Spanning over 96, 000 acres beneath Wyoming's Absaroka Mountains, this storied ranch has defined the American West for nearly 150 years. Founded in 1878 and brought to life through Charles Belden's iconic photography and later the Marlboro Man campaign, it remains one of the most recognized landscapes in Western culture. The property continues as a working cattle operation with historic headquarters, hay meadows, and mountain pastures that sustain its herd. Wildlife abounds, from trophy elk and mule deer to trout-rich waters along the Greybull River, offering unmatched hunting and fishing. A legacy of conservation and stewardship ensures its heritage endures, making it a rare opportunity to own and carry forward a living icon of the West. Pitchfork Ranch - A Living Icon of the American West Set beneath the dramatic skyline of Wyoming's Absaroka Mountains, this is one of the American West's most historic and storied landholdings. Encompassing 96, 115 acres of deeded, leased, and permitted lands near Meeteetse, it has shaped the course of ranching, wildlife conservation, and cultural imagination for nearly 150 years. An Origin Rooted in Wisdom and Endurance The story begins in 1878 with Otto Franc von Lichtenstein, a Prussian nobleman who sought not only land, but knowledge. When selecting a location for his cattle operation, Otto asked local Native Americans where the snow fell lightest. They guided him to this sheltered basin, where prevailing winds kept the grasslands open even in cold monthsproviding one of the most reliable and affordable wintering grounds in the region. This foundation grew into a ranching empire stretching cattle drives from Meeteetse to the Bighorn Mountains. The nearby town of Otto, Wyoming still bears his name. After Otto's death, the ranch was purchased by the Phelps family, who stewarded it through the early 20th century. It was through this lineage that Charles Belden, a Californian with a keen eye for photography, came to the ranchnot by blood, but by marriage to Frances Phelps. He soon immersed himself in daily life on the ranch. The West, Through a Photographer's Lens Belden became not only a resident, but its most important cultural ambassador. A graduate of MIT with a fascination for mechanics and imagery, he turned his lens on the raw, unfiltered realities of ranch lifecattle drives, snowbound winters, haying crews, and cowboys at work. His images, published in Life, National Geographic, and newspapers nationwide, shaped the public's imagination of the American West. The Pitchfork became more than a cattle operationit became a symbol of Western identity. Marlboro Country: Where the Cowboy Became a Legend Belden laid the groundwork for another powerful visual era. In the early 1980s, the ranch was chosen as the setting for the Marlboro Man campaign, a defining piece of American brand mythology. Shot in 1981 and 1983, the campaign drew on its authentic cowboy lifestyle, sweeping vistas, and rugged terrain. Some images are now preserved in the Meeteetse Museums, standing alongside Belden's work. Those same scenes remain today: ride beneath the Absarokas, and you're in the place where the story began. A Ranching Operation Grounded in Function and Heritage Today, the ranch supports a year-round herd of approximately 1, 300 mother cows. Its ridgelines and high-desert valleys allow wind to strip snow from key grazing areas, minimizing winter feed requirements. Over 1, 100 acres of irrigated hay meadows support production, while the Greybull River and spring systems provide abundant water. At its core stand eight residences, barns, working pens, and historic structures dating to the early 1900s. The Stone House, built in 1914 from hand-cut sandstone, remains the symbolic heart of the ranch with commanding views of the Greybull Basin. Two original barns built with hand-hewn timbers still stand as testaments to its craftsmanship and continuity of purpose. Modern infrastructureincluding natural gas
