MEETEETSE MUSEUMS TOUR OFFERINGS

Tour of Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site

Join the museum for a fun and educational tour to Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site, about 37 miles south of Meeteetse. Legend Rock is “one of the oldest and best examples of the Dinwoody rock art in the world” where the public can view nearly 300 individual petroglyphs created up to 10,000 years ago.

The tour is free and pre-registration is NOT required. Participants are expected to bring a picnic lunch and drinking water. While the walk is no more than 200 yards, hiking shoes or sneakers are recommended. For those preferring not to drive, some car-pooling may be available at the museum. A ride, however, is not guaranteed. Binoculars are strongly recommended. Following the opening presentation and tour, which together last approximately 1 1/2 hours, participants are free to picnic and peruse the rock art on their own. The site’s interpretive center will be open, as well.

Tour of the Double Dee Guest Ranch

Owned and operated by Carl Dunrud from 1931 until 1945, the Double Dee was a guest ranch offering hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and more in the scenic Absaroka Mountains. Guests to the ranch included author Hubbard Hutchinson, illustrator Wallace Smith, and pilot Amelia Earhart. The ranch has recently been the focus of a major rehabilitation effort led by the US Forest Service and HistoriCorps, an organization whose mission is to save historic places.

There is no charge for the tour. Individuals may drive their own vehicles or arrange to carpool at the museum. Vehicles should have high clearance. Participants should also bring a picnic lunch, water, and appropriate clothing in case of a mountain shower.

Depending on the flow of the Wood River, participants with high clearance may continue the tour to Kirwin (on their own) and then hike one mile to Amelia’s proposed cabin. Please note that the water in the Wood River crossing may be higher than normal due to above average rain and snow melt. A representative from the US Forest Service will be at the Double Dee Tour to update participants on the condition of the river and road to Kirwin.

The Meeteetse Museums now has a virtual tour for the Double Dee Ranch!

The tour features historic photos, oral histories, and descriptions of the buildings at the ranch. To access the walking tour, download the izi Travel app. The tours that come up are location based so either the
“Double Dee Dude Ranch” tour will pop up automatically or you can search “Meeteetse Museums”. Make sure to hit download while you have service since there is no cell service on-site. The app is free to use.

Tour of the Pitchfork Ranch

Join the Meeteetse Museums for a tour of the historic Pitchfork Ranch. The Pitchfork Ranch was founded by Otto Franc in 1880. Louis G. Phelps purchased the Pitchfork Ranch in 1903. Phelps bought several surrounding properties growing the ranch to 250,000 acres.

Eugene Phelps, son of Louis G. Phelps, met Charles Belden while at college. He brought Belden back to the ranch. Charles eventually married Eugene's sister and became involved in the running of the ranch. The Pitchfork was the location for many of Charles Belden's photographs of the West.

In its more recent history, the Pitchfork is also the location of the last wild colony of black-footed ferrets which was captured for breeding in 1981. Some ferrets were reintroduced into the area in 2016.

Tour of Kirwin

The tour offers an up-close and personal look at the abandoned mining town located in the high Absaroka Mountains. Tour participants will explore the storage/shop facilities, cabins, sheds, mining offices, various collapsed structures, assay office, and machinery remaining at the location. Participants may also take a short hike to view the beginning foundation of Amelia Earhart’s cabin, intended to be her summer home. Construction ended in 1937 when the famous aviatrix disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.

Although participants may drive their own vehicles, car-pooling is encouraged. High clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles are required. Tour members should bring chairs, weather-appropriate clothing, and a lunch. Pre-registration is NOT required. However, if you do not have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the museum will help you find a ride with someone who does. Participants may join the tour group on site, but they must register with the tour once they arrive.

For dates of this year’s tours and more museum programming, check our Facebook page.

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