Wyoming’s huge Pathfinder Ranches sale finally has a name attached to it — and it’s not Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as rumors suggested. The 916,000-acre operation, touted as larger than Rhode Island, was listed last year for $79.5 million and drew attention for being bigger than even the fictional Dutton Ranch from TV’s “Yellowstone.”
The buyer is Chris Robinson, CEO of Salt Lake City-based Ensign Group, acting through the company that purchased the ranch. Pathfinder’s footprint includes 99,188 deeded acres, with the remainder made up of leases; together, it’s rated for 90,444 Animal Unit Months (AUM), a measure of grazing capacity. The final sale price hasn’t been disclosed, but the listing broker described the deal as one of the largest his firm has handled in Wyoming and emphasized the buyer’s ranching and conservation-minded approach.
Ensign Group already operates about 1 million acres across Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah and owns Pathfinder’s neighbor, the Stone Ranch — a key piece that helps “reunite” parts of the broader landscape. Robinson says the company intends to operate the ranches directly and grow their herd gradually, protecting “seed cattle” (mother cows) while using scale and flexibility to weather drought and market swings. With roughly 13,000 cows across its holdings and a long history ranching in Wyoming, Ensign frames the purchase as both a growth move and a long-term commitment to caring for the land — including figuring out productive uses for Pathfinder’s existing lodges.
Source: Cowboy State Daily
Photo: Swan Land Company
