Historic Wyoming Ranch In Teton County Listed For $58 Million Sold

One of Wyoming’s most expensive properties is off the market. The storied Gros Ventre Ranch, which has been rebranded the Grand View River Ranch, has sold to an undisclosed buyer, according to real estate brokerage Keller Williams Jackson Hole.

The property had been listed for $58 million and is one of those very rare inholdings in Teton County that’s surrounded by Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger Teton National Forest. They surround the ranch with incredible wilderness views that are never likely to change, unless the mountains and the forests themselves do the changing.

The ranch has unparalleled access to hiking and horseback riding trails, and a portion of the Gros Ventre River crosses the front of the property, giving private access to a river that supports a strong native fishery.

The 118-acre ranch, which has long operated as a dude or guest ranch in Jackson Hole, also has more than 24 buildings that can accommodate up to 40 guests and 30 staff members.

The main lodge has a picture window that captures a spectacular view worthy of a portrait far off in the distance — but no famous artist is required. Just a moment to take a deep breath and look out the window.

Storied History

It’s not known if the new owners plan to continue operating Grand View River Ranch as a guest ranch.

Cowboy State Daily was told by the public relations team for Keller Williams that the owners are very mindful of the property’s storied history in Wyoming, which started out as the William Smith homestead in 1910.

The ranch has changed hands a few times. William Woodward bought it in 1920, then John Barnes in 1932.

Barnes refused to sell the ranch to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who was buying up properties in the area to create what he called Jackson Hole Monument, now Grand Teton National Park. But he lost the ranch in a card game to a cowboy named Claude Wham in 1944.

Wham worked for the Chambers brothers on Mormon Row Ranch. He’s the one who brought the Bar BC Cabin from the ranch of the same name, as well as the J.O. Lodge to the property. Bar BC was one of the first guest ranches in Jackson Hole.

Other historic structures moved to the ranch at one time or another include the Kelly Cabin, one of three structures that survived the 1927 Kelly Flood, and the McReynolds Barn, which came from the McReynolds Homestead near Mormon Row just north of Blacktail Butte.

Wham eventually sold out to his employers amid a divorce in the 1960s. The Chambers brothers subsequently opened it as the Flying V Dude Ranch.

New owners bought it in 1986. They renovated the ranch, adding more guest lodges, a barn, and the main lodge within the first couple of years.

They also constructed the Karl’s Fork Bridge, which directly links the property to both the national forest and National Elk Refuge, as well as many horseback and hiking trails.

Scene Of Massive 1920s Landslide

There’s also some history behind how the river came to be on the Grand River View Ranch property. It was pushed there by a massive landslide in 1925, after heavy rainfall produced unstable geologic conditions.

In a mere three minutes, 50 million cubic yards of mud, rock and debris a mile wide let loose all at once, rolling down the north slope of Sheep Mountain at 50 mph, according to historical documents.

There was so much momentum, the landslide continued traveling another 300 feet up the opposite slope before finally stopping.

The huge landslide blocked the Gros Ventre River, forcing it to find a new course. It also created a new lake, today named the Lower Slide Lake.

At first, the nearby town of Kelly seemed safe after the massive landslide. But in 1927, after a severe winter and a particularly wet spring, water topped the dam, destroying it. The resulting tidal wave roared into Kelly, killing six people, and all but destroying the town.

At the time, Kelly had been on a short list for county seat, but, due to the flood, Jackson was chosen as the county seat instead.

Kelly has never fully regained its size, which continues today as a census-designated place in Teton County with a population around 200, according to the most recent census data.

That’s up by about 50 people from the last 2010 U.S. Census.

Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily

Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.