Big game hunting is the primary draw at Long Hollow Ranch, which is a near neighbor to the famed Deseret Ranch, renowned as one of the finest big game ranches in the country. Hunting opportunities are enhanced by the ranch’s participation in Utah’s Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) program. This provides the ranch with nine bull elk tags, four buck deer tags, and one moose tag each year. The moose tag, in particular, is extremely rare and represents a significant asset for the property. In addition, participation in the CWMU program allows for a two-month hunting season during which any legal weapon may be used.
Those who hunt this property will testify that the elk herd on Long Hollow Ranch produces exceptional bulls year after year, and the moose population is among the best in Utah. Mule deer are also abundant, and some truly exceptional bucks lurk in the draws.
Woodruff Creek is a small stream that contains a rare strain of native cutthroat trout, the Bear Lake strain of Bonneville cutthroat. The ranch controls the extreme upper end of Woodruff Reservoir, and larger fish move upstream from the reservoir each spring to spawn. Fly fishing with light tackle is an ideal approach along the three miles of Woodruff Creek that flow through the ranch.
Although the ranch is largely undeveloped, which helps keep maintenance costs low, multiple stock ponds have been created, and a network of four-wheel-drive roads provides access to the prime hunting areas. With its abundant water sources and senior water rights, summer cattle grazing can provide a viable supplemental income stream.
Hunting and fishing will always be the recreational mainstays at Long Hollow Ranch, but hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and OHV riding add to the appeal during the summer months, while snowshoeing offers an exciting way to experience the ranch in winter. Additional recreational opportunities include fishing and sailing at Bear Lake, about an hour to the north, and downhill skiing at Park City, approximately 1.5 hours to the south.
Although Long Hollow Ranch maintains a wild and secluded character, larger communities are within easy reach. Evanston, Wyoming, on Interstate 80, is just a 30-minute drive away, while Salt Lake City, Utah’s capital, is approximately two hours to the south. Salt Lake City’s international airport offers excellent airline connections to destinations across the country.
While it is not possible to return to the “good old days,” places like Long Hollow Ranch preserve as much of the West’s golden era of hunting and fishing as remains today. Long Hollow Ranch has retained the character and traditions of the historic American West, and with thoughtful stewardship, will continue to preserve that legacy for generations to come.
