The essentials
CHECK-IN at 10AM or later on SUNDAY morning. We will have a box lunch ready for you; pick it up and head out on foot or horseback, or lounge around the ranch and get settled in! Please let us know what time you plan to arrive in the Pre-Trip Survey; if you’d like to ride on Sunday, please plan to arrive by noon.
CHECK-OUT is the following Saturday at 10AM.
RANCH PHONE: 307-203-3040. Feel free to give this number to those who might need to reach you. It rings in the lodge kitchen, and can be answered day and night. To reach us from November 1 – June 1, please call Oliver: 415-676-7536.
WAIVERS: All guests are required to sign the Acknowledgement & Assumption of Risk Waiver, and if you choose not to wear a helmet, you’ll have to sign that one as well. The waivers are included at the bottom of the home page.
FISHING LICENSES: Fishing licenses are required for all fishing on public and private lands, and must be purchased prior to your arrival at the ranch. Wyoming Game & Fish issues licenses online here, to print or display on your phone.
TRIP INSURANCE: We have difficulty rebooking a canceled trip, particularly when close to the arrival date, and so are unable to refund deposits. We offer trip insurance that can be purchase easily through out website upon checkout, when booking a stay with us. The Dude Ranchers Association also offers a policy suited to our operation. There are also many options on Insuremytrip.com; please note that it is necessary to buy a comprehensive plan, or Cancel for Any Reason coverage, and to read the fine print for COVID restrictions.
MEDICAL EVACUATION: As a supplement to your personal policy, we recommend that you consider medical helicopter evacuation. MASA has reasonably priced policies with varying levels of coverage; we like them because they have contracts with multiple evacuation services, and will dispatch the service best equipped to handle weather conditions, topography, and the specific medical needs of the patient. There are 4 different helicopters that may be dispatched to the Darwin. The Teton County Search & Rescue helicopter will pick up patients free of charge, however they may defer to private services in the event of a critical medical emergency.
EMERGENCIES: We are in the business of preparedness, and are accustomed to dealing with all sorts of issues that can arise in a backcountry setting. Please feel free to reach out to Oliver (oliver@darwinranch.com, 415-676-7536), who is a Wilderness EMT, for more information about any of our emergency protocols.
You’re in good hands.
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS: We will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions. Please make these details clear to us in the Pre-Trip Survey, which is linked at the top of this page.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: are not included in our cabin rates, nor are we licensed to sell them. Please bring whatever quantity you would like for the week, and we will store it for you. (In cans if possible, better for local recycling.) There are excellent purveyors of wine and spirits in Jackson Hole. We recommend Bin 22 for wine and beer, and Spirits & Spice for liquor. In Pinedale, we recommend Country Lane Liquor for wine, beer and liquor.
THE BAR: We stock our bar with basics: sparkling water, tonic, bitters, vermouth, citrus, lemonade, iced coffee and a variety of iced teas; we do not stock sodas. Our water comes from a deep mountain spring, and is wonderful. Please feel free to bring your personal water bottle, but please do not bring bottled water. The snack bar has an assortment of nuts, dried fruit, bars, homemade cookies, crackers and chips, sweets, fresh fruit, coffee, teas, hot chocolate, and other treats, which are always available. We have reusable water bottles, lunch boxes, and saddle bags.
PHONE & INTERNET: There is an internet based telephone line and limited plug-in internet access available to guests. If you would like to bring your own laptop to plug in, or log in to ours, we recommend disabling 2-factor authentication, as we do not have cell service at the ranch. You are always welcome to use our phone, and there is usually someone in the lodge to answer calls: (307) 203-3040. Our phone line is not an option for international or conference calls; zoom calls and movie streaming are not possible at Darwin. It is our goal to provide an environment free of the intrusions of email and social media; we have a solid library of Western fiction and nonfiction, natural history, nature guides, classics and best sellers. We believe that it is a privilege to take time away from our busy lives, and understand that a work or life emergency may unfortunately arise; please reach out to Oliver beforehand to discuss anticipated challenges, and he can help accommodate your needs.
MAIL & SHIPPING: Mail is picked up once a week when we send our truck to town for supplies. Please feel free to have your friends and family send items to our address below, and please let us know if you plan to ship anything to us ahead of your visit.
USPS, FEDEX or UPS: Guest Name, c/o Darwin Ranch, 4 Pine Drive, Cora, WY 82925