Special Travel Deal!

Special reduced rate, $150.00 dollars off regular spring cattle drive weeks April 21-28 & April 28-May 5 in 2012.

About

My family homesteaded near the WY/MT boarder around 1894. At the time, the nearby town was named after Frank Strong, Bessie Tillett’s father. Frank donated land for a main street, a sheriff's office, and a school. He built the depot, the hotel, bar, pool hall and cafe. In 1895, Frank purchased a herd of 300 cows from the TX Ranch in Texas. The herd was driven north to “Strong, WY” and today "Lovell, WY". Frank in turn registered the TX brand in both states.

Today the Tillett family has been trailing its cattle through “Bad Pass Trail” to its Dryhead summer range grass and then back home in the fall for over 117 years, before the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and National Park Service were established. As a teenager, Bessie Strong carried the mail through Dryhead by horseback to all the homesteaders. Her son, Lloyd Tillett played a major role in saving the herd alongside author Hope Ryden, who wrote"America's Last Wild Horses". The family’s cattle grazed the Pryor Mountains before they were a National Forest. As all of this is part of our heritage, we have an awful lot of family history that you will learn about during your ranch stay.

The TX Guest Ranch began welcoming guests in 1976 ~ long before the film City Slickers ever hit the big screen, but has been on the big screen a fair amount as well! The TX Ranch participated in "Jamie Oliver's; American Road Trip" for UK Channel 4 and was featured in"The Real Cowboy: Portrait of an American Icon" for The History Channel.

Activities

TX Ranch spring and fall consecutive day cattle drives; excellent scenic open range riding, gathering herd, cutting our cow/ calf pairs, chasing down strays, etc.

After the drive is complete, activities below are included:
TX Ranch "Spring and Summer Weeks," excellent scenic open range riding, riding for cattle, round up cattle, chasing down strays, cattle drives, each day horse wrangling, open range working cattle activities, roping, throwing calves, cutting out cattle from herd, branding, doctoring, colt working, etc.

Please keep in mind ranch activities are not compulsory. During the evening, we enjoy relaxing around a warm open campfire, remembering the day with stories from around the globe. We also enjoy a few tunes or guitar, whatever may be!

Accommodations

Our cow camps are located at original homestead sites. This is where we will return each day. Each camp has a log cabin and porch where excellent ranch style home cooked meals are prepared and served. Please make yourself a home. We want you to feel like part of the family and one of the cowboys! Readily available hot / cold drinking water, mixes, tea, and coffee. Everything in camp is set up and provided; camp style accommodations, canvas wall tents, good sturdy cots, out house toilet and shower buildings, camp accessories, etc.

Food

Excellent ranch style home cooked meals are prepared mornings and evenings. Midday meal can take place either at camp cabin or out on the trail when we meet the herd with supplies and a cooler style lunch with sandwich materials, bread, meats, veggies, fruits, chips and desert snacks.

Area Attractions

At the ranch-- The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range borders the TX Ranch. The ranch spreads out for miles between the Pryor Mountain all the way down to the Big Horn Canyon and its breathtaking overlook!

Still existing original home stead sites. Yellowtail Overlook and the Historic Caroline Lochardt Ranch. Lovell, WY, Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Museum located right outside town.

Nearby-- Cody, WY, Buffalo Bill Cody Historic Center / Museum, Yellowstone Park and Harden, MT, Custer’s Battlefield.