Big ranches encompass probably millions of acres between Yarnell and Prescott, Arizona, many of them owned by Rex Maughan.
A couple weeks ago I took a ride out Wagner Road…
…which cuts through the TK Bar Ranch.
The TK started off as a mining claim in the early 1900s…
…became a guest ranch in 1947…
…and today is a working cattle ranch.
The road also curves through the Z-Triangle Ranch…
…where Appaloosa horses are trained for pleasure riding.
Just before turning around after a 15-mile slow and scenic ride I encountered the Gold Bar Ranch, seemingly not part of the Maughan empire. Located on the Hassayampa River this working cattle ranch doubles as a Bed & Breakfast offering opportunities to view wildlife and birds, learn to rope a cow, and take guided ATV or horseback rides to nearby Indian ruins, ghost towns and abandoned gold mines.
Enjoyed a semi-sunny day with only a few sprinkles which brought a faint rainbow.
Then headed back on Wagner Road to the main highway home.
It's amazing to me that so many huge ranches exist.
Up in Idaho up the canyon from my Aunt and Uncle's ranch a Dupont heir has a huge ranch with a full time staff. He shows up for a week once a year to hunt praire grouse with his falcons.
He didn't like the sound of the electric generator so he paid Utah Power and Light several million dollars to build a substation and lay about 15 miles of line to his ranch.
I've met him, real nice guy, but a total trust fund dude.
Very generous though, he has a couple snowcats and donates there use to ranchers who have to feed their cows during blizzards.
I wanted to check it out, was stumped initially but finally figured out its Wagoner road, looks like a road trip I'll have to explore!
It was a sweet ride… The bridge was really cool
Thanks for the ride…I thoroughly enjoyed these mega-ranches, which I didn't realize still existed. I'm now going to check out Rex.
If you ever pass Orme Ranch on the way to Prescott (it's in Mayer as you get off I-17), wave for me! I worked there for a couple summers and Prescott was the closest "city" so we'd do our Wal-Mart/supply runs there.
That is some unbelievably gorgeous country.