Wildflowers are most prevalent in Spring although there are interesting plants throughout the summer.  They provide wonderful patches of color against the red/brown cliffs of Crazy Mountain.

Our naturalist's wildflower hike very popular with guests.  This bunch of purple Lupine is perched above the ranch.  In the background the snow capped peaks of the Rawah Wilderness area are visible.

Indian Paintbrush dots the landscape.  There are several different colors in our area including red, yellow, and white.  It gets its name because its pigments were used by Native Americans.

This Pin Cushion Cactus, also known as a Ball Cactus, is unobtrusive.  When the cactus blooms its pink blossoms are easily visible.

A Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeds on Penstemon.

The Rocky Mountain Iris appears each spring in our hay meadows.  The abundant water supply, warm weather, and lots of sunshine provide all they need to flourish.

There are several large herds of elk that reside in the valley. Bull Mountain, just across the road from our ranch, is the winter home to a herd of over 500 head.

Both mule deer and white-tail deer live in the valley. The "mulies" keep to the slopes and only rarely venture down to the river.  The white-tail, on the other hand, like the river bottom and remain there throughout the summer.  We caught this young buck resting in the trees.

Moose normally stick to the borders of the Rawah Wilderness Area.  In recent years, we have seen bull moose like the one below roaming along the river.  This young male followed the river down the valley for a visit last fall shortly after we cut our hay.

The coyote is shy and typically leaves the area when he spots humans.  Their role is controversial because some believe that they can be a threat to newborn calves.  For the most part, however, they prey on smaller animals or scavenge for their meals.

This porcupine was caught crossing our pasture.  Normally these creatures are seen clinging to the branches of trees.  They consume the bark and live in the valley year round.

The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is a common sight during the summer months.  They live in colonies.  We often hear their warning chirps as we approach on horseback.

They are prey upon by Badgers, Coyotes, and the birds of prey that hunt in our valley.

We have a wide variety of birds here in the valley.  Each season brings a change.  During the summer you can expect to see numerous birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawk, and smaller Kestrels.  We also have numerous non-prey species.

These sand-hill cranes frequented our pastures last year.  The leader is the mother of the two younger birds.

The Killdeer is an interesting bird.  It nests on the ground and remains alert to predators.  When riders approach it gets up off its nest and draws attention to itself with vocalizations and movement.  It will go so far as to pretend that it has a broken wing to draw predators away from its nest.