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You arrive looking for space and silence, and instead you find movement: heads lifting in unison, tails flicking, hooves scattering dust in the dry air. This is Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse EcoSanctuary, where more than 350 mustangs roam free on 4,700 acres of Wyoming land. You don’t watch a performance here. You witness horses living their lives with the rhythm of weather, grass, and instinct. The ranch invites you to learn, then stay the night, so the story lingers well past sunset.
Where You Are And How To Get There
The sanctuary sits 35 minutes west of Laramie and 15 minutes south of Centennial, on the edge of Medicine Bow National Forest near the Snowy Range. The drive itself prepares you, with big sky unfolding and the landscape opening wide. Cell service thins, the air grows cleaner, and your sense of scale shifts before you even reach the gate. By the time you turn onto the gravel road that leads into the ranch, the pace of your day is already slowing.
The Landscape The Horses Read
The land here offers everything the herds need: rolling grasslands, a winding river, cottonwood shade, and the distant shoulders of mountains. You spot a group cresting a ridge, then another at the water’s edge, and you realize how vast their world really is. Fences mark boundaries but never feel confining, and every sightline stretches longer than the last. For the mustangs, this is home. For visitors, it’s a rare chance to step into a setting where horses and land remain inseparable.
How Tours Work And When To Visit
Tours run by appointment from mid May through late September, a two hour ride across the property where guides explain lineage, behaviors, and the ranch’s history. Adults pay $75, children $25, and little ones under age two ride free on a lap. The groups stay small, which keeps the experience intimate and the horses comfortable. Morning tours bring soft light, while evenings add drama with long shadows and cooler air. No matter the hour, you leave with more knowledge than you expected.
What You Learn Riding The Pastures
Watching the herd teaches lessons that books and photos cannot. You see how a lead mare controls direction with subtle cues, how stallions keep watch at the edges, and how young foals test boundaries. The guides speak plainly about drought, forage, and the challenges of care, connecting abstract headlines about wild horses to realities on the ground. The vehicle pauses often, letting you sit in quiet while the herd decides how close you’re allowed. It is their choice, and that matters.
From Cattle To Conservation
Deerwood Ranch began as a cattle operation and still functions as one, but the addition of wild horses changed its identity. Pastures were adapted, water rights adjusted, and the rhythm of daily chores expanded. Rather than separating cattle and horses, the family found ways to make both work in balance. The story of that transition is part of every tour, and it leaves you thinking about how ranching and conservation can coexist without compromise. It’s work rooted in practicality and care.
Stay The Night At Deerwood Station
Deerwood Station is the most comfortable overnight option, a modern two bedroom cabin with a full kitchen and a dining space that overlooks the river. You cook your own meals, sip coffee on the porch, and wake to the sight of bands grazing in the distance. At night, the absence of city lights sharpens the stars until they seem close enough to touch. Staying here turns the ranch from a tour stop into a lived experience, with time to breathe and simply watch.
Sleep In The Rustic Ranch Cabin
If you prefer something with deeper roots, the Rustic Ranch Cabin delivers. Built in the late 1800s as the original homestead, it holds the creaks and character of more than a century. The rooms are simple, the porch faces pasture, and the air carries the smell of grass and wood smoke. Sitting there, you sense the continuity of ranch life, how weather, animals, and people have always shaped each other. For those who value history woven into their stay, this cabin feels honest and grounding.
Cozy Barn Getaway For Two
For something more intimate, the Barn Getaway offers a tucked away lodging space inside the ranch’s wedding barn. It’s warm, private, and close to the hum of chores in the morning but falls quiet at night when lanterns glow and the air cools. Couples find it both romantic and grounding, with the chance to step outside at dawn to hear the first nickers of the herd. If you like the mix of rustic charm and quiet seclusion, this is the right choice.
What To Pack And How To Behave
Bring sturdy shoes, layered clothing, and enough water to last the tour. A wide brimmed hat helps, as does a camera with a zoom lens, though silence often gets you closer than technology. Stay where guides instruct, keep voices low, and never approach the horses on foot. These are wild animals, not pets, and respecting distance makes the experience richer. If storms build or weather shifts, trust your guide’s call. The sanctuary works on the horses’ terms, and so should you.