The Swimming Pool

Guests lounge on the diving board at the swimming pool (courtesy of the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, 1958.0293.001).

Like many visitors to the park today, Bar BC guests looked forward to a swim on hot afternoons. Though the pool here was artificial, its tranquil, reflective surface and cool water were picturesque and welcome additions to the ranch. It was simply a large hollow, fed by a ditch that brought water to the ranch from Cottonwood Creek, over three miles away. Part of the flow was diverted to the garden and corrals, and the rest fed the swimming pool. Wells provided water for drinking and washing. Only two shallow depressions are visible today to mark where the swimming pool once was.