A colossal ranch, twice the size of London and four times larger than New York City, has hit the market for a huge $79.5m (£59m). The Pathfinder Ranch spans an impressive 916,000 acres and includes a large cattle operation, a main home lodge, and even its own church.
To put it into perspective, Greater London covers roughly 387,840 acres, equating to about 607 square miles or 1,572 square kilometres. In contrast, New York City’s total area is around 305 square miles, equivalent to approximately 195,200 acres.
It features an open layout, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the open prairie between the Ferris and Pedro Mountains in Wyoming, US. The ranch is so expansive that it stretches across four counties in central Wyoming.
As highlighted by Luxury Property News, the property boasts hardwood floors, stone and wood walls, and beamed ceilings. Internally, the property includes a bar, a games room, two windowed dining areas and a pass-through kitchen.
The grounds are home to 20 miles of the Sweetwater River and a stretch of the North Platte River, along with historic landmarks from America’s westward expansion, reports the Mirror. These include Independence Rock, the original Pony Express Trail, and the Oregon Trail.
The ranch also houses the nation’s first habitat conservation bank for sage-grouse – the largest ever approved by the US Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service. The property encompasses 12 ranches in total, accommodating approximately 3,400 cows, 180 bulls and 130 saddle horses.
The listing says: “Pathfinder Ranches is a testament to stewardship. Past stewards have worked this ground, building healthy soil, nurturing wildlife habitats, and protecting fragile species such as the greater sage-grouse through thoughtful grazing practices and regenerative efforts.
“This property is a true kingmaker. The next owner will inherit a legacy, with the chance to make a lasting impact on the land, the industry, the culture, and the state of Wyoming. To experience the simple wealth of clean air and wide-open spaces, and to immediately take their place among the major players in the cattle world.”
Scott Williams and Michael Swan from Swan Land Company are marketing the estate for $79.5m. The ranch is reportedly currently owned by Sammons Enterprises, which purchased it between 2005 and 2018 and is now putting it on the market.
The property’s heritage stretches back to the 1870s. It is regarded as one of the most extensive operational ranches in the Rocky Mountains.
On the Pathfinder Ranches website, a statement reads: “Pathfinder Ranches is a collection of historic working ranches in central Wyoming, professionally managed to sustain the health of western rangelands, wildlife habitats, and local ecosystems. Spanning over 900,000 acres, this land represents one of the last great cattle empires of the American West-where generations of ranchers have balanced production with preservation.
“Our legacy is rooted in agribusiness, conservation, and innovation. Pathfinder Ranches supports a large-scale livestock grazing operation while maintaining the nation’s first and largest sage-grouse conservation bank. Across our properties, flocks of Greater Sage-grouse and herds of antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep roam freely among the sweeping sagebrush plains.
“Mountain peaks in the Ferris, Pedro, and Rattlesnake Ranges stand as timeless landmarks above the river valleys and historic trails below. Today, Pathfinder operates multiple lines of business-from ESG corporate solutions to rotational grazing and habitat conservation credits-all grounded in our long-standing commitment to the land and the legacy of those who have cared for it before us.”
