To make a reservation, please submit a Reservation Request to discuss the dates and details of your trip. Please help us by outlining the style of trip you are most interested in, details about your group, your timeframe of availability, and the number of days you’d like to visit. Jessie or Ian will be emailing you back to start the conversation and help you plan your trip. You can email directly to info@diamond4ranch.com, but please provide as much detail as possible to help us get the conversation started.

Once we have confirmed availability with you, we will direct you through the 3-step Reservation Process which can be found in the “HOW TO BOOK A TRIP” portion on the specific webpage of the style of trip you are doing (Spot Pack Trip, Guided Pack Trip, Mountain Ranch Vacation, or any Specialty Trip).

1. Each member of your party will need to submit a Reservation Form

2. Everyone in your group will need to sign a Digital Liability Waiver

3. You will need to pay your non-refundable 25% Deposit to lock in your trip

Once ALL members of your party have completed these 3 steps, your trip is officially confirmed!

Personal checks or cash may be used at the ranch. Due to our off-the-grid location, we are unable to take credit cards or process Venmo payments while on the ranch.

Deposits are non-refundable. Balance is due 14 days before arrival for all trips except Spot Pack Trips as cost is determined by number of horses used. For Spot Pack Trip guests, please pay with a check or cash upon arrival and finalizing horse count. Early departures are non-refundable. If you’d like to purchase trip insurance, we suggest Travel Guard.

The health and safety of our guests and staff is our highest priority, and we ask for everyone’s help practicing social distancing and prevention of Covid-19 exposure before arrival and during travel; wear a mask traveling through airports, on airplanes, or other public transportation.

The lodge has indoor/outdoor seating, we encourage fresh air socialization. Please bring a mask and sanitizer for your own personal use and discretion.

The Riverton, WY Airport is 30 miles from Lander, served by United Express. For an airport shuttle from Riverton to Dickinson Park contact Natasha (307-855-1790 or 307-850-2090) or Gator Creek Taxi Service (307-851-3619). There is a rental service in Lander and Riverton - Priceless Car Rentals - or you can rent a vehicle through Turo. Some groups prefer to rent a car from Denver, CO or Salt Lake City, UT, either is a 6-hour drive to Lander, WY. Jackson Hole, WY airport is 3 hours from Lander, near Yellowstone and the Tetons, and a beautiful drive over the mountains to Lander. This combines nicely with touring Yellowstone before or after your Diamond 4 Ranch visit.

Follow these driving instructions exactly, and do not use your GPS once you’ve left Hines General Store. Compact or larger SUV are best for ground clearance. The last 15 miles will be on a dirt road, so leave with a full gas tank and a spare tire. Usual drive time is an hour and a half from Lander. You will drive 35 miles and gain 4,000 feet in elevation on this rugged but spectacularly scenic trip!

A tribal crossing permit is required for the two days of tribal road usage on arrival and departure. Passes can be purchased online or at the following physical locations: Lander—Exxon Station or Wild Iris Mountain Sports, Dubois—Marlow’s Fly Shop, Riverton—Rocky Mountain Sports, Fort Washakie—Hines General Store

Drive 14 miles north from Lander on US HWY 287 to Hines General Store and turn left onto “Trout Creek Road”. In approximately five miles, the asphalt road turns into a dirt road, and in less than one mile you will come to a fork—stay straight (right) at the fork. Follow this main dirt road for another 15 miles across the beautiful Wind River Indian Reservation to “Dickinson Park”. Do not take any marked or unmarked shortcuts as they will not take you to us. You will have arrived at the Diamond 4 Ranch once you enter into Dickinson Park where we will eagerly be waiting to greet you!

Yes. Wyoming State Fishing Licenses may be purchased online before your trip or in the town of Lander at Wind River Outdoor Company or Wild Iris Mountain Sports.

In recent years, the Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes have enforced a policy to charge any non-tribal members who drive across the reservation to get to the National Forest. Our ranch is located in the Shoshone National Forest and the only access to our place is to drive through the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Tribal Fishing Permit serves as a fee to use the road that also allows folks to fish on the reservation, if they so choose. Everyone who drives on the road must have a permit. Here is a very helpful, thorough description of the current situation as well as details on how to purchase the permit: Wind River Outdoor Company Tribal Fishing/Trespass Permit Information

If you do plan to fish while on your vacation with us, please understand that you will need to purchase a Wyoming State Fishing License in addition to your Tribal Fishing Permit since we will be traveling/camping on National Forest & Wilderness area during your trip with us. Once you drive off the reservation and onto the National Forest, your Tribal Fishing Permit is not a valid pass for fishing.

