York City, is now for sale, with an asking price of $79.5 million.

The Pathfinder Ranches, totaling more than 916,000 acres (about 1,431 square miles), stretch across Natrona, Carbon, Sweetwater, and Fremont counties. The property includes rolling rangelands, mountain backdrops, river corridors, and even its own church, making it one of the largest working ranches in the Rocky Mountain West.

“It is a rare assemblage,” Scott Williams, associate broker with Swan Land Company, which listed the property Wednesday told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s really hard to represent just how big it is … the realization didn’t hit me until one day I was standing on one mountain range looking across to the other, and I saw that it was all Pathfinder in between.”

The ranch operates as a major cattle enterprise. According to the real estate listing, its rangeland is rated at 90,444 Animal Unit Months, though current operations leave room for wildlife alongside cattle.

“You could describe Pathfinder Ranch as a grazing empire,” Williams told The New York Times. “It’s a vast expanse of grasslands, sagebrush, river corridors, wildlife, and, simply, freedom.”

Pathfinder includes 20 miles of the Sweetwater River, portions of the North Platte River, and water rights dating back to 1879. It is also home to the nation’s first habitat conservation bank for sage grouse, approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ryan Lance, president of Pathfinder Ranches, told Mansion Global that the property is “one of few remaining large cattle operations in the American West. But more than that, Pathfinder represents a piece of our country’s pioneering spirit, productive and thoughtfully managed land, and a chance to make a real contribution to both modern ranching practices and conservation.”

The ranch’s legacy dates back to the late 1800s and intersects with iconic moments of westward expansion. The Oregon Trail crosses the ranch, the Pony Express, the California and the Mormon trails. Historic landmarks like Independence Rock and Devil’s Gate lie nearby, where pioneers carved their names into stone.

“You’re reminded of the grit and determination of the American spirit,” Williams told The New York Times. “It still lives on here.”

Four Distinct Units, One Massive Holding
Pathfinder Ranches are composed of four main units:

• Two Crosses Unit: Features the 6,579-square-foot Great Pathfinder Lodge with nine bedrooms and sweeping views of Pathfinder Reservoir, plus the Sand Creek Hunting Lodge, a riding arena, church, shops, and employee housing.
• Beulah Belle Unit: Includes historic ranches such as the Dumbell Ranch, Oil Can Ranch, and Spear Ranch, along with barns, corrals, and a main house.
• Stewart Creek Unit: The largest, spanning grazing allotments to the eastern side of Green Mountain, with multiple ranch houses and spring-fed ponds.
• Wooden Rifle Unit: Home to ranches like Two Iron and Bison Bend, offering views of the Miracle Mile fishing stretch on the North Platte River.

Conservation easements and historical covenants protect much of the ranch from future subdivision or development. 

While its scale evokes the fictional Dutton Ranch from Yellowstone, Pathfinder is far from isolated. It’s 16 miles from Alcova, 45 miles from Casper, and 72 miles from Rawlins, close enough for modern conveniences, but still steeped in open-range solitude.

»Related: One of America’s largest and most iconic New Mexico ranches changes hands