Western edge of Deer Lodge. 849-2070
This ranch was originally settled by Johnny Grant, the proprietor of a local trading post, in 1862. Four years later he sold his holdings to a hardworking German named Conrad Kohrs. The ranch grew to become Montana’s largest ranch boasting more than 10 million acres. Each year between 8,000 and 10,000 head were shipped to market. At one time cattle with the GK brand could be found grazing on open range from the Canadian border to Colorado.
A stroll through the ranch gives you a small feel for what life was like on a frontier ranch in the open range days. Everything here is authentic to the site. Today it is a dynamic living museum with cattle, horses, and chickens. Take the self-guided tour through bunkhouse row, the blacksmith shop, the tack room, the carriage barn and other buildings. There are 90 historic structures in all, and 37,000 artifacts covering 130 years of ranch history. Nowhere is the life of a cowboy preserved so well. There is a visitor center, and the Cottonwood Creek Nature Trail combines a short walk with information about ranching, cattle grazing, and ecosystems. The park is open daily from April through September from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It’s open the rest of the year with reduced hours. There is a modest admission charge.
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