We understand this gets confusing and spendy for our clients, but these are the rules enforced by the tribes that we must obey. We ask our guests to please have patience and understanding that this is a matter out of our control. We also recognize that this extra cost and hurdle to accessing our area in the Wind Rivers has helped keep the number of people down - more solitude in the mountains is a great perk! You can purchase a Tribal Fishing Permit in Lander at Wind River Outdoor Company, Wild Iris, the Exxon station, the Good Place or Hines General Store.

Our ranch is off-the-grid. Besides the little bit of solar power in the main lodge, we do not have electricity. We use propane to power the water heaters in each showerhouse and the cooking appliances in the lodge. There are battery-powered lanterns in the cabins, glamping tents, and sheepwagons.

WATER: Our water comes from natural springs and is safe and delicious to drink. The cabins each have sinks with cold running water, and there is a showerhouse with plenty of hot water. Guests staying in the sheepwagons or glamping tents use the sinks at the showerhouse or lodge, as there are no sinks in those accommodations.

TOILETS: We use outhouses and clean them every day. Because of our remote location and limited supply of natural-spring water, we do not have flushable toilets.

There is very limited access to cell service & wifi at the ranch. Only in recent years, we’ve acquired a cell phone amplifier and satellite internet to use only for business and urgent matters. Otherwise, you can find consistent cell service about 15 minutes down the road at a high lookout spot. When going on day rides from the ranch, you will find that most trails have spots with a cell connection - whether you choose to turn on your phone or be fully unplugged is up to you!

No. Because of the extremely high fire danger that smoking inflicts while in the backcountry, we do not allow smoking or any open flame while staying with us. Please also be considerate of the open country along your drive to the Diamond 4 Ranch as forest fire danger is a legitimate concern.

The Diamond 4 Ranch is located at 9,200 feet, and we hike and ride horses on trails up to 11,800 feet.

The short answer to this question is, “Yes.” Our ranch is located at 9,200ft, and we ride on trails up to 11,800ft. If you have any health concerns that may be affected by elevation, we recommend please consulting your physician. We suggest drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and bringing any medication you normally use. We also advise against alcohol consumption until you feel you have acclimated to the altitude.

We always ride our horses at a walk for safety and high-altitude considerations. Enjoy the solitude and alpine beauty! Prior riding experience is very helpful for your own comfort and balance, and your horse will appreciate it too. Horseback riding is an ACTIVE SPORT. Riding horses on the Diamond 4 Ranch is done in an uncontrolled environment and is not to be considered a leisure activity. Riding lessons are encouraged prior to joining us on our rugged mountain terrain.

If you have any medical concerns that may affect your experience while in the backcountry, please inform us ahead of time on how we can best support you. We highly recommend talking with your primary care physician about the demands of exploring in high elevations to help you decide if the Diamond 4 Ranch is the best vacation for you.

Riding horses at the Diamond 4 Ranch is considered to be an active sport and is done so in a rugged mountain environment. We ride at a walk in rocky, sometimes steep terrain. Prior riding experience is very helpful for your own comfort, safety and balance, as well as that of your horses’. Riding lessons or prior horseback riding experience outside of the arena is encouraged prior to joining us in the backcountry. We pour years of training into each horse to create a team of solid, trusty, gentle mountain horses that are good for beginners, but we also ask our guests to do their part and gain as much knowledge/experience as possible before arriving to the ranch to better ensure the safety of themselves and our horses.

The short answer is, “No, there is not”. The Diamond 4 Ranch is located in what we like to call the “backcountry”. We explore some of the wildest landscapes in the lower 48 and encounter wildlife in their natural habitat.

Riding helmets are welcome, but not required. We leave that safety decision up to you and your family. If you choose to wear a riding helmet, please bring your personal helmet along as we do not provide them.

