Dude ranching began at Spear-O-Wigwam in 1920, when the first ranch structure was built.

Joe Shepard sat on the porch of his log cabin at Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch and stared at the snow-patched wilderness peaks of Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains, a day’s ride in the distance.

“I’m not sure I know of another place in North America where people can experience a ranch like this and have access to a remote camp like Beaver Lakes,” the ranch’s co-owner said.

“It’s a fantastic camp,” agreed ranch manager, Dale Voigtlander. “And there’s generally a huge herd of elk up there.”

Located on a finger of the Big Horn National Forest surrounded by wilderness, Beaver Lakes Camp began as a hunting and fishing camp in the 1920s. Today, Spear-O-Wigwam guests saddle up, pack their fishing gear, and ride six hours through mountain wilderness to the lakes, which are stocked with trout. A large, canvas-roofed cabin awaits them, and an old wood-burning cook stove hauled up by travois in the 1950s still cooperates with the camp cook. Moose, mule deer, and elk don’t seem to mind the presence of visitors. They just stare as riders pass through.

“Guys have told me it’s the nicest camp on the Big Horns,” said Dale.

Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch, at 8,300 feet above sea level, includes 18 acres of leased Bighorn National Forest Service land smartly clothed in stately lodgepole pine. It sits at the edge of a large, picturesque mountain reservoir that mirrors the highest peaks in the Big Horn range. Willow Creek rushes musically past the guest cabins as it carries snow-melt down from the high country. Moose nonchalantly amble through camp,
peeking in cabin windows and munching on tall willows near the creek.

“There are two places I love,” Ernest Hemingway wrote after his stay at Spear-O-Wigwam in the late 1920s, “Africa and Wyoming.” He rented his favorite cabin near the creek for two summers, where, in 1928, he finished Farewell to Arms.

The History Trail
Today, the ranch’s curious name tends to draw questions. “It’s such a strange name for a ranch,” said Joe’s wife, Sandy, with a laugh. The Shep-ards are taking over the ranch for Sandy’s parents, Jack and Doris Riehm, now in their 80s.

Even though many question the name, no one would think of changing it, because so much history is attached—a history that reflects the man who founded it. Willis Spear, a former Wyoming state senator, was a respected cattleman in Montana and Wyoming who settled in Big Horn in the late 1800s. 

Every June to October, Spear and his wife opened their ranch to guests from the East, offering swimming, hiking, horse shoe games, roping, and camping trips to watch the spring cattle roundup on the Indian reservation located on his 90,000-acre range. Spear also had a permanent hunting camp on Big Horn Mountain acreage leased from the Forest Service. Eventually, the Spears began dude ranching at their Big Horn Ranch, opening Spear-O-Wigwam in 1920. In 1930, they sold the Big Horn ranch, but continued dude ranching at Spear-O-Wigwam.

The first ranch structure, built in 1920, was a log council lodge that resembled a wigwam. The eight-sided building had a cement floor with a large fire pit in the middle and an open roof so smoke could escape. The unusual lodge soon became the center of attraction for guests. Later, a long section resembling a spear was added onto the original lodge, and the lodge became the “O” in Spear-O-Wigwam.

In the 1920s, winterkill destroyed the lodgepole pines surrounding the ranch, so Spear used them to build guest cabins. Although for a while the treeless Spear-O-Wigwam appeared desolate, it wasn’t long before new pines pushed through the soil, bathing the ranch in cool shade.

One of the Family
Spear-O-Wigwam has had a reputation for being a ranch of high quality since its beginning. In the 1920s, a visitor from the East wrote: “You’ll like the whole Spear outfit. They’ll welcome you in true Western style and treat you as one of the family and show you the time of your life.”

Spear entertained with his guitar, leading guests in song as they huddled around the campfire, and held them spellbound with stories of his Wild West adventures. When he died in 1936, he was remembered as a man who made it possible for others to experience the beauty of the mountains that he so loved.

Milt Sherman was among the ranch’s many owners since Spear’s death. He planned to convert the camp to a private club, but his plans never materialized.

“The Forest Service wouldn’t allow it,” Doris said. “They told Sherman it was public land.”

In 1974, Sherman sold the ranch to Jack and Doris Riehm, who discovered its availability by accident. The couple had spent many summers at a resort near Aspen, Colorado, where they grew to know and love the mountains. Eventually, they moved from Texas to New York, where Jack became vice president of the Lipton Tea Company.

Remembering Aspen’s beauty, they began searching for a resort to purchase. One snowy winter, Doris was sitting in her easy chair reading Architectural Digest when something caught her eye. “I turned a page, and there was an ad for Spear-O-Wigwam.” It appeared to be exactly what she and Jack were looking for. After the winter snows melted, they traveled to Wyoming to check it out.

“It was still pretty primitive,” Doris remembered. But the Riehms bought it anyway and haven’t been sorry. They remodeled the cabins, removing the kitchens in favor of a central dining hall, made general repairs, and shaped the grounds to reflect the lure of forest and mountain.

Riding & Relaxing
Horses are an integral part of Spear-O-Wigwam, which keeps a herd of between 45 and 50. “It was the blood and guts of the ranch for many years,” said co-owner Sandy Shepard. The horses are corralled near the main lodge. Every afternoon, the gate is opened and the dust-raising herd races off to palatable grassy mountain meadows until morning when they’re rounded up again.

“We aren’t limited to the number of acres the horses can graze,” added Dale, “but we’re limited to 35 horses here and 15 at Beaver Lakes high camp.”

Dale freelances for the Certified Horseman’s Association, which certifies trail guides. He manages the ranch and sees to it that the horses are well cared for.

“We have a reputation for having one of the best-cared-for horse strings in the Big Horns,” Doris said proudly.

The wranglers are not only friendly, but also versatile, arranging long or short rides upon request. They also see to it that horse personalities match levels of riding skill, “from never-ever to advanced,” noted Joe.

In addition to day rides, there are two-day family pack trips to the high camp. By the end of the week, all riders are close friends with their mounts, even if they’ve never sat on a horse before.

If you enjoy mountain history, ride to the area’s abandoned gold and silver mines. There, you can examine decaying miners’ cabins where old tin cans sealed with solder—and other remains—reveal a way of life in the Big Horns in the early 1900s. And of course, there are those 60 wilderness lakes teeming with trout. “Even I have no trouble catching fish,” said Doris.

Spear-O-Wigwam is set up for 30 guests, a manageable number for small-group activities. Families are encouraged. Although kids do without modern means of entertainment—even telephones—they have no problem finding things to do, according to Dale. “And their parents don’t have to worry about them when they’re out of sight,” he added. “They’re either with other children, a wrangler, or a responsible adult.”

Family-style meals are served at the lodge. An evening campfire reinforces togetherness. “I like the blend of people we have as guests,” said Sandy, “We’ll have everything from attorneys to artists all sitting around the dinner table.”

Joe Shepard enjoys “watching the stress lines disappear.” In the words of one 1920s guest: “Business cares and the humdrum duties of the work-a-day world will fall from you, taut nerves will relax, and a care-free spirit of don’t-give-a-whoop-what-happens envelops you.”

Added Doris, “We’re at the edge of the wilderness—the last place you can drive to.” 

For more information, contact Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch, P.O. Box 1081, Sheridan, WY 82801; (888) 818-3833; visit them on the Web at www.spear-o-wigwam.com.