So, You Wanna Be a Cowboy?

It’s the sound of the crickets that gets to people. That soft, harmonious strumming rising up from the tall grasses of the 70,000 acre the Kara Creek Ranch grazes cattle on.

And it gets you because that’s all you hear.

No traffic. No trains. No buses. No one, really.

Which is weird, right? Hearing nothing but the wind, the crickets, the soft scraping of a gate closing, the clack of a cowboy boot. It’s weird.

“For some people, the first couple of days are kind of hard because it’s such a change,” said Cassie Snook, the ranch’s assistant manager, and daughter of Monte, aka The Boss Man.

Which is the whole point. An arrival at the ranch, just south of Sundance, Wyoming, right there along Highway 116, signals a departure from the manic pace of everyday life; a life that worships busyness as a virtue and looks at rest through narrowed eyes.

You come to the Kara Creek Ranch to challenge all of that.

“A lot of people have used the term ‘ranch rehab.’ I do feel like, in a way, we change a lot of people’s perspectives on life,” she added. “It doesn’t have to be so scheduled. Out here, you’re not bound by a train or all these restrictions. It’s okay just to live and be free.”

A Family Affair for Four Generations

The Kara Creek Ranch is a working ranch. A real boots and saddle operation. Family owned and operated by the Snooks, 3rd and 4th generation ranchers that usually end up being your lifelong friends.

“At Christmas time, we’ll go through our guest book and reach out to people. You think about them often. When they reach out to say, ‘I’m coming back,’ it’s exciting. You really can just become a family,” she says. “Guests have invited my dad to their homes, and he has traveled overseas to visit many of them.”

Also working at the ranch is Cassie’s son, nine-year old Hayes Snook. “He’s the smartest, sweetest, fun-loving boy. After dinner, he’ll go out and teach the guests how to rope,” she says.

And Hope, her three year old daughter. “My spitfire,” she laughs.

There’s also head cowboy Tanner, cocktail craftsman Scott, and Ladena, the ranch’s “flavor wizard,” who occasionally works in the kitchen along with Abbey and Roxanne. Laura keeps everything spotless, including the wood framed guest cabins while Leah keeps things humming.

Tanner, Scott, Ladena, Abbey, Roxanne, Laura, and Leah aren’t technically family, but they might as well be.

“Out here, for our crew and our guests, personal life and business life kind of go together. We really are here for each other personally, too, not just work-related,” said Cassie. 

Learning the Ropes

If you want to come to the Kara Creek Ranch and just hear the crickets, unwind and enjoy being able to hear yourself think, that’s fine.

In between moments of regaining your sanity, you’re welcome to savor every bite of the scratch made food coming out of Ladena, Abbey and Roxanne’s kitchen.

You can gaze at the horses and the black and red angus cattle, cast a line into the ranch’s fully stocked fishing pond, or explore trails that meander through rolling grasslands, creek bottoms, and timbered canyons.

But if you want to roll up your sleeves and really live the cowboy life?

“We advertise that guests can be involved, but I don’t think they fully expect they can help brand the calves or give them their shots,” Cassie said. “If they know how to rope, or we feel they can do it safely, they can rope in the branding pen.”

Kara Creek isn’t a “dude ranch,” where every hour is jam packed and clearly defined for you, like a cruise ship. It’s also not designed to be hokey or a knee slappin’ hee haw.

Because the activities are designed around what is actually going on at the ranch: branding the calves, cattle drives, round ups. And if you want to learn the ropes, the Snook’s will happily hand you a pair of gloves.

“Guests look at us like, ‘We’re going to do it?’ And we say, ‘Yep, you can.’ When they accomplish it, they’re beyond excited,” she added.

The ranch welcomes guests from May to around the end of October, with each month providing wildly different weather and activities. The majority of which are done from the saddle of a horse. 

I’m Actually Going to Ride a Horse?

“Wait, we’ll actually get to ride a horse?”

This might be one of the most common things a guest at Kara Creek usually says. Followed by, “I have no idea how to ride a horse.”

“When people book, they let us know their experience level. When they get here, we ask more questions about their experience and what kind of horse they’d like. We have about 50 horses, so we know which ones are right for different people,” she said.

You’ll also get to groom your horse, saddle it, and tack up.

And because the horse knows exactly what it’s doing, and that you might not, it will behave nicely: first a walk, then a trot, then a canter, then a gallop. Maybe. Maybe it’ll gallop.

“If someone needs a horse that will really take care of them, we have one named Charles,” she said. “Charles will walk. We’re not going to just gallop. He won’t do anything unless you ask him to.”

There’s No Sunset Like a Wyoming Sunset

Someone’s usually strumming their guitar at the Kara Creek Saloon. Where Scott’s pouring one of his signature cocktails. Where everyone parks themselves at the bar, slides into one of the round tables, unwinds after a long day.

Whether they’ve just been relaxing around their cabin or helping round up the 5,000 head of cattle, everyone loves hanging out at the saloon.

Almost as much as they love the evening campfires, yard games, and actually being able to see the sun begin its descent over the horizon, igniting the sky with brush strokes of fiery oranges, hot pinks and cool indigos.

“We occasionally do sunset rides. You can get up on the hill, overlook the ranch and watch the sunset,” she said. “I’ve lived in different places and traveled quite a bit, and I swear there’s no sunset like the ones here.”

For more information about booking a stay at the Kara Creek Ranch, including seasonal activities and rates, click here. You’re also welcome to call 307-209-4887.

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