We do not allow guests to bring their personal horses. Since we’ve raised almost all of our 100 horses on the ranch, they are well-acclimated to this job, the herd dynamics and this high-altitude environment. Please enjoy our trusty steeds!

We just have one person per horse. The age limit for kiddos to ride our horses is 6 years old.

Children ages 6 and older are welcome and encouraged to participate in all ranch activities with their parents.

Weight limit for riders is 250 lbs, and we recommend riders to consider their athleticism and ability to get on your horse from the ground and then back down again after your ride. Our number one goal is to keep everyone safe.

Our ranch liability insurance prohibits us from accommodating riders who are pregnant.

We ask that all guests arrive at the ranch well-informed on “Leave No Trace” principles. Our aim is to have minimal impact on the environment, be mindful stewards of the land, and preserve the pristine element of the wilderness for many generations to come.

Please review the Leave No Trace Principals before your trip.

Another great resource is the USFS website for Outdoor Safety & Ethics:

If there is a campfire ban enforced by the USFS during a dry year, we follow that ban seriously. In that case, we do not build campfires on Guided Pack Trips, and we ask all Spot Pack Trip guests to also not build any fires while camping. Otherwise, if there is no campfire ban due to drought, we do have campfires on Guided Pack Trips - closely following “Leave No Trace” principles of using already established fire rings on durable surfaces, burning smaller pieces of wood all the way through and dumping plenty water on it at the end of each use. Forest fires are a real and scary concern as we live in a very dry climate - we ask every guest to strictly follow “Leave No Trace” principles and be extremely cautious and mindful with building fires.

While we love our furry four-legged friends, we ask that you please leave all family pets with a trusted sitter prior to arriving at the Diamond 4 Ranch. There are local kennels in Lander and Riverton available to you if you will be stopping in at the Diamond 4 Ranch along your family’s summer road trip. We strongly recommend planning ahead if you need to reserve a kennel. If you are on a Spot Pack Trip, hiking to your destination (not riding) and do not plan to spend the night in a cabin at the ranch, it is fine for you to bring your dog. Please ensure that it is on a leash, well-behaved around the horses, does not disturb wildlife, and is not aggressive to people, cats, or other dogs.

We occasionally see black bears in this part of the Winds. We maintain tidy camps and take proper food storage protocols seriously in order to keep the bears from becoming habituated to humans. A USFS Special Order that requires all food and other attractants to be stored unavailable to bears on the Shoshone and the Bridger-Teton National Forests is currently in effect. All food and attractants (canned goods, soda, alcohol, toothpaste, lip balm, game meat, garbage, dog food, livestock feed, etc.) need to be suspended at least 10 feet high and 4 feet from a post or tree or stored inside a vehicle, bear-resistant container, or hard-sided trailer.

You can find more information about USFS regulations here.

If you are a Spot Pack Trip guest, we encourage you to bring bear spray. If you are a Guided Pack Trip guest, please know you are welcome to bring your own bear spray if you would like, but the ranch will provide each trip with two cans for the camp.

The USFS has great information about staying safe in bear country on their website. If you have additional questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@diamond4ranch.com

Your stay in a cozy handcrafted log cabin includes family-style meals in the lodge, daily horseback riding, trout fishing, natural history hikes and wildlife viewing.

Single cabin occupancy is welcome, however, requires a 25% rate increase. See rates on the Mountain Ranch Vacation page.

Inquire directly to discuss details around an MRV Cabin Buyout (25-30 guest occupancy). MUST be booked at least 6 months in advance.

The cabins do not have bathrooms inside. Each cabin has a sink with natural spring water that is delicious and safe to drink. Nearby your cabin, there is a shower house with plenty of hot water as well as nearby outhouses. The sheepwagons do not have sinks, so you can use the nearby showerhouse for washing.

