Bar BC Ranch: Where the Dude Ranch Was Born

The Bar BC Ranch, established in nineteen twelve along the Snake River in Jackson Hole, was one of the first and most influential dude ranches in the American West. Founded by writer Struthers Burt and his partner Horace Carncross, the Bar BC catered to wealthy Eastern visitors who wanted the romance of ranch life without the grit of actual homesteading. Burt was a Princeton-educated novelist who genuinely loved Wyoming, and he used his literary connections to draw guests from New York and Boston.

The ranch is credited with helping to establish the dude ranch industry as a legitimate Western business model. Burt was also an early advocate for protecting Jackson Hole from commercial development, and his lobbying helped build public support for what became Grand Teton National Park. The ranch buildings are now preserved within the park.