Once you've escaped to the Johnson County TA Ranch, you'll feel right at home in the carefully restored buildings. Each of the  rooms is warm, inviting and steeped in history. Whether you choose to explore the breathtaking beauty of the Powder River country or just kick back on the porch and gaze up into a star-filled sky, you'll find our ranch to be a getaway like no other.
Come experience riding the way it was meant to be - rider and horse in a free setting. There's no nose-to-tail here - you'll ride the open range across old Indian trails, over canyon hills and wade the creeks until the day is done.
At the ranch, you can easily entertain yourself or let others do it for you!  From riding  and roping demonstrations to cowboy singers/poets and Native American dancers, there's a wide range of talent to draw upon here at the ranch and from the surrounding communities.  It's western, it's authentic, and it's yours to enjoy.

WRWY07
2008 Rates include 7 nights, accommodations, all meals, riding, ranch activities, day tour
8 days/ 7 nights $1,750     Single +  $175 
Children 11-15   $1,260 
Children 4-10     $ 945
HT SPECIAL  10% OFF
for reservations made before April 1, 2008
Taxes:       5%   
Gratuities: 10% 
Open:         May 01 to Sept.30 
Airport:      Sheridan or Casper
Transfer:    $140 per car return (1-4 guests)
Type:          Working Guest Ranch
Tack:          Western 
Horses:       Quarter Cross 
Level:          All riding levels
Pace:  All paces according to riders
Note: Children must be 6 years or older to ride horses

From sun up to sundown, you'll find plenty to do at the T-A Ranch.  You can ride, fish, hike, pitch horseshoes, target shoot, mountain bike, and so much more. Guests say the riding program is one of the best in the West.  Depending upon your abilities, you can trot, lope, or gallop with your horse across our rangeland.   It's riding as it should be -- rider and horse in a free setting.  You're also welcome to refine your skills in the arena, or try your hand at barrel racing and team penning. If there's a cowboy inside you, you'll find him at the T-A. 
The wranglers on staff not only to teach riding skills and horse care, but guide guests in ranch work as well.  For example, you can gather and move cattle, check fences and water, and help with haying  operations. And should you be here during calving season, roundups, or branding, you're welcome to join in.  In other words, you can experience the real West at the T-A!

Accommodations:
Come feel what it was like to live in the Old West. Each room is warm, inviting and steeped in history.
The buildings are the originals from 1880's, and each one has been faithfully restored right down to the wallpaper.
There are 15 sleeping rooms that will accommodate up to 30 people. All guest rooms have a private bathroom. Without a television, radio or even telephone in the redesigned guest rooms, unwanted distractions can't find you.
Each building has a beautiful common area, spacious front porch and a kitchenette with microwave, laundry facilities, coffee maker and fridge for late night snacking.
Televisions, VCRs, telephones, internet access are available at our conference center for those wanting modern connections.
 

Fishing - Fish for trophy brown and rainbow trout at the Johnson County T-A Ranch or head to the Big Horn Mountains for high-country fishing. 
Here's what some of our guests have said...
"I wasn't used to trout snapping my leaders with just a toss of their head.  I had to replace my 4-5# test leaders to handle the lunker trout in the reservoir, but it was fun to watch the beautiful rainbows as they ran away with my broken line."       R. Giles

Hiking - There are quite a few hiking opportunities here at the ranch and elsewhere.  Some of the most popular off-ranch sites are:
Hole-in-the-Wall
Without a doubt, our favorite spot can be found in the famed Hole-in-the-Wall valley where we hike down to the Middle Fork of Powder River to explore the outlaw caves.  It is a challenging jaunt through some of the most scenic and wild  country the West offers.  And beginning this year, we will be offering another trip where guests will be able to hike to the actual notch down through which outlaws entered the valley!  See the "News" section for an update and photos.
Crazy Woman Canyon
The canyon is about five miles from the ranch.  Here you'll find intriguing geology, bountiful wildlife, and pine-scented air.
Gardner Mountain
Located in the Big Horn Mountains, this hike winds along the ridge top for six miles, offering spectacular views of the Powder River country to the east and Hole-in-the-Wall valley to the south.  The walking is fairly easy and you dictate the distance to be covered.  Petroglyphs, an ancient eagle trap, and an ice cave are among the things to see for the truly adventurous.  This is such a remote area that chances are good we won't see any other people on our walk.

The T-A Ranch offers various historic/scenic tours.  Some of these excursions are:
Hole-in-the-Wall
Our favorite tour!  Behind the massive Red Wall, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would lay low while planning their next bank or train robbery.  
You'll also see a buffalo jump and Indian petroglyphs / pictographs dating back 1500 years.  Then hike down a steep canyon to see outlaw caves.  Later, enjoy a picnic back on top of the canyon wall as hawks soar in a wind-swept blue sky. 

The Ranch History
The history of the Old West is filled with battles:  Indians vs. soldiers,  lawmen vs. outlaws, settlers  vs. raw nature.  But in the cold spring of 1892, a different kind of battle was about to reach its peak.
A group of cattle barons and their hired guns had just set out to eliminate any threat to their control of the Powder River country  by hunting down all suspected "rustlers." However, the hunters quickly became the hunted when an angry posse of Johnson County residents got wind of the plan and pinned the "invaders" down at their refuge, the T-A Ranch.
So began the climactic battle of the Johnson County War, a conflict that pitched cowboy against cowboy and neighbor against neighbor in an episode that continues to intrigue western historians to this day. In 1991, the Madsens bought the T-A Ranch. They restored the Victorian buildings and now share the beauty and history of this place with others.  Today, the T-A Ranch is open to those of you wanting to enjoy a western vacation, family reunion, or business retreat. It should be noted that this is not a resort with swimming pools, tennis courts, and crowds of people -- the touristy West can be found elsewhere. But if you're seeking the real West, a slower pace, with wonderful food, accommodations, and activities, the T-A is your destination.

The restored TA-Ranch.


The TA-Ranch Bunk House walls are
made of hand-hewn logs.


The Granary has been
converted into a conference room.