We recommend guests bring

- Long pants (denim preferably)

- Boots (preferably slip-on with non-tread soles)

- Hat (please be sure your hat fits you well and won’t blow off)

- Rain gear (no rain ponchos please)

- Layers as mentioned in the section below

Some favorite local resources are: Boot Barn, Murdoch’s, Tractor Supply or Bomgaars

We recommend bringing

- Base layers

- Jacket – fleece and/or puffy

- Vest (optional) – fleece and/or puffy

- Rain jacket and pants

- Comfortable hiking shoes

- Socks – wicking fiber (Smartwool, merino)

- Gloves and cap

- Day Pack – for hiking

- Refillable quart water bottle

- Sunglasses

- Sunscreen & lip balm

- Small packable toiletries/first aid/medication

- Headlamp (or small flashlight)

Some favorite resources are: Backcountry, REI, Moosejaw or Sierra Trading Post

A typical breakfast may include: banana bread or cinnamon rolls, breakfast sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese, country potatoes, fruit and oatmeal.

A typical sack lunch includes: sandwich or wrap (w/ fresh veggies, lunch meat and cheese), crackers or chips, jerky, fresh fruit, granola bars or trail mix, and candy.

A typical dinner will start off with an appetizer (chips and salsa, charcuterie board, veggies and dip, etc.) and be concluded with a dessert (fruit cobblers, brownies, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, etc.).

Each dinner will include a meat (oftentimes we incorporate elk, moose, antelope or mule deer that we have harvested in the Wind River Range), fresh vegetables (salad, stir-fry, stew, etc.), and a carbohydrate (fresh bread, quinoa, rice, pasta, etc.).

Absolutely! We will accommodate any of your dietary restrictions to ensure you are eating well on this trip. We plan three meals a day, appetizers, desserts and plenty of drink options.

Please let us know of any allergies/dietary restrictions you may have when you fill out your reservation forms.

Yes. Even if you are doing a fully-guided Mountain Ranch Vacation or Guided Pack Trip and we’re providing the meals, you are welcome to bring any supplemental snacks, drink preferences, alcohol, etc.

No. Please bring your own if you would like.

Our minimum guest occupancy for Guided Pack Trips is 2 people and maximum is 10 people. If the group number is under 4, it is a higher rate than if it is 4 - 10.

We offer 4, 5, or 6-day Guided Pack Trips.

Our Guided Pack Trip allows you to enjoy riding, hiking, fly fishing or just relaxing while camping in the heart of the mountains. Our guides prepare wonderful meals, tend camp, wrangle horses and guide you on rides/hikes from basecamp each day.

With your goals & abilities in mind, we will tailor the itinerary to best suit your family or group. We have designed trips specifically for painters, photographers, serious fly fishermen, yoga retreats, outdoor enthusiasts and family adventurers. As outdoor educators, we share our knowledge of the local ecosystem, horsemanship, backcountry camping, navigation, edible plants and more.

For the majority of our Guided Pack Trips, it is about a 5-hour ride into camp.

We welcome you to split the difference! If you prefer to ride intermittently, we encourage you to enjoy the scenery along the trail from the back of a kind and sure-footed saddle horse and hike when you feel like stretching your legs.

Our guest-to-staff ratio is typically 2-to-1 on our guided pack trips.

On Guided Pack Trips, we furnish all camp equipment and food. You only need to bring your sleeping bag/pad, personal clothing and optional fishing gear.

We recommend guests bring

- Long pants (denim preferably)

- Boots (preferably slip-on with non-tread soles)

- Hat (please be sure your hat fits you well and won’t blow off)

- Rain gear (no rain ponchos please)

- Layers as mentioned in the section below

Some favorite local resources are: Boot Barn, Murdoch’s, Tractor Supply or Bomgaars

We recommend bringing

- Base layers

- Jacket – fleece and/or puffy

- Vest (optional) – fleece and/or puffy

- Rain jacket and pants

- Comfortable hiking shoes

- Socks – wicking fiber (Smartwool, merino)

- Gloves and cap

- Day Pack – for hiking

- Refillable quart water bottle

- Sunglasses

- Sunscreen & lip balm

- Small packable toiletries/first aid/medication

- Headlamp (or small flashlight)

Some favorite resources are: Backcountry, REI, Moosejaw or Sierra Trading Post

A typical breakfast may include: banana bread or cinnamon rolls, breakfast sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese, hashbrowns, fruit, and oatmeal.

A typical sack lunch includes: sandwich or wrap (w/ fresh veggies, lunch meat and cheese), crackers or chips, jerky, fresh fruit, granola bars or trail mix, and candy.

