Old Pitchfork Ranch Meeteetse, Wyoming

Details & Features

For nearly 150 years, Old Pitchfork Ranch has stood as a cornerstone of Wyoming’s ranching heritage. Established in 1878 by Count Otto Franc von Lichtenstein, the ranch served as one of the Big Horn Basin’s earliest cattle operations and remains deeply tied to its history. Franc’s adobe residence, built around 1880 and once home to the region’s first U.S. Post Office, endures as one of the oldest standing structures in the Basin. With 18-inch adobe walls still intact, the home has been carefully restored by current owners Greg and Stephanie Luce, who preserved its authenticity while adding thoughtful updates such as river-recovered heart pine floors, cypress ceilings, custom cabinetry, radiant heating, and clerestory windows.

The compound includes other significant buildings: a restored log bunkhouse once used by ranch hands, including a young Butch Cassidy; a fully original 160-foot-long log barn from the 1880s; and a relocated guest cabin from the Pitchfork’s dude ranch days. Together they create a historic yet functional homestead.

The 285-acre property is traversed by over two miles of the Greybull River, a pristine native trout stream renowned for Yellowstone cutthroat fishing. Irrigated pastures support horses and hay production, while the barn, corrals, and round corral provide excellent equestrian infrastructure. The ranch offers direct access to riding, hunting, and fishing, with national forest trailheads nearby.

Protected by a conservation easement, the ranch retains its character while offering two building envelopes for future expansion. Abundant wildlife, world-class fishing, and unspoiled night skies make Old Pitchfork a rare blend of history, wilderness, and modern comfort.

• Established in 1878, one of Wyoming’s most historic ranches
• Circa 1880 adobe home, restored with modern comforts
• Additional historic structures: bunkhouse, 160-ft barn, and guest cabin
• Over 2 miles of Greybull River frontage provide world-class fly fishing for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout
• Equestrian infrastructure includes a historic barn, corrals, and restored round corral support horse keeping, riding, and pack trips
• Regular sightings of elk, moose, deer, ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes on the property
• A conservation easement that protects ranch character while allowing agricultural use and two designated building envelopes for future development
• 83 acres of irrigated hay and horse pasture
• Easy access to national forest trailheads and the Absarokas