Approaching the Bar BC

The Bar BC from the air, when it was still in operation. (Photo courtesy of the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, 1958.2805.001)

The Bar BC was one of the first dude ranches in Jackson Hole, and perhaps the most iconic. Today, it's the oldest one still standing. It was founded in 1912 by Struthers Burt and Harold Carncross, Easterners who emigrated to Wyoming. Burt and his wife, Katharine Newlin Burt, were prolific writers, so their ranch attracted a more artistic and literary set. The clientele tended to be wealthy Easterners who wanted a rustic vacation experience, away from the constraints of high society. Many former guests bought ranches in the area, and some of their families are still in the valley today. During the heyday of dude ranching in the 1910s and 20s, many other ranches operated in Jackson Hole and throughout the West. At its height in the 1920s, the Bar BC was actually one of the valley's largest employers, hiring over fifty people to help run the ranch each summer. The industry declined as tourism dropped during the Great Depression and World War II, though there are still some dude ranches in Jackson Hole today.