A typical dinner will start off with an appetizer (chips and salsa, charcuterie board, veggies and dip, etc.) and be concluded with a dessert (fruit cobblers, brownies, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, etc.).

Each dinner will include a meat (oftentimes we incorporate elk, moose, antelope or mule deer that we have harvested in the Wind River Range), fresh vegetables (salad, stir-fry, stew, etc.), and a carbohydrate (fresh bread, quinoa, rice, pasta, etc.).

Absolutely! We will accommodate any of your dietary restrictions to ensure you are eating well on this trip. We plan three meals a day, appetizers, desserts and plenty of drink options.

Please let us know of any allergies/dietary restrictions you may have when you fill out your reservation forms.

Yes. Even if you are doing a fully-guided Mountain Ranch Vacation or Guided Pack Trip and we’re providing the meals, you are welcome to bring any supplemental snacks, drink preferences, alcohol, etc. We do not provide alcohol.

Group size can be 1 - 15 people.

Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, tables, or drinking water.

Follow the guidelines below to ensure these areas can be enjoyed by future generations.

- Campsites must be 200 feet from trails, lakes, streams, or wet meadows.

- There is a 16 consecutive-day stay limit. Any new location must be at least 5 miles from the previous location.

- Group size is limited to 15 people. Check with the local ranger district office for specifics in the area you want to go.

- Bear food storage regulations must be followed.

* Check with the USFS local ranger district office in Lander for any seasonal restrictions that may apply.

There is a 16 consecutive day limit on the National Forest. Most folks do Spot Pack Trip lengths of 4 - 7 days.

Pack Horses are loaded with 140 lbs maximum (70lbs on each side). Please pack your gear in small, condensed form in order for us to pack the panniers most efficiently. Light, bulky, awkward-shaped gear fills up pannier space quickly without necessarily reaching the weight limit. To see the dimensions of our panniers and the size of gear we recommend you bring, click here.

From our ranch in Dickinson Park, we access these main trailheads: Smith Lake, North Fork of the Popo Agie and Bears Ears. The farthest we go on the Smith Lake Trail is to Middle Lake (4-hour ride). The farthest we go on the North Fork Trail is to Lonesome Lake/Cirque of the Towers (8-hour ride) or up the Pinto Park Trail to Baer Lakes (5-hour ride) or Pinto Park (6-hour ride). The farthest we go on the Bears Ears Trail is Grave Lake (9-hour ride).

The charge is $325/horse/day to any locations on the Smith Lake Trail or the North Fork Trail, up until Papoose Lake area/Lizard Head Meadows. The charge is $375/horse/day to all locations on the Bears Ears Trail and to Papoose Lake or farther on the North Fork Trail.

Cabins are available before your trip, by advance reservation, at a rate of $125/person for a cabin, dinner and breakfast.

Yes! Many groups split up with some people riding and some hiking. We do not “share” the riding horses, though. If the riders prefer to get off and walk/lead their horse at any time on the ride, they are encouraged to stretch their legs. Folks can opt to ride IN and hike OUT / hike IN and ride OUT - please just give us plenty heads up so we can plan horse numbers accordingly.

We welcome you to split the difference! If you prefer to ride intermittently, we encourage you to enjoy the scenery along the trail from the back of a kind and sure-footed saddle horse and hike when you feel like stretching your legs.

If you’re hiking, you are welcome to hike ahead of the horses. If you know your route, we will simply pack your gear in, meet you at camp to unload it, and return at the end of your trip to load your gear back up and pack you out.

If you plan to ride in and out of camp, we do require that you ride with a wrangler.

Yes. Our wranglers will lead your party and the pack string to a camp in the Popo Agie Wilderness, drop you off at a predetermined location, then return a few days later to pack you out. You will be responsible for setting up, maintaining, and tearing down your camp during your trip.

We provide the wranglers and horses to shuttle your gear. You will need to supply all your own camp gear, recreation gear, and food.

We recommend guests bring

- Long pants (denim preferably)

- Boots (preferably slip-on with non-tread soles)

- Hat (please be sure your hat fits you well and won’t blow off)

- Rain gear top and bottom (no rain ponchos please)

- Jacket (fleece and/or puffy)

- Refillable quart water bottle

Some favorite local resources are: Boot Barn, Murdoch’s, Tractor Supply or Bomgaars