Tavaputs Ranch a working cattle ranch and guest lodge that welcomes guests from around the world.
For hearty and adventurous visitors with a few days, Tavaputs Ranch provides a rare glimpse into a historic western American lifestyle.
By City Weekly Staff
There are increasingly few places left where you can truly get away from it all, but one of them is right here in eastern Utah at Tavaputs Ranch. As Utah's oldest family-run guest ranch, the nearly 10,000 foot elevation setting provides spectacular views of Desolation Canyon and beyond. The remote private ranch and brilliantly starlit dark skies are a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of packed tourist destinations. With their grandsons now representing the seventh generation of Utah ranchers in the region, Tavaputs hosts Butch and Jeanie Jensen welcome travelers from all over the world. "Visitors come back to Tavaputs for decades," says Jeanie of the unique experience. "It's a way of life that's disappearing," she acknowledges, but also says they feel blessed to share with up to thirty-five guests at a time during the June-September season, with all meals included.
The conservation award-winning Tavaputs operation manages two herds of more than 1,200 cattle, and is
fundamentally a working ranch on 10,000 private acres where visitors have plenty of opportunities to explore.
Ranch guests hike breathtaking Desolation Canyon, fish, enjoy guided ATV excursions and can book hunting trips with Tavaputs guides. Abundant populations of mule deer, elk, moose, black bear and mountain lion make for plenty of wildlife viewing and photography opportunities. Tavaputs has also become a destination for bird watchers, with wild turkey, sage grouse, birds of prey and hummingbirds abounding. And the remote location far from any light pollution makes for unparalleled dark skies stargazing.
In collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Utah, ranch guests also have the option to tour legendary Range Creek Canyon. Recognized as one of the most significant sites of undisturbed prehistoric Fremont cultural heritage in the southwest, the canyon stewards strictly limit motorized entry. During the guided tour, Tavaputs Ranch guests experience a truly unforgettable day spent viewing the canyon's rock art panels, granaries and ancient architecture, and visit with professional archaeologists conducting work in the area each summer.
