JACKSON, Wyo. — On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Joe Ricketts’ property LLC the Ricketts Yellowstone Ecosystem (RYE) announced that plans have been submitted to the Teton County, Wyoming Planning and Building Department for a ranch resort located in Granite Creek.
The Ricketts Yellowstone Ecosystem is connected to the billionaire’s nonprofit Ricketts Conservation Foundation, and is responsible for managing all of Ricketts’ properties in western Wyoming. The proposed ranch resort is known as The Hawken.
The site plan is available here.
This comes after Ricketts ordered crews to immediately stop construction of his luxury resort planned in Bondurant in July 2024 after he sought an exemption from seasonal wildlife restrictions that was denied. Now, Ricketts is planning to build on a smaller parcel closer to Jackson Hole, as previously reported by the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
According to RYE press release, the Granite Creek location was previously home to the Safari Club, a hunting advocacy group’s venue that hosted guests for several decades. The Hawken resort pulls inspiration from the Hawken rifle and the mountain men on the American frontier, as the ranch is envisioned to hold the mountain man ethos of “resilience, precision and deep connection to the land” in everything from design elements to guest experiences.
The press release states that the project outlines a 22,000-square-foot resort within the 33.6-acre site, including a Main Lodge, welcome area, a fine dining restaurant, a retail space, a bar and a gathering space. The lodge will also house eight guest rooms in addition to 10 private cabins.
There are seven existing cabins from the Safari Club that will be repurposed and designed as workforce housing for year-round employees.
According to the RYE, the resort also aims to foster commitment to protecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). There will be informative programs, guided nature excursions and collaborations with local conservation organizations, with a planned Naturalist Center to serve as the resort’s hub for ecological conservation with workshops, guided activities and curated programs.
Planning is currently underway. RYE confirms its goal is to break ground in summer of this year and complete the project by summer 2028.
